Here we go. Fourth round day. Another stop on the road to Wembley. Cos we are going to Wembley and we're winning the thing. Fucking hell, if a tinpot team like Wigan Athletic can win an FA Cup, we can win it twice. Don't stop believing. Don't wake up. It's a tangerine dream.
Can we really do this today? Yes we can. We play far better on the break against sides who make the running and play nice football. We're really actually very good at that. We're not higher in the league because our strengths don't match those required to play against half the teams in our division, not because we can't play well on the right day.
Losing Tuesday night was a loss in terms of having anything happen of any interest in the week, but it's a gain in terms of preparation for this match. We should in theory be stretched a little less thinly, we'll be a bit less fatigued and after all, running around on a sodden swamp of a pitch trying to knock down a solid wall of immobile League One players would have been like practising snooker to prepare for an archery tournament. Brighton on their billiard table are a different matter altogether to Northampton on a quagmire.
When I look at the team sheet though, I'm in for a surprise. To be fair, Critch's approach to picking a side is such that to not be surprised would be more of a surprise than to be surprised. That seems a mouthful so I wonder if there's a German word for that feeling and decide to make one up in case there isn't. 'Kritchchoisse': a sense of the predictable seeming more unlikely than that which is expected'
He's brought in Garbutt and Gabriel which seem fair enough choices, even to me as a resolute defender of Sullay and Ollie, I can see the talent and class those two bring. We've got the surprising midfield of Robson and Virtue, who are not Dougall and Ward, but ok, they're on the fringes. Then I see he's also bringing in MJ Williams (hands up who predicted that?) and Jordan Thorniley (hands up whose jaw hasn't hit the floor?) and I'm flabbergasted. Add to this the naming of Teddy Howe and Ollie Sarkic (remember them?) in the 20 and it's a teamsheet I need to read three times to absorb. There's also the trio of kids, Apter, Marriette and Holmes alongside Sullay and Bez. It's certainly not a dull bench. Needs must I guess.
How we gonna go? Fuck knows after that shock!
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Nothing says 'Community' like American Express is my first thought as the teams burst from the sponsored tunnel. As the players take their positions, I note Thorniley looks a bit giddy just to be there and Graham Potter looks like I imagine the bloke from Ocean Colour Scene to look now.
Our expert summariser refers to Nigel Critchley and I think things are rough indeed if Critch has had to get his cousin to come and manage us for the day.
The Seagulls start well. They are very patient but ready to switch gears quickly. They create a corner which they head just over the top. We respond by not playing out from the back at all, Marvin getting all tangled up and Maxwell slamming it away but only as far as a Brighton shirt and the pressure stays on.
Not surprisingly, our attempts to get out seem very much contingent upon Madine getting onto stuff and it's the goal machine who has the first effort for us, a shot from distance that is charged down on the edge of the box.
Williams, Garbutt and Husband are confusing me, all having the same hair and all being left footed. The game is settling down a bit. Pool understandably, given the changes seemed to take a few minutes to find their shape, but now they have, Brighton are taking longer to form attacks. We're being very direct in response. When we play a bit, oddly it's Luke Garbutt who looks rustiest, twice in the opening minutes poor touches end Pool moves, which is out of character for him.
Brighton have another chance from a corner, a worryingly free header again. Pool responding by winning a free kick in a decent place. There's no confusing Garbutt for anyone else as he whips an effort from thirty yards and forces a diving save. Sadly his corner that follows isn't as classy and the pressure dissipates.
Graham Potter really is a model of sartorial elegance, he gives off a vibe that can best be described as 'tailored'. I can only hope he one day gets manage Sunderland for the sake of SAFCblog. There's an odd interlude where the camera weirdly stays on Maxwell for a full thirty seconds. It's interesting to see how he kicks every ball, swaying, moving with the rhythm of play, his eyes following everything, his face betraying his pain at our inability to move the ball smoothly enough to escape the Brighton press.
We have a little move, Madine of all people running with the ball, finding space and working it to Virtue who loses it on the half turn as he looks to ghost through on goal. At least we've made them work. Maybe we can do this! That thought doesn't longer long as Bissouma picks it up, looks as if he'll thread it. Our defence covers the angles but unfortunately the Brighton man has more direct intentions and smashes an absolute beauty into the corner from way out, Maxwell beaten from the moment it leaves his foot.
We respond by passing it about for ages. This finally reaches a crescendo as Gabriel makes the most optimistic shout for a penalty ever - without the ball he runs into the keeper and falls over, bouncing to his feet full of outrage, arms wide in hopeless appeal.
