FA Cup | Vital Football

FA Cup

O

Old Poolie

Vital Squad Member
Brackley Town will provide a strong test for Pools.

Traditionally, Pools fail to impose themselves on lower league teams and exit from the competition with a whimper. Hopefully, Sweeney will see this game as an opportunity to show his mettle and get the best out of the players.

Still, I anticipate that Pools will slip out of the competition at this first hurdle!
 
I'm hoping the Sweeney "bounce" will see us through albeit narrowly. We struggle at home and the Brackley defence is pretty good (only 10 conceded this season) so there wont be many goals. Hoping for a scrappy 1-0. Of course we don't know what Killip will get up to and because it is Pools almost anything could happen. Here's praying!
 
Phew, that was close to being another early exit from the FA Cup!

Brackley were direct, well organised and were quick to get the ball into the box. Pools, as usual, were slow, ponderous and never looked to attack with pace or determination. Our goal came from probably our only shot on goal throughout the match and but for an accomplished display by Killip we would no doubt of been exiting the Cup for this season.

Not sure what the plan is in respect of manager appointment but Sweeney at least seems to have luck on his side.
 
A scrappy 1-0 it is and thank goodness we are through. Don't wish to be churlish but given we were playing a team of part timers from a league below, it is a bit unsettling to see our man of the match was our keeper. The club is brimming with midfield players so why the heck don't we have the nous to assert some kind of challenge in midfield? I get the distinct impression that other teams consistently play through us. Sweeney has been lucky over the last two games but how much longer is his luck going to hold? Unless we improve I think the Barnet game might be a depressing experience.
 
I've always thought it is better to be a "lucky" manager, rather than a "good" one!
Perhaps Sweeney can prove me right?
 
Did we play four at the back? Seems we were overrun first half and the goal settled us a bit.

I feel we’re better with three at the back with Kioso and Kitching.
In midfield some players have proved their worth yet still don’t get an opportunity. Do we really believe we are playing our strongest [available] eleven, I’m not convinced we are.
:red:
 
We did play 4 at the back , which to an extent works well.
The problem, for me, is the lack of width in midfield and attack. Hence defensively the fullbacks don't have any cover stopping crosses into the box; similarly going forward we rely on the fullbacks to provide width and balls into the opposition's box.
 
What does Holohan have to do to get a start? What has Kennedy done wrong to be benched? Fingers crossed Molyneux gets fit soon.
 
While it is by no means a dream draw, at least it give gives us a chance of progress. Much better than an away tie at some decent League One side.
 
Well at least Pools have made it to the Second Round draw!

The extra journey down to Somerset on Tuesday I'm sure is something that the Club and players could have done without.
Still it does, potentially, give Challinor a free hit in his first game in charge as even the most ardent fan can't anticipate a victory from this fixture.
 
I would settle for a draw and a replay. Judging by the BT National League Highlights programmes, that Rhys Murphy tends to score a lot of last minute winners so I'm not too optimistic though I admit I rarely am. I wonder what its like to support a top team where you expect to win every game rather than a Poolie where the opposite is the case? Fingers crossed for Tuesday.
 
Alfalf2 said:
. I wonder what its like to support a top team where you expect to win every game rather than a Poolie where the opposite is the case? Fingers crossed for Tuesday.
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It's not so long since Poolies expected to win every game and, for a while, we did. We even expected to win the L1 Playoff final and almost did.
 
"Not so long..." feels like a lifetime away. Being a Poolie since the early seventies, I can honestly say that though the good times have been welcome and thoroughly enjoyed, the bad times have taken up the bulk of it.
 
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