MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (a)

[Zip]

Wow...how times change. We are knocked out of the FA Cup by Luton and some folks are pretty OK about it ??

Puskas and Swfit have played something like just ELEVEN league games this season BETWEEN THEM !!! Surely, one or both could
have played some part today ? Resting them for what ?? They are professional footballers aren't they ??

I won't apologise for upsetting those that think today was acceptable. And for those that believe today was unacceptable...I totally agree.

Poor managment. Poor choice of team. Poor finishing.

We have just had a huge injury crisis. Down to bare bones with a number of hamstring injuries in the squad. We all expected Puscas to play today. Let’s find out why he didn’t before toys are thrown out of the pram. As for Swift he has played in our last three games and had 60 mins in our last match. He doesn’t need to be risked ahead of a very important game v Brentford.

Besides the team Pauno picked created more than enough to win but we just lacked a striker like Puscas to finish.

The problem with the side picked was it really sent the message that we weren't serious about winning. And that's what it looked like from the start. Only after we went behind did we start to play with any conviction.

Perhaps a slightly stronger team and/or experienced subs would have lifted the team a little. Holmes plus McIntyre would have given us a much better defence with only one new youngster.

Maybe it was a case of the new players getting used to each other befire clicking. So a stronger team from the outset could have started quicker instead of being over run by an eager Luton

I only saw the second half. I still haven’t seen their goal yet. All I can say is that we really should have scored three or four in the second half. We totally dominated and were let down by a mixture of poor finishing, good keeping and a bit of bad luck. So in my mind the team selected was good enough to win.

The others points are that we have a much smaller squad, young players like Southwood, Tetek, Pendlebury need game time, we are bang in the middle of a battle for promotion, we have just started coming through a big injury crisis and still have a congested second half of the season to complete. Besides slight tweaks to the side, ie playing Swift may not have changed the outcome.

[Hound]

I’d have liked to have seen Swift personally but

A) the pitch was very heavy
B) I’ve no idea how fit he is or how his hamstrings are. They’ve specialists who would be advising on whether the best thing for him was to play this game or not. No doubts Pauno fully focussed on having him fit as possible for the league. I’m sure we did whatever was best for that

[bcubed]

Actually what's really annoying is we won't be in the draw for 4th And 5th rounds!

[bcubed]

I’d have liked to have seen Swift personally but

A) the pitch was very heavy
B) I’ve no idea how fit he is or how his hamstrings are. They’ve specialists who would be advising on whether the best thing for him was to play this game or not. No doubts Pauno fully focussed on having him fit as possible for the league. I’m sure we did whatever was best for that

Also would have liked to see him play but the point about the pitch is a good one. Not suited to his style.

[Hound]

Nothing in the interview from Pauno about swift or Puscas but did say Gibson back very soon, Araruna is back in non contact training and Yiadom back within the next 2 weeks (though not sure whether that means available for first 11)

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Nothing in the interview from Pauno about swift or Puscas but did say Gibson back very soon, Araruna is back in non contact training and Yiadom back within the next 2 weeks (though not sure whether that means available for first 11)

yep great questioning by the local media again

[Snowflake Royal]

Who else would people have played out of interest. I’m assuming at this point in time that Puscas wasn’t available

Joao? Rino? Laurent? Ovie?

Could see an argument to play Holmes instead of Dorsett and Seift if available but otherwise really can’t see what else Pauno should have done imo

Remember we’ve just had 4 weeks of lots of games with the absolute bare bones of a first 11. We’re still missing Moore, Gibson, Araruna, Meite, Yiadom....

Have been asking this question for the last hour or so, but no one seems to have answered. Like you, assuming Puscas wasn't available, so Holmes is the only other player we could probably have risked, and I don't think he'd have had much impact on the result.

You going senile Pepe? I answered you immediately and you even replied to it.

You even agreed with some of it iirc.

[RoyalBlue]

Wow...how times change. We are knocked out of the FA Cup by Luton and some folks are pretty OK about it ??

