Vokins makes it 2, takes a little deflection off of a Terriers defender and then in off the underside of the crossbar
Vokin Brilliant!
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10 changes, clean sheet and both youth players score.
Thatās pretty good.
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Huddersfailed.
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The Irish Times with a bit of Smallbone love.
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Well that was pretty uninspiring. Much like watching a training session, though I doubt our defence and midfield get given that sort of time on the ball in training. Our line-up meant that all of the usual partnerships and understandings simply werenāt there - as an example, there were several occasions when JWP looked up to flick a pass out to either wing, only to realise that neither Danso nor Vokins was moving forward in the way that Cedric or Bertrand would. Vokins got forward more, but still tended to hang back in line with his centre backs.
Todayās game confirmed a few things though: why Vestegaard is the fourth-choice central defender (or maybe fifth-choice, as Iād play Danso ahead of him); why Yoshida is the third choice (solid, but not as much so as Bednarek, and nowhere near as good on the ball as Stephens); that Danso could be a useful centre back but really isnāt a full back at all; that our wide players find life much harder without overlapping full-backs; that Romeu, on current form, isnāt on the same level as Hojbjerg and JWP; and that Adams looks a good player but really needs a goal (check out his work in getting the ball to Voskins that led to our second goal).
Nice to see the two youngsters get a game - if you canāt do that in the third round against Huddersfield, when can you? - and although neither exactly made a case for regular first-team football, they both showed promise. And they both scored, of course.
A final word on the referee. I donāt know at what level he usually officiates, but he really made me appreciate the refs we normally get. Shockingly unfit, and rarely moved too far from the centre circle. The furthest he ran all game was over to the touchline to get a replacement watch - at the time I thought that maybe he was jogging over to get a pork pie. Shockingly lacking in basic competence too.
What the hell though - weāre n the fourth round!
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See, people always pick on Yoshida but, as I have always maintained, give him regular game time and he improves. Considering that he hasnāt played for a long time I think youāre being a tad harsh on himā¦
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Yep. Happy to finish the season with Stephens, Bednarek and Yoshida. Would be equally happy to be shot of Vestergaard and invest in full backs.
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So thatāll be the 2 goals thenā¦
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I used to be a Vestergaard fan, but cripes he put a whole new level to slow plodding predictable possession of a football. Some of his clearances, kicked and headed were woeful as well. If he was put in to show Ralph what he can do, then I think he just signed his own transfer request!!
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Didnāt mean to sound hard on Yoshida - my view of him is the same as yours. He wonāt get into the first team at present in front of Bednarek and Stephens, but heās an excellent option to have in reserve.
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Iād keep hold of Danso and give him time to develop. I reckon he has some potential, which Vestegaard clearly hasnāt.
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Be fair - thereās also Longās disallowed effort.
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I hadnāt realised that had the game been played at Huddersfield then Longās goal would have stood.
VAR is only present at Premier League grounds in the FA Cup.
That seems wrong to me.
You either have every tie using VAR or none of them, surely?
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Spuds or Boro at home
Thing is, we could have been the beneficiary of an important VAR call that would never have been given at Huddersfield.
Swings and roundabouts, init.
No different to having Michael Oliver at one game and a complete tool, such as Lee Mason, at another.
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Fucking hell, you could have Oliver as the ref and Mason as the VAR - double bubble shitness