Hull -- Fulham in the FA Cup

We get to watch Fulham in the FA Cup this Saturday (10am Eastern; ESPN+)!

After getting dumped out of the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) by Crawley Town, Marco and the team will feel they have something to prove. And it matters that the FA Cup is the more prestigious of the two and that winning it puts the team straight into the Europa League. Marco Silva keeps talking about how he's thinking only about the next game and about survival, but he wouldn't be human if he hadn't thought once or twice about qualifying for European competition.

Silva will get across to whatever team we start that the club needs them to win this game, but he must and will rotate players. Rodak will get to play in goal. I think Tosin and Diop will start, but the other two places in the back four are likely to go to backups. Is Kurzawa's ready? Is Mbabu going to get a chance? Or are we going to see a youngster or two? Chalobah, Onomah, and Cairney may start in the middle. If we could keep Chalobah off the field that would be nice, but there may not be a better option. The better option we used to have now plays for Hull. Willian and Bobby need a break, so a Welsh wing duo could come out in the first 11. A good opportunity for Wilson to make an argument for starting in the league. Solomom should get some time, but unlikely to start just yet. Vinicius is most likely to feature in the (not-quite) Mitro role in a dress rehearsal for Chelsea, but Marco may surprise everyone with a tactical tweak or two.

A bench full of U21s and U18s -- the future. Exciting! (Let's develop AND keep some of them.) A cup match feels like a lot more fun when survival is not an immediate concern.

 

What to do, what to do? DD summed up the choices facing the gaffer quite nicely. Whomever dresses and sees the pitch should…should be able to perform ably enough for us to advance. My interest actually lies more with probability of whether our old friends Cyrus Christie and Jean Michael Seri will feature for the Tigers. I have a bit of a soft spot for Hull. They were the opposition for Sheffield United in the 2014 FA Cup semifinal at Wembley my bride and I were able to fit into our 30th anniversary trip. I was able to get us tickets in the Blades’ end of The Big “W.” I was delighted that we were able to actually attend an event there in addition to touring it earlier in the week. She wasn’t too keen on being dragged to another soccer match the day after witnessing Fulham’s 1-nil victory over Norwich City at the Cottage (thank you Hugo Rodallega).
She was more than placated when we rode Eurostar through the Chunnel to Paris the following Monday, our actual anniversary date.
Ahem, back to the topic at hand…
One of my most searing memories is watching Roberto Martinez’s Wigan Athletic win the FA Cup in 2013, only to be relegated a mere four days later. They haven’t sniffed the Prem since.
Eye on the ball lads. The BIG ball.

 

About 20 minutes to kickoff. Silva is starting a strong 11. No academy boys. I’m surprised to see both Pereira and Reed, but they must be in good enough condition. Callum McFarlane on the bench - interesting. He’s a Mitro-sized strong lad. It would be nice to develop a target striker within the club.

Mbabu didn’t even make the bench. For a cup tie. And Bobby is starting at RB. I have to think the problems with Mbabu extend beyond the pitch.

Hoping Vinicius proves me and all other detractors wrong today.

COYW!

 

Exactly my thoughts.

 

As posted, strong lineup indeed for the Whites in The Jimmy Bullard Cup…COYW!

 

A name and face for the ages!

 

Good result. A draw and a replay would have been almost as bad as a loss. We controlled most of the game, with Reed being instrumental there, but no backups made a strong argument for replacing the regular starters. Kurzawa played well, but Robinson has a strong position in the starting 11. Wilson had a chance to make a case and missed it.

Vinicius did make a strong case for us needing a different backup for Mitro. I have to think either Stansfield or Muniz would be more useful.

On to the next round!

 

This is the first squad in quite a few years that feels as though they are capable of making a deep run. The WC hiatus made it possible for some key guys not needing a reset today.

 

We get Sunderland at the Cottage in Round 4. I like it. Solid but beatable competition. Patrick Roberts is coming home. Such a promising player in his youth, but left the club too early and lost his way.