Brighton carve out some more half chances. I can see both why they're in the Premier League and why they're 16th or so. They look very good but not quite clinical as they could be. There's an air of us about them at times...
We win a free kick wide of the penalty area on the right. We work it well but for once Super Gaz can't find the pile driver, placing an effort that needed belting. He's a god in human form though, a Greek or possibly Roman god of target men and for all their powers, the ancient gods *are* fallible. That's what makes them much more lovable than the arrogant modern God with all their perfection. He shows the one of reasons I deify him seconds later, coming deep into a pocket of space, spotting Yates over his shoulder using on his radar and then slipping a lovely ball that deserves better than to hit shirtless Jerry on the heels and bounce away harmlessly.
If I loved our Gaz for that, the next moment, is beyond love. It's pure worship. We're coming forward, Madine again in possession. He spreads it to Yates, who hares after it and back heels to Garbutt who crosses, low, swerving, dangerous. Madine has carried on, a defender with him but he leaps, he twists,he stretches, almost sitting down as he reaches it and he FUCKING SCORES!
All 'Pool goals are the best goals but Goal Machine goals are the best of the best goals.
If I loved our Gaz for that, the next moment, is beyond love. It's pure worship. We're coming forward, Madine again in possession. He spreads it to Yates, who hares after it and back heels to Garbutt who crosses, low, swerving, dangerous. Madine has carried on, a defender with him but he leaps, he twists,he stretches, almost sitting down as he reaches it and he FUCKING SCORES!
All 'Pool goals are the best goals but Goal Machine goals are the best of the best goals.
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It's been a mammoth effort from us so far today. Brighton looked well in control for periods and we're playing with half a team. We struggled to get out from under their press, we looked as if we lacked the player to make something out of our passing moves but we've stuck at it, tracked, kept shape, put a foot in, rode our luck a tiny bit and taken the chance when it came. It's hard to look beyond Madine as the man of the half but I've liked Virtues efforts (mostly fruitless) to get forward and get beyond the deep lying forwards and Gabriel's lovable efforts to try to make something happen by just running really quickly, I've also liked Thorniley's stubborn resistance in some moments when they've had it in the box. OK, he's not Bobby Moore, but he's not played a game forever and he's done ok. Garbutt has shaken off a rusty start and contributed to both chances we've had, Williams and Robson have done their bit. Everyone has. We've worked hard.
How's this going to go from here? I don't know. If we can do the same again, Brighton will feel the pressure more than us and we've got a chance. The concern is we've got very little on the bench in the middle of the pitch where players like Williams, Robson and even Virtue will surely begin to feel the lack of recent games. It's also hard to see how the more match fit starters could shuffle round and fill in there either. The positive is that if we can keep it tight, then the energy and unpredictability of Bez, Sullay or one of the kids could just prove useful if we have more chances to counter.
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I lose the stream for a bit, and when I rejoin it seems there's been some sort of clash at a corner. When play resumes, Marvin soon gives it away playing a daft square pass to Thorniley. We survive a horrible bit of pinball as a result and smuggle it away at about the fifth time of asking. Shortly after, Jimmy Husband surprises everyone (probably including himself) by striding down the left and playing a lovely near post ball the Goal Machine can't quite get to.
It's been a mammoth effort from us so far today. Brighton looked well in control for periods and we're playing with half a team. We struggled to get out from under their press, we looked as if we lacked the player to make something out of our passing moves but we've stuck at it, tracked, kept shape, put a foot in, rode our luck a tiny bit and taken the chance when it came. It's hard to look beyond Madine as the man of the half but I've liked Virtues efforts (mostly fruitless) to get forward and get beyond the deep lying forwards and Gabriel's lovable efforts to try to make something happen by just running really quickly, I've also liked Thorniley's stubborn resistance in some moments when they've had it in the box. OK, he's not Bobby Moore, but he's not played a game forever and he's done ok. Garbutt has shaken off a rusty start and contributed to both chances we've had, Williams and Robson have done their bit. Everyone has. We've worked hard.
How's this going to go from here? I don't know. If we can do the same again, Brighton will feel the pressure more than us and we've got a chance. The concern is we've got very little on the bench in the middle of the pitch where players like Williams, Robson and even Virtue will surely begin to feel the lack of recent games. It's also hard to see how the more match fit starters could shuffle round and fill in there either. The positive is that if we can keep it tight, then the energy and unpredictability of Bez, Sullay or one of the kids could just prove useful if we have more chances to counter.
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I lose the stream for a bit, and when I rejoin it seems there's been some sort of clash at a corner. When play resumes, Marvin soon gives it away playing a daft square pass to Thorniley. We survive a horrible bit of pinball as a result and smuggle it away at about the fifth time of asking. Shortly after, Jimmy Husband surprises everyone (probably including himself) by striding down the left and playing a lovely near post ball the Goal Machine can't quite get to.
