FA Cup Plymouth away Sunday 9th Feb at 3pm

[peterbread]

We have lost Hendo, Matip Fabinho, Milner, Thiago all in the last 3 years.

That is a lot of leadership and experience between them.

Robertson is captain material, but well past his best. The team is pretty young beyond that and nobody sticks out as a leader of men. I think that will have to be addressed. Maybe players like Grav, Konate, Dom and MacAllister will grow into those roles.

I think Dom will grow into a leader, captains his country already. He definitely leads by example. I think Konate is showing signs and will grow into that especially when he plays as the senior CB if VVD is rested which he might need to be in coming seasons.

But yeah I agree someone needs to step up or it needs to be a quality brought in, even when VVD wasn’t captain he was still clearly a leader in the team.

[frank the tank]

This result shows us all that actually we have a few issues. That can be a positive too in that we will be able to improve a team that is top of the premier league. We will be able to improve that squad relatively easily by replacing the likes of Tsimikas, adding a forward or two to replace Nunez and Jota and also another midfielder.

It also shows the huge drop off. Virgil and Salah extensions are imperative

[Scratch]

Midfield was poor but fairly inexperienced, it's the forwards I am most disappointed in though, Diaz, Jota, Chiesa all played 90mins, and Nunez played over half an hour and we failed to score, with all due respect to Plymouth you would hope those guys would have it in them to score at least 1 goal

With a poor midfield, you just aren't going to create chances for the attack, no matter how good the forward line is, it needs a supply.

[Charly]

Jesus a hot tub in darwin would probably end me...

I mean... thats just wrong

[rudedog]

For me, the biggest dissapointment isn't the loss, its the fact that so many players just didn't take the opportunity they were given today. Was really hoping to see a performance from the likes of McConnell, Chiesa and Nyoni - it just didn't happen. Even Kweev was a bit of a let down for the pen - he's normally so good at going the right way.

[DerKrampus]

Feel for the Aussie lads who got up at 2am on a Monday to watch that ****e

I just watch the full match later.

[frank the tank]

With a poor midfield, you just aren't going to create chances for the attack, no matter how good the forward line is, it needs a supply.

They had loads of the ball and did **** all with it. Diaz and Chiesa did **** all Tsimikas stanj the place out.

The senior players did **** all to help the younger ones in terms of guiding them through the game. ****in garbage. If we had a James Milner at #6 the difference would have been huge.

20 years ago Rafa Benitez got slaughtered in his first season for fielding a weakened team in the fa cup and crashing out to Burnley. Djimi Traore cluster****ed it that day. Nobody gave a **** 4 months later when we won #5 in Istanbul. And as someone else said above, if we get 3 points at Goodison on Wednesday then people wont think too much about this result. Because the fa cup is a lot less important than it was even 20 years ago. But....i actually think that it puts us under a bit more pressure now.

The big frustration for me is the performance of a lot of the players. ****in garbage. We all gave out loads about how man city would get to cup finals with piss easy draws against the likes of port vale and Bolton. We did **** all v Plymouth ffs. And where Arsenal, Chelsea were already out, this could have been a relatively easy run on paper

[SB]

Jesus a hot tub in darwin would probably end me. Way too hot and humid this time of year. I'm still pissed at myself staying up that late to watch the game after seeing our midfield lineup. Should have just left but no I'm stupid.

Yeah I decided to watch the replay on Optus this morning, glad I did.

[Exiled_red]

With a poor midfield, you just aren't going to create chances for the attack, no matter how good the forward line is, it needs a supply.

Obviously that was part of it, but Diaz and Chiesa in particular are creative players, we had 75% possession, their keeper only made 4 saves most of which were fairly comfortable. Even taking into account the poor or inexperienced midfield for me it was the senior guys who let us down. Endo probably the only on who had anything close to a decent game

[Norbs]

Was a super **** display but it will all be worthwhile if we get 3 points on Wednesday - so let’s go do that lads

Have you got your kit and boots clean? Stay off the carbs today, and the beer!

[SB]

I’m not concerned in any shape or form about the loss. Could not give a stuff at all, in fact it’s an unexpected bonus. What made me laugh though was the muppet commentator saying Plymouth are leading the current league leaders & CL leaders as if we were full strength out there. Yeah yeah whatever. The longer we were in the competition the more our star players would eventually play in & a higher risk of injuries. The League is priority 1 & always will be.

[Norbs]

I’m not concerned in any shape or form about the loss. Could not give a stuff at all, in fact it’s an unexpected bonus. What made me laugh though was the muppet commentator saying Plymouth are leading the current league leaders & CL leaders as if we were full strength out there. Yeah yeah whatever. The longer we were in the competition the more our star players would eventually play in & a higher risk of injuries. The League is priority 1 & always will be.

Yep, there seemed to be no acknowledgement during the game that we were playing a makeshift side, some of whom were making their first appearance for the senior side. A midfielder at CB, winger in the middle and a fringe player alongside him. Absolutely no ambition from Slot and I'm very happy about that.

I bet Mark79 has a sore head today

[Scratch]

They had loads of the ball and did **** all with it. Diaz and Chiesa did **** all Tsimikas stanj the place out.

The senior players did **** all to help the younger ones in terms of guiding them through the game. ****in garbage. If we had a James Milner at #6 the difference would have been huge.

We had loads of the ball but it was so pedestrian, so giving it to Diaz or Chiesa when we've given Plymouth time to get back and organise their 8 man defence meant they had little chance to make the right impact.

The senior players we had on the pitch, out of them I think it was probably down to Elliott to be the marshal, but he doesn't strike me as that sort of vocal player. I imagine it was more likely to be Jones as the midfield leader, but if he wasn't fit then so be it.

Obviously that was part of it, but Diaz and Chiesa in particular are creative players, we had 75% possession, their keeper only made 4 saves most of which were fairly comfortable. Even taking into account the poor or inexperienced midfield for me it was the senior guys who let us down. Endo probably the only on who had anything close to a decent game

As I said, we did have loads of possession, but it was meaningless side to side shuffles, no incisive, quick passing to make Plymouth chase around the park.

From about minute 10 it had the feel of a game that would be settled by a set-piece goal of some sort. Can't say I'm too disappointed tho, going out of the cup early is fine when you've got bigger fish to fry.

[rudedog]

Plenty of experience in that match day team though - Jota, Diaz, Chiesa, Elliot, Kelleher, Gomez, Tsimikas, Endo, Nunez, Quansah

No excuses, we were just really poor.

[Myo]

Obviously that was part of it, but Diaz and Chiesa in particular are creative players, we had 75% possession, their keeper only made 4 saves most of which were fairly comfortable. Even taking into account the poor or inexperienced midfield for me it was the senior guys who let us down. Endo probably the only on who had anything close to a decent game