Ricardo

Going into tomorrow’s game and the rest of the season, Xabi Alonso needs to fix TWO major problems if he wants to avoid getting sacked before January. Our defeats to Brentford and Tottenham exposed the same weaknesses, and I'm worried that if we don't address them, Liverpool will punish us for the same mistakes. - Our intensity and ball retention are nowhere near good enough. We struggle badly against teams that press aggressively, make quick decisions and keep the ball under pressure. When the game gets intense, we lose control, give the ball away cheaply and struggle to compete. Yes, we missed João Pedro in both games, but we cannot build a team that depends on one player to make our pressing work. Pedro Neto can help, but playing him at RWB limits his impact. Caicedo is the only midfielder I consistently trust to press effectively, while Henderson showed some effort against Tottenham, but it wasn't enough. Pep Chavarría could also help defensively, but he's injured too. Xabi needs to understand that we cannot ask players to do what they aren't capable of, but we can certainly demand better decision-making and ball retention. We give possession away too easily, and against high-intensity teams, that is practically asking for trouble. - Why do we keep abandoning our identity under pressure? This is what frustrates me the most. The moment opponents press us aggressively, we start panicking and going long instead of trusting our ability to build from the back. We lose the ball, invite more pressure and spend the rest of the game chasing possession. Honestly, what is the point of having a goalkeeper who can participate in building from the back if we're just going to kick the ball forward under pressure? If we cannot press well enough to win the ball back consistently, then we must at least learn to keep it. Xabi needs to stop letting opponents dictate how we play. We cannot keep abandoning our football every time a team raises the intensity. That's not how you build a team with a clear identity. If we repeat these same mistakes against Liverpool tomorrow, I genuinely fear we'll lose again. But if we keep the ball better, make quicker decisions and have the courage to play our football under pressure, we can give ourselves a real chance. What worries me is that Brentford and Tottenham exposed almost identical problems. That tells me this isn't just about one bad performance or missing players. It's something the manager needs to address. We found a way to improve our set-piece defending, so why can't we find a solution to these problems? Xabi Alonso, the excuses cannot continue forever. You have to recognise what isn't working and find a solution before it costs you your job. I'm not expecting miracles, but I am expecting improvement, better decisions and a team that doesn't fall apart whenever the opposition turns up the pressure. I'll be watching closely tomorrow. Xabi, show me you've learned something from those two defeats. Surprise me, because I don't want to watch us make the same mistakes for a third time.