* The Unofficial "Official" FA Cup: Boro v Brighton. Match-Day Thread *

[Andy_W]

No shame in that, to be fair to a poster above jones does look like he’s won a competition to play wing back, lord knows what’s happened to him.

It's the nature of the formation, he suits 3-5-2 or maybe even 4-4-2 but not really 4-2-3-1, certainly not against good sides.

Jones can play wider as a wing-back, and almost do what he likes out there in the champo, and his game is 80% going forward. Putting him in a supporting 3 against a good side means he has to get pulled inside to help the midfield, then if we don't have the ball for ages they get tired of chasing it and have zero energy to counter with and struggle to get wider when we finally get the ball.

It's a problem with this formation when you come across good possession-based sides, they can force you into a 4-5-1, with three of those lads in midfield not really midfielders. Equally, though that formation can become a 4-2-4 basically when you're up against bad sides, but Brighton are not bad, so we don't get the benefit of that. Always the same with modern football and duel role formations, they're great when you're good, but not good when you're up against it.

The idea with it is to defend narrow with it, as you want their players outside of you, it's fairly safe it you can trust your left and right backs against the wingers, but clearly today we couldn't, and couldn't risk attacking as we would have got mauled over more.

 

[allied_assault]

They gave us a bit of a lesson today. Showed up our limitations.

IF we go up, clearly Steffen, Smith, McNair, Howson, Forss, Jones, Mowatt, McGree and Crooks are nowhere near prem quality.

But they're decent in the championship and half of them aren't even contracted to us next year anyway.

We couldn't get tight to them in midfield or pressure them high at all. We struggled to contain their press. They had pace all over the pitch and we didn't have the players to handle that. BUT, we are a work in progress, whereas this Brighton team is the finished article at it's peak. So lets not beat ourselves up too much. This game was a distraction, and hopefully the players and Carrick can shake this off before a much more important game next week

That’s the most important thing Boromart - that our confidence and morale does not dip

 

[r00fie1]

The result may have flattered Brighton.
But they are without doubt, a very good Premier side.
It was easy to see why they`ve given the likes of Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea a lesson in winning.
We`ve been given a lesson from which we must learn.
Let it go.
Millwall next.
Bring em on

 

[sherlock1969]

I feel ok about today to be honest.

First half we did well and gave them a game. On the Brighton board at half time they were even saying we were better than many Prem teams they have come up against recently.

Second half we were given a proper lesson by a very good team. The final score line was no surprise given how the second half went.

However this will have given Carrick and the recruitment team a really good reminder that if (massive if) we go up we need a huge squad overhaul. It's also not terrible to be out of a cup we were never going to win, it means we can focus entirely on the league.

We were nowhere near good enough against a quality Prem team today, but we won't play another side as good as that this season, so there's absolutely no reason for us to feel despondent.

 

[55YEARSABOROFAN]

I meant luck in the competition as a whole. You know, a penalty missed by the opposing team, a flucky goal when not playing well etc. You need all that to win it, not just the obvious talent they possess

I know what you mean and agree to some extent!
There was no luck in their performance today? Just hard work and good football. In every game there is an element luck! We just weren’t good enough today.

 

[Rishworthian]

Let me take you back to 1958 ................................. well maybe not


keep smiling