The fall-out from Tuesday suggests that our lot have just returned from Afghanistan rather than Berne. Defoe, Keane, Pav, Modric and Giovani all apparently ended up amongst the bodies strewn across the turf, and as a result the Crouchy One had to work alone. The backs-to-the-wall finale means that this probably deserves to be filed under the “Winning Ugly”, We did though, also churn out some eye-pleasing stuff in the first half, as exemplified by the build-up to both goals. With Crouch on his own in attack the success of our 4-5-1 depended on Lennon and Bale attacking the area, and Jenas making the occasional lollop forward in support. In the first half in particular this approach met with a degree of success. Bales brace proved decisive in the end with only a disallowed goal by Stoke proving a subject for discussion concerning a need for goal-line technology.
