Not very often that I say this, but Le Boss got his managerial decision-making on this one totally wrong. It's not that it hurts going out of the FA Cup - in fact, I think it's great, but it's how that really takes the cake.
First, he should've just thrown the game, but in his line-up, you could see that he was in two minds. Yes, he really had other priorities, but he wanted his cake and eat it too, so he stuck Cesc in, and exposed him to injury at such a shit-hole for us as the Britannia Stadium. Then of course, we had the mix of chaps like Coquelin and Jay Emanuel Thomas. And, to top if off, we had the Arsh, Rosicky, Ramsey and Eduardo on the bench. Why even bother?
It was a total mix up and cock up. Should've just gone totally with the Reserve team. But he couldn't. He knew he'd get the hardest stick from select portions of fans, the British media and who-knows-who else if he did so. Which explains the strange line up, which more than anything, exposed how unbalanced we can be if injuries were to hit even harder.
So what do we have now? Cesc, Denilson, Ramsey, Eduardo, Arsh - all exposed to a gut-wrenching, momentum-stopping defeat prior to the games of our season. I've not included Theo here. Of everyone on the pitch, he must've put in the more horrible. It was sad to see him rule himself out of South Africa, but he surely did. Let's hope we don't see much more of him on this form.
It hurts to lose, it hurts to lose anytime, and to Stoke City. But it could've been must less painful if Le Boss had been slightly more honest with his line-up.
Hand on heart - who really wants to still be in the FA Cup these days, with the kinds of fixtures we have, and the squad that we have. Furgeddit I say. And other hand on heart - what does getting to the quarters, semis, finals or even winning the damn thing ever do? Who's going to remember that Pompey ever won it recently? My bet this year: Birmingham.
1 comment:
It's not the only mistake he's made this season, and certainly won't be his last.
Post a Comment