FA Cup 4th Round - Brentford Away

[volpeazzurro]

1 hour ago, Voll Blau said:

I will definitely prioritise telling my grandchildren about trophies we win over where we come in the league.

The winning of a cup can always be a lottery depending on who you draw in the various rounds. We have seen to temper that in fairness, that in a one off game in a final, like Birmingham and Wigan that anybody can beat anybody. 

BUT ... for a one off day in the sun, do you want to bore your grandchildren with tales of yore whilst they have to suffer mediocre first division or championship football like Wigan or, would you rather them watch Premiership standard football like we're doing now? Because I believe that, more so than ever in our history, a top four finish for us this year is vital.

 

Attaining Champions League football this year may just be the difference between keeping and losing some of our ambitious young players. It may also enable us to attract even more higher grade promising young talent. The lure of our current project and league position would have no doubt been in Rodgers mind before signing his new contract. All that glitters is not gold (or silver) and the longevity of our club far outweighs a euphoric pissed up day at Wembley as nice as it would be.

 

We can reasonably expect the vultures to circle in the summer for the likes of Pereira, Maddison, Chilwell, Soyuncu and perhaps others. I don't blame any young players with ambition wanting to better themselves but, qualification may help stave some of that off if we can be seen to be competing and improving. To foreign players for example, an FA cup means nothing. We have a top four finish within our grasp together with potentially a league cup final. I think thats ample to aim for rather than risking the lot for the sake of greed. Our squad players should be able to do a job against Brentford but if not so be it for me personally. Players aren't robots and were only a couple of injuries to important players from it going all tits up!

[Guest Cujek]

I guess what team we put out depends on how well we do against Villa tomorrow.

 

we smash em 3 or 4 nil we play a full team against these, weaken the 2nd leg vs Villa.

 

if we need a result in the second leg against villa we play a similar line up to what we did against Wigan, but please Bren, with a striker on the pitch!

[Fox92]

32 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

The winning of a cup can always be a lottery depending on who you draw in the various rounds. We have seen to temper that in fairness, that in a one off game in a final, like Birmingham and Wigan that anybody can beat anybody. 

BUT ... for a one off day in the sun, do you want to bore your grandchildren with tales of yore whilst they have to suffer mediocre first division or championship football like Wigan or, would you rather them watch Premiership standard football like we're doing now? Because I believe that, more so than ever in our history, a top four finish for us this year is vital.

 

Attaining Champions League football this year may just be the difference between keeping and losing some of our ambitious young players. It may also enable us to attract even more higher grade promising young talent. The lure of our current project and league position would have no doubt been in Rodgers mind before signing his new contract. All that glitters is not gold (or silver) and the longevity of our club far outweighs a euphoric pissed up day at Wembley as nice as it would be.

 

We can reasonably expect the vultures to circle in the summer for the likes of Pereira, Maddison, Chilwell, Soyuncu and perhaps others. I don't blame any young players with ambition wanting to better themselves but, qualification may help stave some of that off if we can be seen to be competing and improving. To foreign players for example, an FA cup means nothing. We have a top four finish within our grasp together with potentially a league cup final. I think thats ample to aim for rather than risking the lot for the sake of greed. Our squad players should be able to do a job against Brentford but if not so be it for me personally. Players aren't robots and were only a couple of injuries to important players from it going all tits up!

Why can't it be both. Getting to a Cup final makes imapact on ambition to, surely. Also many a foreign player has spoken about playing in the FA Cup. It's big in our Country and spoken about so much.

 

Mind you, I don't really think players care about our position once a bigger club comes in for them; I've just watched Maguire join probably the worse Manchester United side in my life instead of staying here. And Kante left us when we were Champions of England ffs.

 

I also don't think finishing top 4 "outeighs a euphoric pissed up day at Wembley". Everton finished 4th in 04/05 and played in the Champions League the following season. Do people remember it, do people care? No, people take the piss that they've not won anything since 1995.

 

If you ask football fans if they'd rather win something or finish top 4 then the answer should be winning something. Sport is all about winning, otherwise what's the point.

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, volpeazzurro said:

The winning of a cup can always be a lottery depending on who you draw in the various rounds. We have seen to temper that in fairness, that in a one off game in a final, like Birmingham and Wigan that anybody can beat anybody. 

BUT ... for a one off day in the sun, do you want to bore your grandchildren with tales of yore whilst they have to suffer mediocre first division or championship football like Wigan or, would you rather them watch Premiership standard football like we're doing now? Because I believe that, more so than ever in our history, a top four finish for us this year is vital.

 

Attaining Champions League football this year may just be the difference between keeping and losing some of our ambitious young players. It may also enable us to attract even more higher grade promising young talent. The lure of our current project and league position would have no doubt been in Rodgers mind before signing his new contract. All that glitters is not gold (or silver) and the longevity of our club far outweighs a euphoric pissed up day at Wembley as nice as it would be.