Puskas and Swfit have played something like just ELEVEN league games this season BETWEEN THEM !!! Surely, one or both could
have played some part today ? Resting them for what ?? They are professional footballers aren't they ??

I won't apologise for upsetting those that think today was acceptable. And for those that believe today was unacceptable...I totally agree.

Poor managment. Poor choice of team. Poor finishing.

We have just had a huge injury crisis. Down to bare bones with a number of hamstring injuries in the squad. We all expected Puscas to play today. Let’s find out why he didn’t before toys are thrown out of the pram. As for Swift he has played in our last three games and had 60 mins in our last match. He doesn’t need to be risked ahead of a very important game v Brentford.

Besides the team Pauno picked created more than enough to win but we just lacked a striker like Puscas to finish.

Indeed. I think he would've done well off the chances that were created today. But maybe still not deemed to be worth risking him in this game.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I'm surprised Puscas wasn't involved but happy to assume the club are in a better position to assess his fitness and capability better than HNA?

Overall not too disappointed. Good 2nd half, we deserved a goal but it wasn't to be. Good experience for the youngsters; lots of future first teamers I'd say. Allows us to focus on the league in a congested season.

[Barney]

I'm not picking a ruck here, but what the HELL is this about fixture congestion !!!

We have 23 games to play in SEVENTEEN weeks !!!!!

Sorry...but that ain't fixture congestion.

[Hendo]

I'm not picking a ruck here, but what the HELL is this about fixture congestion !!!

We have 23 games to play in SEVENTEEN weeks !!!!!

Sorry...but that ain't fixture congestion.

Oh I don’t know, but off the top of my head:

26 games in the previous 17 weeks
After an extended season last year
With hardly any preseason
With the possibility of games being cancelled due to COVID or maybe weather
Further FA Cup ties

This season isn’t just about what’s coming up, but what has already happened and the toll on the players towards the end of the season.

It also wouldn’t take much for us to end up needing to play 2 games a week most weeks.

[Zip]

I'm not picking a ruck here, but what the HELL is this about fixture congestion !!!

We have 23 games to play in SEVENTEEN weeks !!!!!

Sorry...but that ain't fixture congestion.

Oh I don’t know, but off the top of my head:

26 games in the previous 17 weeks
After an extended season last year
With hardly any preseason
With the possibility of games being cancelled due to COVID or maybe weather
Further FA Cup ties

This season isn’t just about what’s coming up, but what has already happened and the toll on the players towards the end of the season.

It also wouldn’t take much for us to end up needing to play 2 games a week most weeks.

Good post.

[Stranded]

I'm not picking a ruck here, but what the HELL is this about fixture congestion !!!

We have 23 games to play in SEVENTEEN weeks !!!!!

Sorry...but that ain't fixture congestion.

We've had a very congested season to this point and had a mountain of injuries, as you may have noticed. We also gave a smallish squad. Complaints against the side put out today would be more valid if they hadn't have put in a performance that should have seen them win.

I can almost see the posts now if say Laurent had played and turned his ankle or got sent off, it would be full of people questioning why he played.

It is a fact of life that the cup is not that important any more and less so after a congested half a season of the back of a minimal summer break.

Team was fine, we should have won, we didn't. We move on.

[TiagoIlori]

I’m really impressed with Melvin-Lambert’s movement for his last gasp chance. It was brilliant and caught the defenders off guard, with a bit more experience he’d finish that. I see the potential in him.

[Hound]

I’m really impressed with Melvin-Lambert’s movement for his last gasp chance. It was brilliant and caught the defenders off guard, with a bit more experience he’d finish that. I see the potential in him.

Yeah Tetek did very well for the chance as well

[Zip]

Good to see some more positive posts. I think our youngsters did the us proud in the second half with some really good football. Just to add Dorsett looked good at the back and Onen was always a lively presence and showed promise.
Im not usually positive after a defeat. I was today.

