Didn't see much wrong with our attacking play yesterday. I think the issue is that the perception of attacking tactics is that they encompass all attacking play from the pass into their half to the goal, and the fact that we only got one yesterday from a set piece means that element is lacking.
Doesn't really work like that - never has. Even Guardiola's approach was summed by Henry as 'My job is to get you into the final third, your job is to score from there.'
Mourinho's approach is similar - the structure allows for players to get into the final third in relatively high-quality positions receiving the ball to feet on the move or in loads of space, and that's where players take over.
If Lamela hadn't miscontrolled twice in the box, if Sonny hadn't uncharacteristically hesitated when shooting in the second half after being set free by Kane, if Ndombele had a bit more decisiveness after getting past three blokes, we could have been in five times and had at least a couple of open-play goals. But individual quality takes over there, not tactics.
Also important to note that Burnley's approach meant risk-taking on the attacking front would be punished, badly. A simple long ball to Wood or Barnes, they'd control and lay it off, and then Toby and Dier would be backpedaling, leading to either a shot or a set piece - the latter of which is exceedingly dangerous for us right now because we can't defend them.
That outlet lasted all game, and precluded us from being more adventurous - we had to have bodies around Barnes and Wood to pick up the second ball, because they'd usually win the first.
So, all in all, not a bad game in an attacking sense. We'll have games with more freedom to venture forward- we will also have to shut up shop significantly more (against Pool, for example, where you can stymie them by giving them the ball and countering against a Van Dijk-less defence).
