dock, win, DEPART
GUNNERS SCUTTLE POMPEY CUP DREAMS
How are we all doing on this wet, miserable Monday, LEGION?
It could be worse; you could support Palace, or the spuds, or Yanited.
My day hasn't been great. I've managed to wipe Saturday's Pompey Preview from the site. Oh well, a review only will have to do, I suppose.
It needs to be a quick one as I'm under the gun time-wise.
OPENING THOUGHTS
On a weekend where six Premier League sides fell at the first (or third if you are being nit-picky), we navigated our tie with a minimum of fuss with a starting side that had ten changes from Liverpool.
We can now look forward to a fourth-round tie when the draw starts at 6.35pm UK time. I'll take someone very low on the footballing pyramid at home, please (looking at you, Macclesfield).
THE LINEUP
My stab at the lineup was pretty close.
Arteta went for Gabi at the Back instead of Salmon, but apart from that, I nailed it. Called Merino dropping to the six, which allowed Nwaneri to start spot on (we'll talk about the Spaniard later). Kai the Guy returned to the bench.
THE MATCH
Obviously, the result helps, but I have to say I really enjoyed that yesterday.
It was like a throwback game. No VAR bringing proceedings to a halt countless times, an opponent who was comfortable in their own skin and played an unapologetically long-ball game with no interest in employing a low block. An old school ground with a rocking atmosphere. Shit, January weather. All the elements that make for a crackling FA Cup tie.
It even looked a bit ropey for the first eight minutes, but after recovering from the shock of conceding so early, we never looked back once we equalised and ran out comfortable winners in the end.
I see a lot of online chat about needing 3 corners to beat a lower league side. I'm so over this discourse.
You know who wished they'd scored from three corners this weekend? The three teams I mentioned in the opening. None are in the hat for the next round.
If we win a quadruple scoring goals being Set Piece FC, I couldn't give a rat's arse. You don't get extra points for style. A goal is a goal whether you pass it twenty times before scoring or get a scrappy own goal from a corner. It's the same reward.
Another thing that I've been mulling over since starting the blog is criticising players.
As a blogger, I always feel it's never the right time to criticise one of your own, and let's be real. They aren't above criticism just because they play for the club we all love.
You criticise when we win, and you get the "enjoy the win and stop moaning ffs" argument. You criticise when we lose, and it's "scapegoating" because we lost.
I want to criticise one of ours for stuff that went on yesterday, but I'm reluctant to do so because half of you guys might think I'm the never-happy sort and get turned off, and that's far from the truth.
I will keep my powder dry on the player in mind until the season's end because I can see where his trajectory will be.
A piece of very good news was the eventual return of Kai the Guy.
I wonder how long it will take him to get up to anywhere near match speed? Fighting on four fronts will certainly give him enough opportunities. I also wonder how our CF dynamic will now work. Three into one doesn't go. Will be interesting to see how game time is distributed among Kai, Gabi J, and Gyokeres.
WHAT IT MEANS
It means we are in the hat for round four. It means another game on our packed schedule, but I'm good with that.
It means more valuable game time for guys like Nwaneri, who looked really sharp despite his lack of recent involvement. These outings are valuable for fringe players to remain involved and valued.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
My one and only HM is a weird one. It goes to Martinelli.
Normally, a guy who scores a hat-trick is a shoo-in for MOTM, but not on this occasion, and I'm not purposefully giving it to someone else to try and seem like some sort of overthinking smart-arse.
In the first half, he missed an open goal from a couple of yards out and also missed a big chance when put through one-on-one, but bent it wide.
I'm not saying he played badly. Obviously, with a hat-trick under his belt, he didn't have a stinker. I just don't think his all-around game deserved it.
I know full well how "apart from his hat-trick he was just ok" sounds when said out loud. It's not a criticism; I just felt someone played better.
MAN OF THE MATCH
And that someone is easy to guess if you paid attention to the image under the headlines...
Mikel Merino gets our Man of the Match.
This was Spain's starting number 10 being asked to come back into the side to play as a 6 against lower-league opposition on a miserable weather day. A position that most definitely doesn't use his skill set to the fullest.
I was so impressed with what I saw from him, and I don't just mean his general play. There was no sulking, no going through the motions (cough Eze cough), no treating it like a punishment.
From the very first whistle, he was flying into slide tackles, standing up to their physicality, and setting the tone that we weren't going to get bullied. That is absolutely vital in games such as these.
After their initial flurry, his class on the ball showed as he kept possession and dictated play with his underrated range of passing, which let us gain control of the game.
I saw him getting shade for being captain, like it was somehow his fault. Would he have been my choice? Prob not, but I tell you what, he led by example and put in a real captain's performance.
He is so weirdly undervalued by our fan base, and I honestly don't get it. I thought he was terrific.
LOOKING AHEAD
Up next is the shin kickers at The Bridge this Wednesday night in leg one of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Will be really interesting to see what side Arteta puts out with Forest in mind three days later. Does he keep the same side as yesterday or go stronger in the hunt for a trophy? It's a really tough call.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Our squad depth came through for us big time yesterday. Ten changes, and if Mosquera had been fit, it would have been eleven. With the young Spaniards imminent return, along with hopefully Calafiori's, it only leaves the newly injured Hincapie (how long?) and Downan on the treatment table.
We are going to need most, if not all, fit and available, as the number of games we have coming up is insane.
We are the first club in top-flight history to play four away games in four different competitions in the span of just ten days. Portsmouth FA Cup, Chelsea Carabao Cup, Forest League and Inter Champions League. Quite the fixture list.
Buckle up, Buttercups, the ride is going to be intense.