Just watched a replay. Thought Manny had a very bad night and I thought it was very premature taking Bonavacia off (unless he was injured). Never had control of the midfield.
Manny had a torrid night and might have been given a second yellow by a different referee. I do not think he was coping well with the pace of Polenz who was out to prove himself to the fans and the coach.
I can't blame Ernie for trying to effect a change in midfield. I thought Roly was patchy because he was suffering due to the unfamiliar weather (hot and humid). Possibly bringing Boxall on might have been a better move than putting another attacker on the park, but that is all a post-mortem speculation and I am no Ernie.
Roly is one of our top 3 or 4 players so he'd have to be playing pretty badly for me to take him off
For sure, and I think Ernie realises that too - just in this situation he was suffering; made sense for him to come off. Unfortunately I don't think Lia/Riera/Rod works - there isn't someone to carry the ball and push forward out of that 3, all seem to work better when that burden is taken off them by someone like Roly.