Precisely! It takes two people to make a good pass. If there’s nobody in a position to receive a pass, then what can Gomez do but linger over the ball?
Similarly, what can McClean and McManaman do if there are no forwards waiting for crosses? No wonder they take on man after man until they lose the ball.
Teaching players the right thing to do in different situations is called coaching. Isn’t there anybody at the club who can do this?