Accrington Stanley (a) in Carling Cup 2nd round

[Guest Roger Kint]

And I hope we don't play a weakened side. I went to POSH last year and was really quite f***ed off with the ineptitude of the performance. Let's at least try and get to the latter stages. We're not Manchester Unite/City/Arsenal. We don't have 3 ranks of premeier league quality players sitting around not playing.

 

We played our weakened side because we havent got the strength in depth though, it wasnt like we fancied our chances of winning wih the kids it was down to saving(which backfired anyway with Guthrie, Ameobi...) our first team for the league.

[MKSC]

It will do us no favours to play a load of the youngster though. They will get very little out of it and it would be more beneficial to get a good win under our belts. By all means rest two or three KEY players but not 8 or 9 like we did last year.

[ponsaelius]

It will do us no favours to play a load of the youngster though. They will get very little out of it and it would be more beneficial to get a good win under our belts. By all means rest two or three KEY players but not 8 or 9 like we did last year.

 

 

Posh was horrific. Even the first teamers that were on the pitch were all out of position.

[Greg]

Someone shit at home please.

[Guest Roger Kint]

It will do us no favours to play a load of the youngster though. They will get very little out of it and it would be more beneficial to get a good win under our belts. By all means rest two or three KEY players but not 8 or 9 like we did last year.

 

Assumptions we would actually win aside i dont think there would be too much benefit at all imo. The potential injuries/suspensions etc outway a minor confidence boost for limping past a Championship/League 1 team or whatever.

[Ashley17]

And I hope we don't play a weakened side. I went to POSH last year and was really quite f***ed off with the ineptitude of the performance. Let's at least try and get to the latter stages. We're not Manchester Unite/City/Arsenal. We don't have 3 ranks of premeier league quality players sitting around not playing.

 

We played our weakened side because we havent got the strength in depth though, it wasnt like we fancied our chances of winning wih the kids it was down to saving(which backfired anyway with Guthrie, Ameobi...) our first team for the league.

 

But since then we've brought in Routledge, Perch, Campbell, Best, Williamson and got Xisco & Barton back. We have far more depth now than we did this time last season, and whilst that depth probably wouldn't cut it in the Prem I'd fancy it to win away at Peterborough in the cup (for example).

[Guest Roger Kint]

That may be true but its not last season any more, every player in our starting XI are that much more important in a better league than against a lot of garbage in the Championship. By all means the likes of Raylor, Xisco, Loven, Krul would be involved but anyone regarded as a regular starter shouldnt, why risk losing Routledge, Colo, Enrique, Carrol, Barton or Guthrie in the Carling Cup for no reason? Any fan who went to Posh not knowing the team would be weak is quite frankly too stupid for words as we knew after Huddersfield and Hughtons many words on the cup games.

[Ashley17]

That may be true but its not last season any more, every player in our starting XI are that much more important in a better league than against a lot of garbage in the Championship. By all means the likes of Raylor, Xisco, Loven, Krul would be involved but anyone regarded as a regular starter shouldnt, why risk losing Routledge, Colo, Enrique, Carrol, Barton or Guthrie in the Carling Cup for no reason? Any fan who went to Posh not knowing the team would be weak is quite frankly too stupid for words as we knew after Huddersfield and Hughtons many words on the cup games.

 

That's exactly my point, last season our backup was the youth team and one or two senior players (out of necessity). This season our backup is much more senior, shite all the same but should be able to beat most Championship and below teams:

 

First team:

Harper

Simpson

Enrique

Colo

Campbell

Routledge

Guthrie

Barton

Jonas

Nolan

Carroll

 

Second team:

Krul

Perch

Kadar

S Taylor

Williamson

R Taylor

Smith

Vuckic (Gosling, one day)

Best/Xisco/Kazenga/Ranger etc

Lovenkrands

Shola

 

 

Play the "second team" and see how far we get, if the draw is (very) kind we could find ourselves at the business end of things

[midds]

Someone shit at home please.

 

Yep.

[Guest Roger Kint]

I know what you meant mate, was MKSC that was complaining about that idea. Even some in your second team shouldnt be risked imo. For example Tavernier for Perch. Inman to come in etc

[Ashley17]

Yeah, it was a very loose example of 2 teams - I'd probably be playing Campbell in the 2nd round for example, he's got to start somewhere. The youngsters are the wildcards, and putting the odd one or two in amongst senior players will help them. Vuckic seems to me like he can be a real game changer but he's young and will have good games and bad games as he develops.

[afar]

I'm of the opinion liek a few others on here, that professional footballers should be able to cope with a cup run of about 4 or 5 matches in addition to a 38 game season. Yes there's a risk of injury, but there's just as much of a risk in training exercises. I would venture to say that we probably lose more players with injury away from the matches, than we do in the games themselves.

