Alexis' Possession Problem
This blog is born from a startling stat. Stay with me. I know some are less than fixated with numbers, but this is quite the eyebrow-raiser.
Our 3-1 loss to Manchester United had many moments of interest. The joint-record high of 14 shots saved by the mercurial David De Gea. The two ironclad penalties denied us by referee Andre Marriner. The red card rightly given to Paul Pogba that was argued by many so-called experts.
The fact that Alexis lost possession of the ball 34 times however, got lost amidst the drama. 34 occasions, our Chilean gave the ball away. More than once every three minutes, the ball was gifted to our opponent. We all know the talismanic effects that Alexis can have with the ball, he is capable of the unthinkable at times. At what point though, does the negative outweigh the positive?
At the time...