ThaiFox

As long as we take it seriously and we put out decent teams we shouldn't fear any of the teams left, with the exception of Man City, who will take it seriously. We have no European games, there is no reason we can't give this a good go. And just look at the P/L teams that have gone out. All playing mainly second string players which gives a huge boost to the lower side, knowing they have a real chance to knock out a P/L name. Don't underestimate Burton. They'll be up for this match if we turn up thinking it's an easy cup tie.

Which will lead to even more unrest in the dressing room if he asks to leave. It's all going wrong for Spuds. I said last season that the new stadium could actually damage them, and it's looking for like that as time goes on. It harmed Arsenal badly and held them back, now it's Spuds turn. Levy is also holding them back and that 'shrewd businessman' tag is now looking daft. Erikson will go for nothing, players are unsettled, Ponch will go and they'll have a huge debt on the stadium to fund. Levy didn't seem to take into account the Arsenal problems could also harm Spuds.

What about the report last week that showed VAR could be as much as 14cms out? That margin of error could have put Son onside. And both disallowed 'goals' were initially given!

I agree with both points. It does astound me how much people value P/L success over winning things! Unless were going for another P/L title win I'd take a cup win every season. I wonder if it's an age thing? Being a lot older than many fans on here, maybe I value a cup win as something special. Although I can fully understand the top 4 finish as raising our profile, money and keeping or attracting players. As I said in my previous posts, who the hell remembers 2nd, 3rd & 4th places? And to win the FA cup, along with the P/L title & league cup would complete something only 5 other clubs have done. How annoying it is we're the only club to win the P/L which hasn't won the FA cup!

Just watched the 20 minute highlights of the match over here. Ward made a good save with his feet, but apart from that we looked solid against what was a poor team. Glad BR played with an attacking line up with many first team players. I'm the first to have a go at Iheanacho, but his contribution for our third and his well taken goal showed he can press if he's arsed. Maybe BR is getting something out of him at last. Problem is, can he do it in the P/L and can he do it when we're 1-0 down or pressing to win a match? Like Gray, I fear he's nothing more than a squad player and occasional substitute, but I'll give him a lot of credit for his cameo last night. Praet looked decent as did Albrighton & Tielemans. But we were playing a poor reserve Luton side. In the pre match, lots of posters were critical of my views on playing our full first team and taking this cup seriously. I hope you could understand what I was on about. In my defence, I just want to mention Spuds. As I doubt they'd be out today if they'd had played with the team that we beat last Saturday. Now they basically have just one trophy to go for this season. Hopefully they'll be out of that in round 3 too. Great result for us, and made even better by the brilliant Colchester United!

After a lot of thought, I finally went for The Cup. Preferably the FA cup. Top 4 would be a great achievement, but as others have said, football is about trophies and winning. If I had the chance to be in the top 4 for years in a row (like Spuds) and win nothing, or win just one P/L I'd take the win every time. Winning the FA cup would complete something only a few clubs will ever achieve. A P/L title, League cup wins and the FA cup. It's also there forever. Who remembers the teams that qualify 2nd 3rd and 4th? But I can fully understand the reasons why fans would choose the top 4 option, as it does bring much more money, give us a higher profile, and should attract better players (although it didn't do much for us last time, as our best player left and we attracted players we now can't get rid of!).

7 or 8 of the 14 players used were under 30 v Newport. Although I agree the players were terrible in that game.

I would have expected a team with 10 P/L winning players to beat league two Newport even if Saddam Hussain was our manager that day! But again, because Puel picked a few fringe players and we lost he was lambasted for not taking a cup seriously. Surely you don't want that to happen tonight? Surely you want us to at least try and win these trophies? Or am I the only one on here that cares?

Exactly my point! People want a team tonight where several players haven't played a single minute, or only a few minutes, and expect us to win, like Armarty, JJ, Gray, Iheanacho, Ward, and Benkovic. That team v Newport should have been far to good for a league two team. And we lost.....with 10 P/L winning players in the team!

Just for the record, the team v Newport was: Ward. Simpson Morgan Evans Fuchs. Choudhury James Ghezzal Albrighton Okazaki Iheanacho Subs who played were Gray, King and Maddison That's 10 P/L winners? And Puel got lambasted on here for not playing Vardy. All I'm trying to say is if we want to show intent to win trophies, we should be playing our strongest team. We have far less matches than last season's top 7 so there is no reason players need resting, unless they are injured.

As I've just replied to UniFox: If we do play a second string team a lose, remember I was one who recommended against it! If we play a second string team and win, I'll bow my head to the posters who have called me out! Let's just hope we win and win well. (I can guarantee they'll be plenty of posters on here lambasting BR if we lose with a second string team!)

Very true points. If we do play a second string team a lose, remember I was one who recommended against it! If we play a second string team and win, I'll bow my head to the posters who have called me out! Let's just hope we win and win well.

I never expect our team to play less than 100%. But the fact Luton could line up against a team they fancy beating, rather than a team they'll be very wary of, will give them lots of confidence. The team v Newport contained, among others, Morgan, Albrighton, Simpson, Okazaki, & Iheanacho. All P/L players who've played in a P/L winning team. Yes, some have gone, but they were experienced players, with supposed class.

