Just got back. The only bright thing tonight was Hoolahan and Mozza's performance. Everything else was brittle and aimless.
At 1-0, the game was crying out for Gayle to come on, but instead, DM leaves HRK on, who IS NOT a footballer. Plain and simple. The man steals a living. It seems like it's common sense that DM doesn't have - to play with one player up front, you need that player to be able to hold the ball up. HRK cannot do this and he cannot read passes. A few balls went up to him and while waiting for the arrival, a Palace player nipped in front and pinched it, every time.
The subs baffled me. DM goes from making one or two subs in a game, to making all three at the same time - all making no impact what so ever.
Going by his interview on WM, it seems obvious to me that he took tonight's game as "game time" for some of the players, as opposed to looking to actually win the match. We had no pace, no purpose and no skill.
How many times did Townsend receive the ball out wide, only to turn back and pass it back to Field or Hegazi? It's like DM is scaring them from taking players on.
And how many corners did we have where their first player headed the ball clear? Every single one.
People may say "well it's only the cup", but a game is a game and we should be playing to win every game.
Tonight was gutless from DM.