Brighton have period of menace as first a sloppy bit of play by Williams grants them a run on goal, then a drive from edge of the box forces a save and a series of corners. The menace pays off as Mac Allistor lines up a shot and drives it at Maxwell right hand post, it smacks Alzate and loops just inside the other post. A lucky goal but one that felt like it was due sooner or later.
Brighton make 3 changes bringing on *some players I've heard of* - the worrying thing is, we've got some players on the bench who I wouldn't recognise if I bumped into them in the street.
One of them comes on. Ellis Simms replacing Yates. Marvin nearly puts the ball in his own net which disrupts me trying to work out how to describe Simms. As I regather from the shock, I decide Simms looks mobile, reasonably tall, skinny but with just a little bit of stockiness at the same time even though that makes no sense at all for someone to be stocky and skinny.
Pool look worn out. Maxwell takes the ball, but we're on our heels and he has to wait for us to take a breath before we fan out and quick breaking from the back is therefore difficult. Robson plays a tired ball. Marvin makes a really good challenge. Williams makes a ragged one. We have a bit of play but William's passing is as twice as ragged as his tackling was earlier.
Sarkic, Sullay and Bez come on, Madine, Virtue and Thorniley come off. Odd subs by my book. Big Gaz is the one player we can just knock it too in the entire squad, Virtue has been the most likely of the midfielders which isn't saying a lot, but I wouldn't have taken him off from the three.
Bez wins us a free kick. It only yields another always fun moment of Marvin looking confused in an attacking situation. Bez then beats a man and puts a cross in. It's a bit of danger moment, but Brighton defend well, break quickly and Maxwell has to make a stunning point blank stop.
The commentary starts blathering about game management. What is game management but a fancy way of saying 'time wasting?' - Brighton to be fair to them, don't seem interested in such cynical pragmatism and line up chances they keep missing. I look at us and I can see what Critch has tried to do getting a different sort of threat on the pitch, more skill and technique than Jerry/Gary's power but with the very raw Simms as the fulcrum instead of the Goal Machine's nouse it seems unlikely we're going to get Sullay, Sarkic and co into the game. As I muse Maxwell make another lovely save. He really is a good keeper.
There's a tiny glimmer as Sarkic threads a pass but Simms is just eased away by experienced centre halves and his path to the ball disappears. We then have a free kick in our own half. Everyone heads forward as Maxwell takes. It soars through the night sky and Marvin can be seen underneath it, watching, hoping, tracking it like a stargazer watching the passage of Jupiter. It seems to take forever to fall towards him and when it does, a big burly Brighton head appears and nods it away, unchallenged.
There's time enough for Maupay to have an outrageous run where he beats about half of our players then passes it to no one. If I'm honest, they should be more in front by now but they just don't seem to have that last pass or shot in them.
The whistle goes and we're out.
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Sadly, it was the 'Pool run out of steam' option I offered at half time that came true as opposed to 'fairytale winner'. I was dreaming of a Bred Holmes goal winning it in the dying seconds but it wasn't to be. I didn't really understand the subs but to be honest, there's probably a degree of pragmatism involved in the decision to remove Virtue and Madine. It's also a fact that there weren't the players on the bench to freshen up in the positions that really needed it.
There's time enough for Maupay to have an outrageous run where he beats about half of our players then passes it to no one. If I'm honest, they should be more in front by now but they just don't seem to have that last pass or shot in them.
The whistle goes and we're out.
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Sadly, it was the 'Pool run out of steam' option I offered at half time that came true as opposed to 'fairytale winner'. I was dreaming of a Bred Holmes goal winning it in the dying seconds but it wasn't to be. I didn't really understand the subs but to be honest, there's probably a degree of pragmatism involved in the decision to remove Virtue and Madine. It's also a fact that there weren't the players on the bench to freshen up in the positions that really needed it.
It's a frustrating outcome as we've got a scoreline that will earn us the obligatory pat on the head on Match of the Day, but it's been a game where had we had a full strength side out, you could actually see us taking something from it.
I think some credit must go to the players who came in with so little game time, especially the one who was publicly told he could leave on Thursday only to start on Saturday and had a decent enough performance. There's no grand learning to take from this match. Nobody disgraced themselves but we lacked the heroic or magical moments that we needed. There's no shame in this performance or result. There's just a sense of disappointment that one of the little sparks of light for the season has now gone out. The FA Cup is magic until it isn't.
It doesn't matter. We'll win it next year instead.
utmp
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