I'm just amazed posters on here have such short memories! Last season, Puel was absolutely lambasted on here because he fielded second string players (which included several P/L winners). Now people want us to put out another sub standard side against a team much much better than Newport County! And now they also want to include a team full of players who haven't played a single first team minute all season. Ye gods...it's beyond belief! We don't play Newcastle until next Sunday afternoon. There is ample time for players to recover. Obviously if players have niggles they should be rested, but if not they should play. As for Luton, they'll be buzzing if they see our side full of players who haven't played a minute this season. A real chance to put out a P/L side. I can't understand why our fans don't want to win this. A cup win would guarantee Europe whatever our league position, and will bring further prestige to the club. We have a real chance this season, with so many clubs giving priority to the P/L or Europe.

Crazy talk? Our second string (with several P/L winning players in the side) lost to Newport, a side two divisions lower than Luton! And winning a cup automatically gets us into Europe. There's no guarantee we'll qualify for Europe through the P/L. Of course the P/L is important, but there's nothing like a really good cup run to inspire fans.

We must start fast and well, with a positive set up. And no two defensive midfielders, no Maddison on the left wing. Two proper wingers giving Maddison & Tielemans the space to create. I'd be tempted to give Albrighton a start on the left to give Chilwell more cover and to give more width. Bring Barnes & Gray on late in the match if we're losing or drawing. Newcastle wont be easy. They won at Spuds and they will think they have a good chance of picking up something at a ground they do well on. We must show passion, drive and energy from the kick off.

I saw this on the Sky Sports paper review this morning. I hope it's true! Problems are piling up at Tottenham with Mauricio Pochettino agitated, key players set to leave, and Harry Kane unhappy.

Like you I worked from 12. I had 4 part time jobs at 14 and started full time work 3 weeks after my 17th birthday. I've never been unemployed and built my own property business. I started coming to Thailand in 2002 and moved out here to live a few years later. It took a while to get my head around the Thai culture. It almost seemed primitive to me, but in many ways more advanced than western life. Most average working Thai people earn around 350 baht a day, which is around 9 or 10 UK pounds. Prices have rocketed out here in the past ten years and anything imported is much more expensive than UK prices. There are no unemployment benefits and if you don't work you don't eat, if you don't pay tax there is no free health care (which is pretty inadequate anyway). Disability benefit is 600 baht a month, and there's no way you could live on that so other family members have to look after ill, disabled and the old. If one Thai person in a family is in a good well paid job it is almost their responsibility to help out the family. It's how the system works out here. It's not the others don't want to work, or are lazy, it's just the Thai culture. As I said in my previous post, other Thai people will look up to a family that has one very high earning family member who keep the rest of the family. I've known Thai people out here that work in great jobs and buy houses for their parents, their brothers, sisters and in-laws, because it's what they do in their culture. I would imagine King Power paid Nusara very well, and I'm sure her family were highly respected because of their daughters standing in the company. Personal assistant to one of the richest men in Thailand, who had also been given special status by the King, would be seen out here as a very special position, and one her family would have been extremely proud of. Sorry if this is a bit long and boring, but I thought I'd give a little more insight into the Thai way of life and culture, which may help others more understand how it works out here, and maybe why Nusara's family have taken this action.

It's a culture thing. Thai's love it when someone in their family do very well and have money, either job wise, or a daughter marrying a rich foreigner, or a new car, or gold. It elevates them to a different level and it gains them respect from other people. To boast to someone that your daughter has a fantastic job, and is wealthy and keeping the family puts them on a completely different level to the majority of Thai people. If you watch Thai TV dramas, they live in superb houses, all wear gold, all drive brand new SUV or saloon cars (never pick-ups), and all dress very well. Otherwise Thai's wouldn't watch the programme. You have to experience it out here to understand how it works! It's nothing like the family cultures we have in the UK. Families take responsibility for families. The old look after the young, the young look after the old. There are no social services, no pensions, no child benefits, and poor health care.

You forgot those 15 minutes they were top!

We may well have done in his second season! Totally agree about Iheanacho. For me our worst ever signing, reasons for which are on page one.

Thailand has a totally different culture. A family are often dependent on one family member, especially if they are in a well paid, high profile job. It is seen as a sign of wealth and others look up to a family in that situation. It's not uncommon over here for one person to take responsibility for the entire family. And the compensation rules over here are nothing like the UK, which has become a sue crazy society, much like the USA. Personal responsibility for injury to another is taken very seriously.

His appointment was a terrible one. His time with Cardiff showed that clubs would be wary of him. Like Shakey here, and several other temporary appointments over the years, they rarely work out. They always seem to start well, then when they get the job it all goes to pot. Man Utd are in serious meltdown this season, and it could be some time before they recover. This could also apply to Arsenal, Chelsea and Spuds. The next few seasons are a huge opportunity for us, and could be hugely successful if we keep this squad together and keep improving.

Iheanacho - Thought he'd be a brilliant signing. I was excited at the prospect of him and constantly clicking refresh on the sky sports transfer app to see if he had signed. Not only has he been a terrible signing, his attitude and professionalism have been terrible too. Loads of other signings, like Beckford, have been terrible, but for me Iheanacho has been the worst because of his huge fee, wages and extremely poor attitude.

I've been saying it since pre season. They are poor, nothing but an bang average P/L team. OGS is way out of his depth trying to rebuild them and I still think he'll be gone by Xmas. We gifted them a win because of a very negative set up. I'm still so annoyed with the way we threw 3 points away, as well as our unbeaten record. Arsenal, Chelsea and Spuds are all in some disarray too. They are all very beatable. I really see this season as a wonderful opportunity for a top 4 place. But so will several other P/L clubs, like West Ham, and they are the ones we need to be as wary off.