FA Cup fourth round: talking points from the weekend's action
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Version 0 of 1. 1) Kompany showing too much handy work Vincent Kompany is suddenly doing more wrestling than Martin Skrtel. At least the Liverpool defender usually restricts his pulling and pushing to corners and free-kicks coming into his own penalty area. The Manchester City captain can now be seen using his hands all over the pitch, usually because he has been caught fractionally out of position or misjudged an opponent’s pace. While it would be harsh to suggest Kompany is now a liability, it would be reasonable, and more diplomatic, to observe that his return after injury has not strengthened the City defence. Just the opposite, in fact. He may still need more game time to get back to his best, just like Sergio Agüero, but with Chelsea up next in the league, City do not have time on their side. No blame attaches to Kompany for missing Lee Tomlin when the Middlesbrough forward hit a post, a turn so superbly executed it would have beaten most defenders, but any Chelsea scouts in attendance would have seen other occasions when the City captain was beaten for pace. Manuel Pellegrini is unlikely to name the same centre-back pairing – Kompany and Dedryck Boyata – for the Chelsea game but, with Eliaquim Mangala and Martín Demichelis both fit and available and the City manager admitting defensive concentration needs to be improved, it will be interesting to see which two players he does pick. Paul Wilson 2) Rosicky renaissance is a joy to behold Thomas Rosicky started five games in 2014. So far in 2015 Arsenal’s well-seasoned Little Mozart has started four and played a key hand in four straight victories since New Year’s Day. Aged 34, Rosicky looks to have found not so much another gear as the gear that will be familiar to those who remember his best times: the first half of the 2007-2008 season or even the driving central creative midfielder who, aged 20, became the most expensive player in Bundesliga history with Borussia Dortmund. Rosicky produced some fine moments against Brighton. His pass for Mesut Özil’s goal was superbly executed. His goal was a moment of wonderfully refined technique, made in part by Olivier Giroud’s lovely pass, and a tribute in miniature to Jack Wilshere’s team goal of the season against Norwich last season. And suddenly Arsenal have a pair of well-seasoned creative perennials in Rosicky and Santi Cazorla, the kind of all-round creative dreamboat-footballers it is, as Arsène Wenger pointed out at the Amex, pretty much impossible not to like if you like football. For Rosicky this is something of a turnaround for a player who remains to an extent a lost talent, who in his early twenties looked to be a world star in the making, a central midfielder who could pass, dribble, score, create and drive a game. Either way, nine years into an injury-ravaged Arsenal career – he is not quite Arsenal’s longest-serving first time player; that honour goes to Abou Diaby - Rosicky is enjoying a moment of dignity, a player to be purred over in his sprightly dotage. Barney Ronay 3) Was this the greatest FA Cup upset of all time? Was this, as has been suggested in knee-jerk fashion in some quarters, the greatest FA Cup upset of all time? It is highly unlikely. Did Southern League Hereford United not famously defeat First Division Newcastle United 2-1 in a third-round replay at Edgar Street in 1972? Sutton United, of the Conference, toppling First Division Coventry City 2-1 at Gander Green Lane in the third round in 1989 was pretty special, too. And there are more, many more. League One Bradford City inflicting a 4-2 fourth-round defeat on an under-strength Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – from 2-0 down – is quite sexy. But please, it is nowhere near the top banana. Russell Kempson 4) Why a replay might be good for Liverpool Brendan Rodgers might not be everyone’s cup of tea and, like many of the best football managers, can be hard to take at face value. So, when he wholeheartedly embraced the prospect of a Cup replay at Bolton, it was hard not to assume he was simply varnishing a veneer. But actually he has a point. His side endured a difficult first half of the season and, at the end of January, is still fighting for confidence, cohesion and momentum, none of which is achievable on the training ground. His team needs games, not rest. Similarly Louis van Gaal was foolish in not doing more to keep Manchester United in the League Cup and accordingly he too should celebrate the opportunity of an extra game. Philosophy is, after all, a complex discipline. Daniel Harris 5) Is this West Ham’s year? It is a long time since West Ham United won a major trophy – 35 years to be precise (as Sir Alex