 

We should give this cup and the FA cup a go this yes, we'll be unlikely to win either, but if a team like portsmouth can reach the final then there's hope for everyone. We played 46 games in the league plus about 5 or 6 cup games last season, didn't see too many players coplaining about being tired.

[JH]

Carling Cup/FA Cup games are our only chances of winning games convincingly, if we get a good draw. We need it for confidence more than anything.

[Weznufc]

what time is this on?

[MKSC]

I'm of the opinion liek a few others on here, that professional footballers should be able to cope with a cup run of about 4 or 5 matches in addition to a 38 game season. Yes there's a risk of injury, but there's just as much of a risk in training exercises. I would venture to say that we probably lose more players with injury away from the matches, than we do in the games themselves.

 

We should give this cup and the FA cup a go this yes, we'll be unlikely to win either, but if a team like portsmouth can reach the final then there's hope for everyone. We played 46 games in the league plus about 5 or 6 cup games last season, didn't see too many players coplaining about being tired.

 

Carling Cup/FA Cup games are our only chances of winning games convincingly, if we get a good draw. We need it for confidence more than anything.

 

 

Exactly. We should be playing nearly a full strength side no matter who we are up against. Maybe swap the keeper as there is no great difference between them IMO, and certainly leave out Enrique. But other than that I see no need to swap players about, it's the start of the season FFS, they can't be tired already. And as for the risk of injury, didn't Best just get injured in training. Maybe we should stop them doing that just incase. They should be able to cope with the number of games. Especially as they will be playing 8 less league games this season anyway

[Guest Roger Kint]

Citing training injuries is just daft. Everyone knows they can just happen for gods sake, its unnecessary games on top of it which any normal person can see increases the risk. For the record nobody mentioned them being tired so why use it in your post?

[BlueStar]

Seeded: Everton, Birmingham, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke, Fulham, Sunderland, Bolton, Wolves, Wigan, West Ham, Newcastle, West Brom, Blackpool, Burnley, Hull, Portsmouth, Leicester, Swansea, Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Watford, Preston, Cardiff*, Sheffield United*, Reading*.

 

Unseeded: Leeds, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough, Huddersfield, Southampton, Colchester, Brentford, MK Dons, Rochdale, Bradford, Crewe, Accrington Stanley, Morecambe, Northampton, Oxford, Notts County, Port Vale, Shrewsbury, Southend, Leyton Orient, Tranmere, Scunthorpe*, Crystal Palace*, Norwich*.

 

*Depending on results tonight

 

Basically we're up against someone either shit or turboshit, not that that means we won't still be able to make a meal of it

[ponsaelius]

Gay that it's seeded, less chance of a London tie.

[Guest Loven11]

Leeds or Sunderland at home.

[Gash]

No cup should ever be seeded, including Champions League imo.

[Guest Loven11]

what time is this on?

 

The draw takes place on SkySports News at around 10pm (Or after all three games have been concluded).

 

 

[Ashley17]

Leeds or Sunderland at home.

 

Can't get Sunderland

[BlueStar]

No cup should ever be seeded, including Champions League imo.

 

I agree with that, seems daft.  The main thing knock-out competitions have going for them is the upsets and the idea anyone can win them, seeding them just means that it's pretty much always the same teams that win or nearly win the league every year, because they get an added advantage on top of the money and players that keep them at the top.

[MKSC]

Citing training injuries is just daft. Everyone knows they can just happen for gods sake, its unnecessary games on top of it which any normal person can see increases the risk. For the record nobody mentioned them being tired so why use it in your post?

 

What's unnecerssary about the League Cup. It's a chance to win a trophy.

 

As for tiredness, it's one of the reasons people roll out when explaining why they palyed a vastly inferior team in a cup match. It's all a crock of shit. We should be putting out pretty much our best side in every game. Do people seriously not want us to have a bash at getting to the QF or SF in the League Cup?

 

If I turn up to a first team match I expect to see the first team. If I wanted to watch the reserves or youth I'd go to one of their games. You can come up with as many pansy reasons as you like, we shouldn't be resting players and that is that.

[Guest Heneage]

Citing training injuries is just daft. Everyone knows they can just happen for gods sake, its unnecessary games on top of it which any normal person can see increases the risk. For the record nobody mentioned them being tired so why use it in your post?

 

What's unnecerssary about the League Cup. It's a chance to win a trophy.

 

As for tiredness, it's one of the reasons people roll out when explaining why they palyed a vastly inferior team in a cup match. It's all a crock of s***. We should be putting out pretty much our best side in every game. Do people seriously not want us to have a bash at getting to the QF or SF in the League Cup?

 

If I turn up to a first team match I expect to see the first team. If I wanted to watch the reserves or youth I'd go to one of their games. You can come up with as many pansy reasons as you like, we shouldn't be resting players and that is that.

Couldn't disagree more.