 

We can reasonably expect the vultures to circle in the summer for the likes of Pereira, Maddison, Chilwell, Soyuncu and perhaps others. I don't blame any young players with ambition wanting to better themselves but, qualification may help stave some of that off if we can be seen to be competing and improving. To foreign players for example, an FA cup means nothing. We have a top four finish within our grasp together with potentially a league cup final. I think thats ample to aim for rather than risking the lot for the sake of greed. Our squad players should be able to do a job against Brentford but if not so be it for me personally. Players aren't robots and were only a couple of injuries to important players from it going all tits up!

 

As a supporter, winning trophies and the memories that come as a result of that is what it's all about. The idea that we should bottle the best chance we've arguably ever had to win trophies, with a manager who seems keen to win them, on the off-chance it'll keep the vultures from the door of our best players (newsflash - it won't) is a slightly gut-wrenching idea if I'm honest.

 

The idea that Cups mean nothing to foreign players is also slightly condescending, I think. Even if they don't "get it" in the early rounds (I appreciate the culture and structure of the FA Cup is fairly unique compared to their European counterparts), they certainly would with 40k-odd Blues cheering them on a lap of honour around Wembley.

 

As fans, we need to stop worrying about our fears of what the future may hold and just enjoy the present! If players leave, they leave - but right now Leicester City have never been better placed to go for any silverware they can lay their hands on. It's time to live for the moment!

[CosbehFox]

36 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

The winning of a cup can always be a lottery depending on who you draw in the various rounds. We have seen to temper that in fairness, that in a one off game in a final, like Birmingham and Wigan that anybody can beat anybody. 

BUT ... for a one off day in the sun, do you want to bore your grandchildren with tales of yore whilst they have to suffer mediocre first division or championship football like Wigan or, would you rather them watch Premiership standard football like we're doing now? Because I believe that, more so than ever in our history, a top four finish for us this year is vital.

We could qualify for the Champions League and we still be playing Championship football in so many years time. Various examples across Europe where this has occurred. 

 

[Bayfox]

For me, I loved the CL tour and would do anything to relive it.

 

However we have never won the FA Cup, it competes the set. Comes with European football attached and we could still finish top 4 even with these cup runs. Right now we have to lose 5 games and someone win 5 on the spin for us to miss out. I honestly can't see us losing 5 for the rest of the season.

 

Absolutely finishing outside the top 4 would be damaging and not ideal. 

 

But give me the day out at wembley and an fa cup final right now, after a day out at wembley in the league cup 1st obviously and the rest will take care of itself.

 

And yes as wigan fan I'd probably take winning the fa cup over now being in the lower leagues a that's where they had been for years anyway. 

[CosbehFox]

9 minutes ago, Bayfox said:

And yes as wigan fan I'd probably take winning the fa cup over now being in the lower leagues a that's where they had been for years anyway. 

Wigan fans do/did appreciate the FA Cup victory. They had Europe the year after and enough memories to last a lifetime for a club who originated from the Northern League. I don't think they'd have quite the same memories finishing 17th in the PL and no Cup. 

 

We are in a great opportunity where we have a 14 point gap on 5th and the challengers are wildly inconsistent. Season average totals tell us we need 8 more wins to get CL football. Points per game suggests even lower. 

 

In January, we have three league fixtures. Of the chasing pack:-

 

Man U have Norwich, Liverpool and Burnley as well their own Cup schedule plus a replay against Wolves

Spurs have Liverpool, Watford and Norwich as well as replay against Boro

Wolves have Newcastle, Saints and Liverpool as well as a replay at Man U 

Sheff U have West Ham, Arsenal and Man City 

 

At worse our lead would be as low as 5 points in February but the fixtures suggest they won't happen. 

[fuchsntf]

27 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

 

As a supporter, winning trophies and the memories that come as a result of that is what it's all about. The idea that we should bottle the best chance we've arguably ever had to win trophies, with a manager who seems keen to win them, on the off-chance it'll keep the vultures from the door of our best players (newsflash - it won't) is a slightly gut-wrenching idea if I'm honest.

 

The idea that Cups mean nothing to foreign players is also slightly condescending, I think. Even if they don't "get it" in the early rounds (I appreciate the culture and structure of the FA Cup is fairly unique compared to their European counterparts), they certainly would with 40k-odd Blues cheering them on a lap of honour around Wembley.

 

As fans, we need to stop worrying about our fears of what the future may hold and just enjoy the present! If players leave, they leave - but right now Leicester City have never been better placed to go for any silverware they can lay their hands on. It's time to live for the moment!

Agree totally..and I bet all those Foreign players and their agents have & will get it down on their CVs..and in bold print..

