Yes ,obviously, but some might question where the genius is in replacing players who are not performing, or changing the set up if it isn't working,or bringing on an extra attacker if behind. These types of changes are almost forced, and they are certainly standard situations for every manager.
Question is, where does the "genius" come in? Maybe that term should be reserved for the first manager to play the sub-goalkeeper as striker who then gets a hat trick, not for a manager just doing his job.
Prem sides in good form are ripe to be given a hard time by apparently lesser teams when they meet in the cup. A touch of over confidence maybe?
Maybe a better example of a managers genius ( efficiency might be a better word) is in getting his side onto the pitch ready to do battle, not stone cold and seemingly uninterested, and outplayed and outworked,as Pool were in the examples I gave?
But still no explanation of why a crap show from the team is no responsibility of the boss ( although we all know it was just a matter of application) but getting out of the fire by making one of the very limited number of changes available from the bench shows how clever he is if it works. He hardly had many options.
Great to pull the coals out of the fire, but how the hell did they get in there?
Genius my arse!
LC