[SCIAG]

I’m really impressed with Melvin-Lambert’s movement for his last gasp chance. It was brilliant and caught the defenders off guard, with a bit more experience he’d finish that. I see the potential in him.

Yep, he doesn’t seem to be the most mobile but shows some of the instincts of an old-fashioned poacher. Bit of a throwback. Needs to add the composure or improve his link play.

[Crowbar6753]

I'm sorry, but the FA Cup has turned into a bit of a "Joke" competition. Back in the 70s & 80s the first two rounds of the cup were always the most exciting games to play, and hoping to make it to the third round and draw one of the big teams was stuff of dreams.
Now just about all the Championship/Premier teams play reserve teams until the later rounds ruining and devaluing the competition.

Back to today, yes i know the squad is small and players are tired, but our next game is in a weeks time giving plenty of time to recover and these are professional athletes we're talking about.

Today should have seen us start with the first team and then depending on the game bring on the younger players. Lets face it, if two or three more of our first teamers were playing today we would be in the hat for the fourth and fifth rounds as it stands.

Two days ago the manager was talking up the competition, mentioning the history of the cup and how well its regarded around the world and saying how he was looking forward to the competition!! only to go and pick a team that gave us little hope of winning!!

It wasn't to long ago we were playing Arsenal in the Semi Final, what a day that was.

Not good enough....

[Hendo]

I'm sorry, but the FA Cup has turned into a bit of a "Joke" competition. Back in the 70s & 80s the first two rounds of the cup were always the most exciting games to play, and hoping to make it to the third round and draw one of the big teams was stuff of dreams.
Now just about all the Championship/Premier teams play reserve teams until the later rounds ruining and devaluing the competition.

Back to today, yes i know the squad is small and players are tired, but our next game is in a weeks time giving plenty of time to recover and these are professional athletes we're talking about.

Today should have seen us start with the first team and then depending on the game bring on the younger players. Lets face it, if two or three more of our first teamers were playing today we would be in the hat for the fourth and fifth rounds as it stands.

Two days ago the manager was talking up the competition, mentioning the history of the cup and how well its regarded around the world and saying how he was looking forward to the competition!! only to go and pick a team that gave us little hope of winning!!

It wasn't to long ago we were playing Arsenal in the Semi Final, what a day that was.

Not good enough....

What happens if Joao, Laurent, Richards or a couple of other first teamers get injured for the rest of the season and that’s basically season over for another 1 or 2 rounds in the FA Cup? Not worth it with the position that we’re in in the league.

Pauno also picks a team that gave us little chance of winning, yet they created more than enough chances to win the game?

[royalp-we]

I'm sorry, but the FA Cup has turned into a bit of a "Joke" competition. Back in the 70s & 80s the first two rounds of the cup were always the most exciting games to play, and hoping to make it to the third round and draw one of the big teams was stuff of dreams.
Now just about all the Championship/Premier teams play reserve teams until the later rounds ruining and devaluing the competition.

Back to today, yes i know the squad is small and players are tired, but our next game is in a weeks time giving plenty of time to recover and these are professional athletes we're talking about.

Today should have seen us start with the first team and then depending on the game bring on the younger players. Lets face it, if two or three more of our first teamers were playing today we would be in the hat for the fourth and fifth rounds as it stands.

Two days ago the manager was talking up the competition, mentioning the history of the cup and how well its regarded around the world and saying how he was looking forward to the competition!! only to go and pick a team that gave us little hope of winning!!

It wasn't to long ago we were playing Arsenal in the Semi Final, what a day that was.

Not good enough....

What happens if Joao, Laurent, Richards or a couple of other first teamers get injured for the rest of the season and that’s basically season over for another 1 or 2 rounds in the FA Cup? Not worth it with the position that we’re in in the league.

Pauno also picks a team that gave us little chance of winning, yet they created more than enough chances to win the game?

With 6 of our next 8 games against top half sides. All crammed in to 4 weeks. Too right the first teamers got a rest. Pauno did exactly the right thing today and gave the youngsters a chance to progress