Cooper can't play properly with the toys he has .... would he be lost with more.
I'm afraid you are right. We are not playing the same free-flowing football we used to play last season under Potter. Pitty, we have an excellent goalkeeper and a good squad.
We suffer because we play with two deep lying DMs who have to help our full-backs when opposition attacks down the flanks. Our wingers have to run back as well.
We have never played with two deep lying defensive midfielders. We have had Britton, Canas, Cork... as DMs, but Allen, DeGuzman, Shelvey and Ki were central midfielders who all contributed in defence AND in attack. When you think about Gylfi (under Rodgers), Michu (under Laudrup) and Gylfi again in post-Laudrup era, as our attacking midfielders, and Cooper playing Celina on the left wing, then it's clear what's missing.
Coopers' setup gives us a good defence against attacks down the flanks, but it sucks when WE have to attack. The result of the defensive burden is that our wingers get too tired to play three games in a week, and there is a missing link in the central midfield. You all remember the triangles played between Rangel - Allen - Dyer - Gylfi and Rangel - DeGuzman - Dyer - Michu on the right flank. The same triangles were played on the left side. Our central and attacking midfielders used to be heavily involved in the link-up play with our full-backs and wingers. And now? Grimes passes the ball to either Bidwell or Celina and then these two try to do something. The same on the right flank.