Ferguson, rather oddly, pointed out in his updated autobiography) – yet, with the FA Cup seemingly wide open this season and Sam Allardyce’s side one of only two top-half Premier League clubs definitely through to the last 16, could this be the Hammers’ year? While there was nothing convincing about Sunday’s narrow win over Bristol City, all that mattered to Allardyce after the shock results 24 hours earlier was to make sure West Ham were in the hat for the fifth round. West Ham have already proved in the league this season that they can be a match for anyone and, looking at the teams left in the FA Cup, it is not hard to see why the bookmakers have installed Allardyce’s team as fourth favourites. Allardyce was quick to point out that much will depend on Monday night’s draw but optimism abounds at West Ham, with or without the bubble machine that failed to make the trip to Ashton Gate. Stuart James 5) Rowett’s revolution could inspire Birmingham to play-off charge Those inclined to be cynical about how much difference a good young manager can really make should take note of work being done at Birmingham City by Gary Rowett. The Blues may have been beaten on Saturday but they showed impressive organisation and commitment in pushing a strong West Bromwich Albion side all the way in a splendidly fervent atmosphere at a full St Andrew’s. It was hard to believe that, with the exception of the centre-half Michael Morrison and now winger Lloyd Dyer, this was the same group of players whose 8-0 home thrashing by Bournemouth – in front of a crowd less than half the size of Saturday’s – left them second bottom of the Championship. The Cup defeat was only their third in the 14 games they have played since Rowett took charge, eight of which have been won, and on this evidence it would not be surprising to see them challenging for a play-off place before the season ends. Richard Rae 6) Questions over Zaha but youngster shows plenty of promise The focus was on Marouane Chamakh and Yaya Sanogo after Crystal Palace’s excellent 3-2 victory over Southampton but spare a thought for Wilfried Zaha. Palace have welcomed him back from Manchester United with open arms and Zaha’s vast potential has been obvious in the past few weeks. The winger set up Sanogo’s goal, forced Matt Targett to concede a yellow card and was always a threat on the break, despite some questionable decision making, while Alan Pardew feels he needs to improve defensively. “Wilf today, as good as he was going forward, was not very good defensively,” Alan Pardew said. “We’ve still got young players who need work.” Jacob Steinberg 7) Monk under the microscope Garry Monk’s time as Swansea manager has gone better than could realistically have been expected. He won his first game in charge against Cardiff, steered Swansea to safety comfortably and has seen them become ever-presents in the top 10 this season. He won August’s Manager of the Month award and most of his major signings, in Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lukasz Fabianski and Jefferson Montero, have succeeded. Yet sooner or later all managers have to demonstrate they can produce a response in times of adversity. Swansea have lost their last two games, conceding eight goals. Wilfried Bony is sold, depriving him of the get-out-of-jail-free card the best striker outside the elite clubs represented. Sigurdsson, who ranks behind only Cesc Fàbregas in the assists chart, is suspended for the next three matches. Much rests on whether the unsettled Bafétimbi Gomis is placated and plays to his considerable potential. It is a test of Monk’s man-management. Swansea finished with nine men at Blackburn on Saturday. They have belied their reputation as a mild-mannered team by collecting eight red cards this season, though some were unfortunate and two overturned on appeal, and Monk himself seemed short-tempered at Ewood Park. It is a challenge, too, if he can regain his composure. Their past means they can put defeats to mid-table Championship teams into context. It explains why, as Ángel Rangel said afterwards, it would not be a failure if they were to drop into the lower half of the Premier League. But, in the last two games, he said: “We have not been what Swansea is about.” Swansea’s identity revolved around unity, a passing ethos and a deserved reputation as models of intelligent recruitment. That is the Swansea Monk is charged with restoring. Richard Jolly 8) Poyet must remove the handbrake Sunderland’s manager moans that the team’s fans are “living in the past” and want to return to “kick and rush” football. He is wrong. What most Sunderland supporters want is to see much more creative, progressive, clever passing inspired by a midfield playmaker. Right now they want to see Emanuele Giaccherini on the field