[Footballwipe]

37 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

 

As a supporter, winning trophies and the memories that come as a result of that is what it's all about. The idea that we should bottle the best chance we've arguably ever had to win trophies, with a manager who seems keen to win them, on the off-chance it'll keep the vultures from the door of our best players (newsflash - it won't) is a slightly gut-wrenching idea if I'm honest.

 

The idea that Cups mean nothing to foreign players is also slightly condescending, I think. Even if they don't "get it" in the early rounds (I appreciate the culture and structure of the FA Cup is fairly unique compared to their European counterparts), they certainly would with 40k-odd Blues cheering them on a lap of honour around Wembley.

 

As fans, we need to stop worrying about our fears of what the future may hold and just enjoy the present! If players leave, they leave - but right now Leicester City have never been better placed to go for any silverware they can lay their hands on. It's time to live for the moment!

I heard Pontus Kaamark threw his medal out in 97, as did Kasey Keller. Zagorakis hated going to Wembley in 2000 and Pegguy Arphexad wished he'd never saved those penalties. They hate the cup.

 

As tired as I am about the dump the cup for the league argument, I'd like to reiterate to everyone that we are currently 14 points clear of fifth place. We are absolutely in a position to quality for the UCL and go deep in both competitions* *(yeah we're already deep in Carabao)

 

Let's bloody go for it, for god sake, it's a travesty that we haven't made a final since 2000, that needs remedying. We're going to finish top four and we have a chance of getting both domestic cup trophies on top of that. People should be crapping themselves with excitement, not crapping themselves.

 

Let the highly-paid backroom staff worry about player fatigue, fixture congestion etc.

[KingsX]

10 hours ago, ozleicester said:

 at "emirates" FA Cup in 1949  

 

I recall that match.

 

 

It didn’t go the 90’.  The camels got onto the pitch.

[twister]

I agree on this

 

I dont think a single of Wigans team that got relegated would swap their facup medals for being cannon fodder in the prem.

 

Sorry but in fourty years time those tropthies on the mantlepiece are all that matters.

[Burgh foxes 01]

If we get board we can watch planes landing at Heathrow 

[CUJimmy]

Opinion is definitely divided here!

 

Like quite a few others I was at Wembley in 2000 and at the KP for the Seville match and for me the level of euphoria after Seville was definitely higher.  Perhaps it was because we were expected to beat Tranmere I don’t know.  The FA Cup might be different again but it doesn’t have the same aura as it did when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s when it was about the only domestic club match that was televised live.

 

While we wouldn’t want to copy Arsenal and the fourth place trophy parade I am sure that offering CL football will give us a better chance of keeping our star players and attracting new ones than the start of a Europa League campaign in July.

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, CUJimmy said:

Opinion is definitely divided here!

 

Like quite a few others I was at Wembley in 2000 and at the KP for the Seville match and for me the level of euphoria after Seville was definitely higher.  Perhaps it was because we were expected to beat Tranmere I don’t know.  The FA Cup might be different again but it doesn’t have the same aura as it did when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s when it was about the only domestic club match that was televised live.

 

While we wouldn’t want to copy Arsenal and the fourth place trophy parade I am sure that offering CL football will give us a better chance of keeping our star players and attracting new ones than the start of a Europa League campaign in July.

To do what though? Challenge for trophies presumably? If we have those star players now, then not going for Cups shows a distinct lack of ambition.

[jonthefox]

2 hours ago, Jakarta Bee said:

Bees game against Forest has been re-arranged for the following Tuesday so looks our teenagers will be on duty for the game with Leicester.

Play your teenagers against forest mate. They’re shite .

[Footballwipe]

14 minutes ago, CUJimmy said:

Opinion is definitely divided here!

 

Like quite a few others I was at Wembley in 2000 and at the KP for the Seville match and for me the level of euphoria after Seville was definitely higher.  Perhaps it was because we were expected to beat Tranmere I don’t know.  The FA Cup might be different again but it doesn’t have the same aura as it did when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s when it was about the only domestic club match that was televised live.

 

While we wouldn’t want to copy Arsenal and the fourth place trophy parade I am sure that offering CL football will give us a better chance of keeping our star players and attracting new ones than the start of a Europa League campaign in July.

We. Are. FOURTEEN. Points. Clear. Of. Fifth

 

If we collapse and lose that lead, bigger questions need to be asked than "were we tired" or "why did we play a full strength team in the cup." Our whole club's mentality will need to be reassessed.

 

The utter lack of faith some of our fans have in both the players and the coach/sports science team is quite staggering.

[Dahnsouff]

14 minutes ago, Footballwipe said:

We. Are. FOURTEEN. Points. Clear. Of. Fifth

 

FOUR TEENs you say....

