To be fair to Carvalho, it is not just a story of poor performances: the injury in preseason set him back. I’d argue he should have been given more playing time, but its difficult to see how he can be integrated into the team now. Had we qualified for the playoffs with a few games to go, there’d have been more time to see if we can find a way of accommodating him.
I also don’t think that Sabri is particularly stubborn or blind when it comes to player selection. I don’t get the sense that he is overly ideological in approach or that he has anything but good relations with the players. I think he’s just pragmatic. As you say, he’d found a way of playing that worked and it’s just a bit more difficult for Carvalho to fit in with that.
I agree with your comments on counter attacking football. It’s possible to be attractive to watch, and considered a good passing side, without dominating possession stats. I think that was lost a bit in the Guardiola era.
You make some very good points.
Personally, I think Lamouchi has handled the Carvalho issue fairly well, and in doing so has forced EMs hand to a degree.
Lamouchi was under pressure from the word go; Carvalho, percieved to be the star asset, did not help Sabri's plight by getting injured early on.
Since then, the side has progressed to a point were we became serious play off contenders; and each and every time he has tinkered with the side has ended badly.
If he came under any pressure to play Carvalho, which I doubt, he only had to ask the question, what do you want from me, promotion or to develop the player?
Lamouchi has now cut Carvalho from his plans altogether which creates a problem for EM; does he let him rot on the side lines and watch his value dwindle away to nought, or does he get him out and in doing so get some money back.
I can see a move to Olympiakos happening in the close season; Fourtunis has turned out to be injury prone and Valbuena is hitting on 35 years old, they will definitely need someone in that kind of role.
Regarding the style of play; Lamouchi has done nothing more than made the most of what he has got available to him.
He has attempted to get a solid spine to the team, make us difficult to beat and to develop from there, the big problem we have is a distinct shortage of attacking options available.
When he speaks of our attacking play he talks of players having the confidence and courage to attack teams but that is easier said than done for the players we have available.
He has a team of players who have bought into his plans but that is not enough; we need some players with a bit more quality and some others with the mental strength required to be successful and to instil that into others in the team, especially the youngsters.
Whatever Lamouchi does will never be enough for some people; it is worth pointing out that Lamouchi still has a chance to do in one season that, which took a certain Brian Howard Clough, over two seasons to do
