Onwards but Downwards
After a third minute comedy penalty conceded by Admiral Nelson, a horrible injury to Daws and another niggle for Lennon, our decision (correct as it goes) to start a strong side against Stevenage was backfiring with abandon. In fact, it looked for 25 minutes that we might be heading for our second local humiliation in two weeks. But thankfully, we found that little bit of quality and good fortune to get through. And we’re going to need a good deal more of them at this rate.
With one up front against a League 1 side who were happy to defend deep, we had lots of possession, lots of pointless sideways passes and all the penetration of a pack of eunuchs on a weekend beano to Amsterdam. We didn’t even look like scoring by accident. And to think that toilet of a first half could have been even worse had Ashton managed to direct a free header on target. A poorly-defended set-piece, shock horror. But then, another Defoe moment that might encourage Harry to start him against teams in the top division too, as the sadly underutilised striker chested a long ball into space and rifled one in with his left foot. From absolutely nothing. And our destructively diminutive hitman wasn’t finished there either, as he wormed into a shooting position to bend one in late on and finally put Borough to bed. That’s kind of why we need him in the team more often. Oh well Jermain, looks like you’ll be on the bench for Goodison then.
Things did get better in the second half with Ade giving Jermain a hand up top. I’d like to think Harry gave the team a bit of a rollicking, and boy did they need it. After all, this was the FA Cup, an FA Cup thankfully deprived of Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal. But even then, the same frailties were there. From a minimal amount of possession, Stevenage still managed to earn a couple of corners. And from those corners, they forced Carlo and the crossbar into point-blank saves. We were potentially an unfavourable rebound away from being eliminated. That is all it takes. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing as well as we were on Sunday or as badly as we were on Wednesday, just sling the ball into our box and you’ve got half a chance. The Toffees must be licking their lips.
You know a display was pretty indifferent when the result almost becomes secondary to the injuries, because the effect of those injuries might be much more far-reaching. Poor Michael Dawson has had the year from hell. No sooner does he fight his way back to full fitness than he’s on the treatment table again. All the best Daws. Get well soon mate. With the injury-prone Gallas lacking match sharpness, Ledley being Ledley and Kaboul never more than a rush of blood to the head away from a red card, the defence is looking distinctly thin right now. Lennon, finally back in the side and looking our most likely outlet in the last couple of games, hobbles off with a hamstring tweak that puts him out of the trip to Everton, like it wasn’t going to be enough of a bugger as it was. How’s your luck sir? How’s my luck? Not there sir. I dunno. You think maybe you should rest people, but you can’t afford the risk of getting knocked out. You decide to play them and they get injured. Either way you’re shafted.
Stevenage deserve a great deal of praise for the way they stifled us over the best part of two games, but our cup displays as a whole have been poor this season. It seems the lower the opposition, the lower our level of performance. But the teams are going to get better now. Maybe that’s exactly what we need to find a bit of fizz and a bit of form. Bolton are up next and the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, Stoke and Sunderland are all still in the mix. Not to mention Gary Lineker’s second love, Leicester City. Progression is the thing. Stay in there and you’ve got a chance. Stay in there and you can still win it, even if your performances have been as bad as ours. In the FA Cup, it’s just as valuable beating Cheltenham as it is beating Chelsea. Well, maybe not quite…..