Seeing the team formation I was annoyed tbh.
On paper it looks like a 4-3-3 but I've never actually seen it like that when it's on the pitch, and it proved again today with Waghorn stuck upfront by himself.
I thought first half(apart from the early stages) Cardiff over-ran our midfield quite easily. I thought all three of our midfielders had a poor 45 mins. Whether that was down to nerves I don't know. But it wasn't the best game for it to happen!
Dyer was poor for me as well.
Second half when we changed it and had two upfront we looked better.
Haven't seen anything of the game yet but my first thought on the free kick leading to the goal was that it wasn't. Super goal yes, but moving the ball forward three times to get a better angle takes the piss, and yes I know all teams do it, but that doesn't make it right. It's cheating. especially when the ref has moved it back to it's rightful place once.
Penalties: First appeal defo. How that wasn't given when thep layer was waving his arm in the air I'll never know. you raise your hands in the box and you run that risk.
The defender who climbed all over Kermit only for the ref to turn away from it and missed the (imo) fouling get worse was also a penalty for me.
The third one I've seen them given.
Jay Bothroyd......how that nasty peice of shit wasn't sent off I'll never know. Should've been booked inside the first few minutes for a bad challenge on Wellens, was lucky not to be booked for constant fouling he was penalised for before he actually got booked elbowing Jack Hobbs in the area(which imo was a red card at first glance) and then gobbing off when he again gave away a free kick shortly afterwards, he was lucky he had his captain there to tell him to calm down, when imo the ref should've booked him. I would've been fuming if one of our players behaved like that knowing he'd just been booked and lucky to have only seen yellow anyhoo.
I'm more disappointed with how we played first half than worried about Cardiff tbh, as I think we are very similar teams so don't really have owt to fear IF we get tactics right, which unfortunately NP didn't do today.
At least it means on Wednesday the team know they have to go out and attack from the start.
tbh NP might as well stick four strikers on from the start(Howard and Kermit upfront, Waggy and Gally outwide) with Fryatt and Dany on the bench to be brought on when we need them.
There's no point in being cautious at all. If we push at them and attack,attack,attack but still don't make it then you can't ask for more from them.
If those players want to get to Wembley then they've got to show it from the first minute.