That was the most important thing for me - confidence to push on from here. We dominated the stats, had more possession, scored two very good goals and got very good match time for a lot of players. Vrančic was back to his best and ran the game - his corner was perfect on to Handley's head for the first and the ball he looped in to Rupp for the second goal was pure class. Rupp showed much more of what he can do, Drmić got game time and a goal and Byram was also excellent, as was Lewis. Fährmann was very solid in goal. A real team effort by all concerned and into the 5th round of the cup.
Tactics from DF. Why did he bring on Pukki with 90sec left and defending a 2 -1 lead. Surely AT was a better bet. If Pukki had been injured,where would that have left us for the next games. Not a good decision IMO
It was strange, but Drmić is coming back from an injury and Teemu was the only striker option. He'd alread strengthened midfield with McLean coming on, so perhaps he wanted to keep a threat up front.
The summariser on the stream I was watching said exactly the same BB. Especially given Pukki was returning from a hamstring injury. Pointed out that it is crucial to be properly warmed up, else you risk the hamstring again. He then wondered if Pukki had a clause in his contract to the effect that, if fit, he appears, even if he doesn't start.
I thought it was the first time we had caught a glimpse of the "real" Fährmann. On that showing I think he deserves a run in the team. Krul has been OK but is too reactive for my liking and his distribution is often very poor.
Considering Krul has had to cope with an improvised CB situation which is constantly changing due to injuries and suspensions, he's done well. His reflex saves have been crucial, he's a natural at playing out from the back and he's also a hugely important leader on the pitch. It's been tough for Fährmann but he'll be leaving at the end of the season and we need 11 players fighting for survival in the run in.
Yes, I had the same stream. It did seem strange but we'd already brought on McLean and needed a threat up front to keep their defenders from pouring forward. The same commentator went on and on about our poor defending against set pieces and how good Burnley were by comparison. That stopped when Handley's header went in.
Also his leadership abilities, that Farke never seem to fail to mention. I remember many at the start of the season were saying Krul wasn't good enough for the PL. Well in my mind he's certainly proved them wrong, I just hope we can retain him if we go down.
He shouldn't be on the bench if he's not fit to play. He was on the bench so should have been okay to play for a few minutes. All subs should be ready to play / warmed up during the game. Is there any evidence to suggest he wasn't?
5th round draw tonight at 19.19 on the One Show, I believe. FA Cup fifth-round draw numbers 1. Manchester United 2. Chelsea 3. Southampton or Tottenham Hotspur 4. Sheffield Wednesday 5. AFC Bournemouth or Arsenal 6. Northampton Town or Derby County 7. Leicester City 8. Sheffield United 9. Reading or Cardiff City 10. West Bromwich Albion 11. Norwich City 12. Coventry City or Birmingham City 13. Manchester City 14. Newcastle United or Oxford United 15. Portsmouth 16. Shrewsbury Town or Liverpool
Plenty left in the hat I'd be very happy to see us face, equally plenty I'd rather not! Home draw would be nice, even if it is one of the bigger fish.
None of that contradicts what I said about the weaker aspects of his game Rick. Indeed, your point about the improvised defence in front of him highlights the benefits that could accrue from having a less reactive keeper. Also, playing out from the back includes being able to release the ball dependably to the FBs when the opposition presses up on the CBs; how often does TK put the ball into touch in those situations? @carrowcanario If you look back, you'll see I was not among those saying TK wasn't good enough for the Premier League. But saying he is good enough for the EPL is one thing, there's also the question of how good he is compared to others of EPL standard.