and they would not mind seeing a bit more of Ricardo Álvarez. They do not mind five at the back – designed to allow Jermain Defoe to play in an attacking pair – but they do not want to see a pretty utilitarian midfield trio of Seb Larsson, Liam Bridcutt and Jack Rodwell (although Larsson deserves a place). They want to see chances being created for Defoe and wonder if a diamond formation – possibly featuring Adam Johnson behind the strikers – might work better. They also know that the Peter Reid team spearheaded by Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips which twice finished seventh in the Premier League 15 odd years ago was slightly more nuanced than Sunderland’s current manager remembers. And they do not want kick and rush – they consistently gave Roy Keane and Paolo di Canio the benefit of the doubt because, for all their faults, they knew both men really wanted to play good passing football. Keane once got Sunderland out of an awful relegation hole in January 2008 by signing Andy Reid from Charlton and asking him to be bravely inventive in midfield. It worked. Poyet needs to do something similar now – maybe Giaccherini, an Italy international, is the man to step into a breach which desperately needs filling – and preferably by the time Burnley visit the Stadium of Light for Saturday’s relegation six-pointer. Louise Taylor 9) Pearson’s unprompted monologue detracts from win Nigel Pearson was furious when Leicester City were denied a penalty and Andrej Kramaric was instead shown a yellow card by Robert Madley having hit the deck following contact with Michel Vorm’s leg when 1-0 down at White Hart Lane. But considering the manner of their late win, it seemed unnecessary for the Leicester manager to start his press conference with an unprompted monologue about how he wants a TV official installed – itself prompting plenty of opportunities for weak rugby coach gags – and referees need more assistance when it comes to making instant decisions. His points were fair but Leicester had just come from behind to win against fancied opponents in a season which has been short on moments of celebration. Pearson’s point was that he wanted to draw a line under the matter; instead his comments risked taking the shine off a performance packed with spirit. Alan Smith 10) Cup run offers prospect of both glory and gold Sheffield United, particularly under Nigel Clough, are an example of why taking the cup competitions seriously can pay dividends for lower-league clubs. Clough made eight changes to his side for the match against Preston but his players had clearly been told that bowing out of the FA Cup with a whimper was not an option. They reached the semi-final last season and are in the last four of the League Cup this year. It could be argued that their League One promotion prospects have been hampered by the burden of extra matches but Clough does not accept that viewpoint. He is of the opinion that winning matches breeds confidence. A place in the fifth round awaits for either Sheffield United or Preston North End after the replay at Bramall Lane and, for a third-tier side, that is not to be sniffed at. With so many of the elite already out of the competition, a run to the latter stages of the Cup is a mouth-watering, not to mention money-spinning, prospect. James McMath 11) Benteke’s attitude remains a concern for Villa Christian Benteke is playing as if he believes he is too good for Aston Villa. Rather than taking responsibility and sharing a commitment to rectifying their appalling goalscoring record – Paul Lambert’s team head to Arsenal seeking their first Premier League goal in eight hours 42 minutes – the £25m-rated Belgium striker shrugs at what he perceives to be his team-mates’ poor delivery, looks bored and stops making the runs of the young and hungry goal machine who was so effective in his and Lambert’s first season together at Villa Park. Unfortunate to miss the World Cup with a ruptured achilles, he has been back for the past 11 games now, scoring three times, including absolute belters at Crystal Palace and against Manchester United, but his all-round game is currently poor. For a striker who understandably plays only between the width of the penalty area, he is making very little effort to adapt and attack the few deliveries that are coming in. Rather than waiting to see whether a cross is meant for someone else, his body language should make it clear he wants to get on the end of it. He signed a new four-year contract only 18 months ago and Villa clearly are in no mood to sell their prize asset. Now they need to work out how to get the most out of him as, with Carlos Sánchez and Carles Gil finding a nimble stride, Villa endeavour to make progress through a more considered passing game. Peter Lansley |