As I’ve said many times before, the trouble with playing an understrength side is that you get an understrength performance.
Poch made nine changes to last Wednesday’s side and then two more subs made with next Wednesday in mind thus leaving us with a team that was too similar in midfield, too nervous at the back, too narrow up front and too slow and ponderous just about everywhere. It was still almost good enough to beat an almost first choice Leicester side who, Sheffield United showed flashes of passion and pace that we struggled to match.
Any openings we created tended to come through the trickery of Townsend or the tenacity of Lamela and it was the latter who played the ball through for Soldado to earn the penalty from which Townsend gave us the lead. By then the Foxes could’ve had a couple as our defence parted in front of the running of Schlupp; Vorm saved on the both occasions. We looked the better side for the remainder of the half though hardly were hardly completely comfortable, especially when Vorm appeared to bring down Kramaric.
After the break it was all fairly even with the Leicester players showing more frustration than purpose. Lamela and Paulinho both went close. During the last 15 minutes the away side pressed and pressed and eventually the ball fell invitingly to Ulloa to slam past Vorm. The momentum was with them but a replay looked on the cards until Vorm spilled Schlupp’s effort over his own line. All very disappointing.
Still, we could do with the time off of course so it’s not all bad. Next home game is the Filthy Gooners I believe, hope we find some tempo and pace from somewhere before then.
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