It'll be interesting to see if Sage is concerned with attitude or performance level, as the two aren't always the same thing.
There was some clickbait crap floating around after he left Canvot out the other week. The player is now back in the side which suggests the manager is happy with his attitude but, for me, his performances are still miles off it.
Go back to the Forest game. The 1st half header that Benetiz saves comes about because Canvot got caught trying to run the ball out from the back when he should have just passed it long. Poor decision making on the ball.
The bits I think the coaches will be focusing on, though, are less-obvious.
Have a look back at when Delap blasts that chance straight at Benetiz (who deserves full credit for the save anyway). Canvot is perhaps a little slow to get out to Gibbs White, who makes the most of the chance to get his head up and pick his spot. That's not the main thing, though. As the ball comes back off the bar Canvot is stood on the edge of the box, like a statue, as all the action unfolds. Literally doesn't move until the ball goes out for a corner. He couldn't have got back to the goal in time to help, but he didn't know that. Defenders are supposed to sense danger and naturally seek to address it. Canvot just went inactive at the key moment.
2nd half, when they hit the post from a corner, the ball ends up looping up the air. Murillo comes charging in like a rhino and, thankfully, heads it straight at Benetiz. Canvot is the nearest and is well placed to challenge for the header, but he doesn't even jump. I'm not saying he bottled it, but he might as well not have been there. He is one of our centre backs! If he isn't going to challenge for key headers then why is he there? He then completely lost Chris Wood for his header at the end that, again, fortunately went straight at Benetiz.
Obviously, Canvot is young and has potential, etc and so on. Also, obviously lots of other players made a lot of errors too. Lerma was an accident waiting to happen (again), for instance.
I am focussing on Canvot because he was one of the players Sage left out because he wasn't happy with him.
I wonder if he is happier now? Will he leave him out again? When he drops a player who then comes back in and plays well, the decision is immediately vindicated. It's cases like that of Canvot that will test the Sage approach.
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