I don't really understand why Poch felt he needed three CB's and one less attacking player on the pitch tonight?
We lack intelligence as it is, but Moura, who expends a lot of energy creating fuck all for anyone else, an Alli short on games and form, who can bumble with the best of them at the best of times, and a 17yo Parrott making his first proper start was always likely to leave us wanting a bit in an attacking sense. Then you have Wanyama and 19yo Skipp behind them, One on the way up and one on the way down.
None of the youngsters played tonight were bad. Skipp did what I'd expect a player like him to do, he's not fucking Pogba, but he never hid, gone on the ball, got forward at times and set up Alli for a great chance. KWP showed a desire to constantly get forward and attack, Tanganga looked very smooth, and Parrott worked hard, pressed and tried to get involved.
Dier didn't have a lot to do defensively, but I think he's an almost perfect understudy for Alderweireld, they are very similar types, both robust, controlled aggressive, OK technically, both decent readers at the back with the game in front of them, reasonably comfortable bringing the ball out a little way, but not marauding like Vertonghen, both can ping a long un.
We did not set the world alight tonight. But we had a complete reserve side and a couple of kids making debuts or second appearances. We've had 74% possession and not allowed the opposition a single shot on target.
That wasn't a humiliating defeat. We've utterly dominated, as we should, even with a reserve side, and just failed to create quality chances - something the first team struggle with as well - but also prevented them from having a single shot on target in 94 minutes, which is no mean feat despite the level of opposition (who had already put out another PL side).
One of them games that frequently happens in this type of cup game. We've played a fuck of a lot worse in cup games in the last couple of years and skanked through.