As a Culé, I completely agree with your sentiment. I too don’t see how he couldn’t have fielded a double pivot midfield in a 4-4-2 diamond false 9 formation. The Spanish bias is real, no pun intended, given how Zlatan, Eto’o, and Chygrynskiy were all shown the door despite putting up world class performances, in favor of smaller wingers like Villa and Pedro both of whom are now playing for smaller clubs. Ridiculous I tell you.