If that is the case Rick why didn't he play Idah up front with Barnes and Sargent backed up by an attacking midfield? At least that would have provided more entertainment at both ends of the pitch.
I personally see a lot of sense in the line up yesterday, the fact that the players brought in didn’t perform is a seperate issue but the lineup should have been good enough to win the game. We have just come out of a gruelling festive period with games being played every 3 days. The likes of Sara and McLean have played almost every minute this season, I can only recall Sara being subbed off once and I’m pretty sure McLean hasn’t missed a minute. This league is a squad game, Wagner needed to get minutes in for the likes of Forshaw (recently returned from injury) and Gibbs who has barely had a kick other than the cups and a game at no.10. Fisher needs game time to develop. Batth and Hanley both needed minutes. Gianoulis coming back from injury, Sargent another back from an injury needing game time. Realistically we aren’t going to win the FA cup so it’s a great opportunity to give these guys minutes and perhaps give the manager a decision to make when selecting the team for the next league game, few that weren’t already in his plans did that
Where is the sense in resting players because of a heavy match schedule and then ending up playing an extra game because of the result? Nobody disagrees with the sense of resting normally first choice players and every Club does it but surely you put these players on the bench so that you can try and avoid a replay by bringing on your top players with 30 mins to go. Who on our bench yesterday, apart from perhaps Rowe, was going come on and win the game? Look at the subs he did make - mainly like for like apart from the masterstroke of taking off Sargent for Idah!! Common sense to me would be to have started with Idah up front and Sargent, Nunez and Sara on the bench to bring on with 30 mins to go if you needed to win the game. It is beginning to look as if many in the squad have even given up on putting in enough effort and, in my opinion, this is entirely due to the fact that we have a Head Coach with insufficient technical, tactical and managerial skills and nothing will change until he goes.
Third round replays will take place during the week beginning Monday, January 15. Hopefully we'll play on the Tuesday so we'll have more time to prepare for West Brom on the following Saturday.
All wonderful in hindsight, the starting line up should have been strong enough to win the game. I was disappointed that we hadn’t brought a bench full of youngsters from the u23s, swings and roundabouts I guess. Imagine if he had brought Sara, McLean and Nunez on and they got injured…then we would argue why he had risked key players
I thought the midfield was the bit that we we lacking yesterday, Hernandez scared them, set up one and almost a second, but for a few inches, but I didn't think Rowe did much when brought on. He did have a few runs, but no end product. Seinz ran at their defence a few times as well causing issues, but to me it looked like a team of individuals rather than a team.
Alternatively, imagine if he had brought them on, none of them got injured, and we finished up winning the match by a convincing margin, with the team being clapped off the pitch and a feelgood atmosphere generated for all those youngsters in the crowd ......
It is not hindsight - just common sense. There is nothing wrong with playing an experimental team but in a match against a lower league side, where you want to avoid a replay and need a Cup Run to recharge your season you need good players on the bench in case the experiment fails. If the experiment works then you don't need to bring them on. The Cup is important. I am old enough to have seen all the games both home and away in the 1958/9 season. We were going nowhere as a Club having always been in the lower divisions. A good Cup Run and the money and support which followed led to our first ever promotion to what is now the Championship.What are we saving our best players for? If you believe we have a chance of making the play offs then again, in my opinion, you are living in cloud cuckoo land which to me makes a good cup run even more important. I agree that everything is a matter of opinion but all the evidence to me indicates that Wagner will only continue to drive us downwards and needs replacing.
Pretty much every other side uses the cups to trial fringe players & rest others that have played too many games & may need a rest . The group of players put out should have been good enough to beat a League 1 side but didn't deliver, the tactics looked disjointed again & our "Internationals" failed to take their chances
I fully agree. The tactics were disjointed - who is responsible for tactics? The bench was inadequate - who is responsible for team selection? The substitutions were strange and didn't work - who is responsible for substitutions? There was a lack of effort - who is responsible for morale? Bingo - full house!!
The players involved should have been good enough to dispatch Bristol Rovers. I'm not a big fan of Wagner, but the horrendous loss of Sargent Gunn Handley & other key players is a good enough excuse for performances. We don't have money to recruit in January players or a new head coach so I'm guessing Wagner will be given the remaining games to try & pull off a miracle & get in the play offs . Relegation doesn't look very possible. Lots of players out of contract next season that need to prove they aren't dead wood , a few probably think they are too good for us that we may cash in on . It would be sensible to give the German until the end of the season knowing the club will shake hands & wish him well if he fails to achieve a top 6 place . The American baseball tycoon isn't going to throw money at the squad , he clearly thinks he's milking a cash cow if we get promoted & a self financing selling club if we don't. He won't be losing money that's for certain
I wanted Wagner sacked in November and am still pretty unsure about him, but I think it is now the wrong time to sack him meaningfully. We have just started a transfer window and have players returning from injury. The time it made sense to fire him was end of November/early December to give a new manager time to assess, plan and then buy in the transfer window. Now, Wagner might as well have the benefit of doubt until about the end of February with fans sticking by it - by that time we will likely no for sure where we are and if poor performances have continued there is no excuse.
Yeah, come to think of it, why don't we just cede the tie to Bristol Rovers and let their thrilled supporters enjoy a massive occasion, with their team running out under the Anfield sign and the club earning a bit of extra money. Would anyone connected with our club feel they were missing out?