 

[CUJimmy]

6 minutes ago, Footballwipe said:

We. Are. FOURTEEN. Points. Clear. Of. Fifth

 

If we collapse and lose that lead, bigger questions need to be asked than "were we tired" or "why did we play a full strength team in the cup." Our whole club's mentality will need to be reassessed.

 

The utter lack of faith some of our fans have in both the players and the coach/sports science team is quite staggering.

That’s why I trust the coaching team to make the right call, only they will know which players need recovery time.  BR has made it pretty clear that he will put out a team that he is confident is capable of winning every game but that doesn’t mean the strongest eleven every time as we saw on Saturday.  He said after the West Ham game that the teams for this busy period had been planned weeks in advance hence the games behind closed doors etc.

[onekeithweller]

1 hour ago, KingsX said:

 

I recall that match.

 

 

It didn’t go the 90’.  The camels got onto the pitch.

This is so obviously fake, the Telstar football wasn't introduced until 1968.

[BoyJones]

7 hours ago, Craig said:

I went in The Griffin prior to their home game with Cardiff and there were plenty of Cardiff fans in there. 

I went to that game as well with a mate. We wanted to go to the ground one last time before it got bulldozed at the end of the season and Sod's law, we draw them in the cup. 

 

We ended up drinking on the other side of Kew bridge, three boozers close together and then a home pub, The Express Tavern on the north side of the bridge. Decent boozers.

 

On the night, I thought Brentford were bang average and Cardiff from being 2-0 down could easily have forced an equaliser with a bit more class. 

 

Anyway, looking forward to the match as long as it's the Saturday, which it should be. 

[bovril]

4 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Top 4 qualification means a stronger playing squad which means more chance of a trophy .....

 

4 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

We literally have the chance to win trophies this year.

I have to admit the longer this season has gone on the more I've started to lean towards St Albans' opinion. We are in the 1/2 of the League Cup and, more importantly, we have the chance to establish ourselves as regular top 4 challengers over the next few years. It feels a bit like a now or never moment. So I would like an FA cup run of course, but it's not as important to me as it was at the start of the season. 

 

(edited to add I've just read this page of the thread where the debate has already been had . Schoolboy foxestalk error.)

[RonnieTodger]

Crazy really. Beyond winning the league again, this is literally as good as we can have it so far. 

 

2nd in the Premier League, still in both cups and we won 0-9.

 

Top 4 and cup finals aren't mutually exclusive and there are other teams fighting on several fronts. Playing a full team twice in one week isn't going to blow a 14 point lead over 5th place.

[Detroit Blues]

42 minutes ago, Footballwipe said:

We. Are. FOURTEEN. Points. Clear. Of. Fifth

 

If we collapse and lose that lead, bigger questions need to be asked than "were we tired" or "why did we play a full strength team in the cup." Our whole club's mentality will need to be reassessed.

 

The utter lack of faith some of our fans have in both the players and the coach/sports science team is quite staggering.

 

Here's a good example. We just went through a rough patch in the league, losing to Liverpool and Man City. Let's take a look at how much ground other teams gained on us in our last 5 games:

 

 

 

Man City beat us, gained 5 pts on us. Fair play to them.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Sheffield United all gained exactly 0 pts on us

Wolves actually lost a point on us.

 

So if that was our worst 5 game stretch of the season, how likely is it that three other premier league teams will each gain 14 points on us over the final 17 games? It would have to take a complete and unmitigated disaster.

[st albans fox]

The salient point is that after the Chelsea game we have two weeks off so I suspect brendan will do some rotating for Burnley, Soton and West Ham so he can play some ‘first team’ players at Brentford  

 

[volpeazzurro]

2 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Why can't it be both. Getting to a Cup final makes imapact on ambition to, surely. Also many a foreign player has spoken about playing in the FA Cup. It's big in our Country and spoken about so much.

 

Mind you, I don't really think players care about our position once a bigger club comes in for them; I've just watched Maguire join probably the worse Manchester United side in my life instead of staying here. And Kante left us when we were Champions of England ffs.

 

I also don't think finishing top 4 "outeighs a euphoric pissed up day at Wembley". Everton finished 4th in 04/05 and played in the Champions League the following season. Do people remember it, do people care? No, people take the piss that they've not won anything since 1995.

 

If you ask football fans if they'd rather win something or finish top 4 then the answer should be winning something. Sport is all about winning, otherwise what's the point.

I agree it would be nice to have it all but in our current position we have to prioritise and to jeopardise two real good opportunities for an early round fa cup match is a no brainer for me. Maybe next season with an even better squad but it's about building slowly and realising opportunities withan eye on the future. Without the money and glamour from Europe next season I fear us slipping into mediocrity again. Get into the top 4 again next season with a reasonable showing in Europe and I see us challenging for years to come. One more FA cupless season will make no difference,  not finishing in the top four could have dire consequences.