Just back. Only nice thing really to say was sitting right next to the hospitality area it was so good to win like that - with the 'goal' at the end thrown in for good measure. It seems to be stewards ignore bad behaviour from that section just because they pay more. Unfortunately they drink about 5 times as much as well and the majority of them were vile. How it didn't all kick off I don't really know. On to the match, team selection all wrong and really got away with it. I can see now how offside that goal was, but in real time it was one of those that I thought no way will that get chalked off as I didn't realise the player infront of Willy got the final touch. And a word about that - two great point blank saves from Willy before that. Anyway in the hat that is all that matters. EDIT: BTW, absolutely comedy gold reading this thread for the first time since 1pm after the game
Valery's bloomers nearly cost us, but didn't, he looks much better in that position now, at least he has some pace.
We took up the cheap hospitality option in the Saints bar today and the match experience was ruined by the amount of Coventry fans who took up hospitality and then took up what seemed like half the fans in the Itchen/ Northam side. We felt like minority fans in our own ground and were several unsavoury moments. We complained at half time and the senior hospitality guy had no qualms in giving us a full refund. Bad judgement by the club on this one
Was the same in the Itchen Hospitality - I sit right next to it (next to the press area too) and it was 90% Coventry fans totally larging it with everyone around them - even families etc. Really bad call from the club and I do not know how it didn't all kick off.
Imo all of those are fine, just not all at once. Total amateur opinion but one outfield player from each position should remain from the previous game to maintain some kind of cohesion or communication I.e One CB One FB One CM One AM One ST I’d hope that it would prevent our players looking like a total bunch of strangers like the first half today.
Not sure why some thought that Thierry Small would walk into the side and produce a world beating performance, he has very little experience to fall back on, he hasn't played that many times in the B Team. He did get some decent crosses in from a running possession, that bodes well for the future. He has a lot to learn but wasn't a total loss, far better than anything that Theo produced.
I was shocked by the performance today. There was one 10 min spell before the first Coventry goal and the periiod immediately after the equaliser where we looked like a "Ralph team." For the rest of the match, I felt it was a miscalculation. Only Valerie, JWP and Stuart Armstrong seemed to come away with creditiblity. I would say that these three have all had much better games. I think it was salutory as to how many players were off the mark today. A. Armstrong. Diallo, Stephens and Walcott all struck me as being particularly poor. Small seems a long way fron being ready for the first team. I think the lesson to be learned is field as strong a team as is possible in tis competition.
Adam Blackmore mentioned this in the post-match assessment. I was surprised how many Coventry fans attended but I do not begrudge the genuine supporters . It was a good atmosphere and I think the FA Cup this year has been good so far with many of the bigger teams getting kicked out already.
I won’t lie. I was quite concerned at the team selection and for much of the first half I was right to be worried. We have played 3-5-2 before and it has worked quite well, BUT every time we have used it we made sure that JWP and Romeu/Diallo were tight in the centre. I posted twice, in the first half, that Diallo was playing next to Small which meant that we only had JWP in a central position with no one to interchange passes with, other than by going backwards or sideways. It also meant that our pressing game was non existent. Bizarre. I didn’t understand Diallo’s positioning then and I don’t understand it now, but have to presume he was acting on instructions from Ralph. It’s not good losing Lyanco to injury, but him going off allowed Ralph to change the team shape which then gave us some control on the game and allowed us to retain possession, although we didn’t make many chances. It was a concern that we were caught on the break so easily, not something you want to see 4 days before we play one of the best counter attacking teams in the league, but at least we will have Salisu back in for that one. Peterborough at SMS will be good for the next round, but only if we put out a stronger team.
