If we weren't to get 3 points tonight it would be an absolute travesty. Fancy having to watch Birmingham every week. Jesus.
Lots of blocks. For me,a back five a four midfielders in front of them tells the story. I'll take a 1-0 win!
It does but the story is harsh on us with an extraordinarily negative performance from Brum. The most passes in a Champ match this season from us!
A good result against yet another team that set up not to lose. Some great performances particularly the much maligned Rupp. Broke another bad habit of not winning at home. All in all a good night. If we can keep on progressing and get a bit more confidence then we have a chance to challenge for promotion.
It’s easiest with hindsight, and I’m not going to pretend there was any magic to it, but you have to hand it to Farke - he got it spot on. The players too, stayed patient and concentrating. Hanley is still a bit rusty, but our defence is looking pretty good finally (especially when Skipp is playing). Rupp was excellent today IMO. I thought Buendia had his best game in nearly a year - some wonderful touches and there was one moment where he sprinted the length of the wing and nicked the ball back deep in our half - his energy was all there. Cantwell was both brilliant and frustrating. He started to look really good, tired a little in the final quarter or so, but it is a miracle neither he nor Buendia were involved in a goal. Deserved his man of the match performance. Vrancic an excellent substitution, but I also thought Idah and Placheta both also brought something new to the pitch.
73% possession and 767 passes, it was like watching a defence against stack training game. Hogan had no one near him all game. I’ll say it again Vrancic should be used in the number 10 role, he’s the only player that looks like scoring from outside the ball and can drop deep at times to dictate play or find a killer pass. Rupp was efficient tonight, helped break up play, crucially won the ball for the goal. He’s not an exciting player and doesn’t have the class that Leitner does but he’s growing into the team.
It amuses me that Rupp has the same awkward running movement as McLean, but he was very effective tonight in both attack and defence.
I don't agree at all that DF "got it spot on". The Hugill/Pukki combination simply didn't work, as a result of which Pukki was rendered largely ineffective and Stiepermann's absence thrown into high relief. Why didn't Vrancic start, with either Hugill or Pukki up front? My (and Whoscored's) MOM was Rupp, not Cantwell. Rupp was excellent throughout. Cantwell appeared to be playing too much for himself, two or three good scoring chances going begging in consequence (the most obvious when he chose to shoot rather than make the simple pass inside to the unmarked Pukki). I assume that had Stiepermann not been unwell, he would have started. At least I sincerely hope so.