Arsenal (H) Carabao Cup

[volpeazzurro]

59 minutes ago, Jobyfox said:

I can never subscribe to the sentiment that I “can’t be arsed about this trophy”. Leicester City’s honours over their entire 136 year history read: 1 PL title and 3 League Cups. I was at Hillsborough for the win against Middlesbrough and at Wembley for the win against Tranmere and wouldn’t swap those moments for anything - other than perhaps the Andrea Boccelli stuff in 2016.

 

For practical purposes I’d pick a fringe team with the likes of Thomas and Ward included. I’d also use it to get fitness into the legs of players like Maddison, but I’d still pick a well balanced side.

 

I get it’s not the priority and would approach it in that way, but will still be disappointed if we lose just like any LCFC game. We can start getting all ‘Billy Big Bollocks’ about it when we’ve put a few more trophies in the cabinet. 

I think this season is perhaps a lot different to others due to what's been happening. We haven't got a full contingent of players unlike the usual start off a season and really can't afford to get our better one's injured. Prioritising is not the same as can't be bothered or being Billy Big Bollocks. The Premiership has to come first as it's every club's bread and butter. Then Europe, then FA Cup, this really is a poor 4th. Its the Premiership and Europe that will earn money and attract better players for the club from a pure business angle which will always come first over a nice day out at a Micky Mouse cup final for supporters. Rodgers can wrap it up all he likes with his reasoning about playing fringe players but, essentially he is prioritising and quite right too.

[Guest Markyblue]

Personally see this as 4th in the priority list but if the draw opens up its certainly would be a great trophy to pick up.

[Jobyfox]

3 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

I think this season is perhaps a lot different to others due to what's been happening. We haven't got a full contingent of players unlike the usual start off a season and really can't afford to get our better one's injured. Prioritising is not the same as can't be bothered or being Billy Big Bollocks. The Premiership has to come first as it's every club's bread and butter. Then Europe, then FA Cup, this really is a poor 4th. Its the Premiership and Europe that will earn money and attract better players for the club from a pure business angle which will always come first over a nice day out at a Micky Mouse cup final for supporters. Rodgers can wrap it up all he likes with his reasoning about playing fringe players but, essentially he is prioritising and quite right too.

I agree with most of this, but it’s this bit that I object too.

 

This view has been put into people’s heads by supporters of the biggest clubs to deride supporters of clubs like ours. Put the reserves out in the two cups and then claim bigger priorities when it all goes wrong. 

 

Despite this it’s invariably the biggest clubs that win the cups and there doesn’t seem to be much derision from players and supporters when they’re holding up trophies. 

 

I agree that we should rotate and prioritise  elsewhere. What I don’t agree with is the “I don’t care” or “this is a crap cup anyway” brigade. If we won an FA Cup and a League cup in the next five years it would be the most successful era in our history and prove that the PL title wasn’t just a one off. 

[Jobyfox]

3 minutes ago, Markyblue said:

Personally see this as 4th in the priority list but if the draw opens up its certainly would be a great trophy to pick up.

Me too.

 

Doesn't mean I wouldn’t love to win it 

[deep blue]

Agreed we should treat it as low priority. Putting out a 2nd choice team might not unduly weaken us anyway as I would expect many Prem clubs to be doing the same.

[UHDrive]

15 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

Ward 

Daley-Campbell Knight  Another CB  Thomas 

Hamza

Maddison KDH 

Under (if able)/Albrighton Nacho Gray 

 

Tavares on the bench, Maddison off at 60min mark.

This. I wouldn't touch the first team starters in this cup at all, especially Cags, JJ (poss), Mendy etc. 

 

I wouldnt want this fluidity of the current first team to get knocked out of shape in these games.

 

Grey - i really would run this years contract down and keep him as an emergency backup in these games or as and when needed.

[majaco]

Is Evans available?

[foxinsocks]

we want out of  this competition

[Ashley]

51 minutes ago, majaco said:

Is Evans available?

No. Back for Man City mate.

[Footballwipe]

Yeah I'm usually well on the "play to win the competition" train and asking those who want out of the cups whether they'd be at Wembley if we got to a final usually. But this ain't no ordinary season.

 

We're in for a haul, an epic effort required all round and I want us strong in the league and the Europa League. With the horrific schedule we've got coming up, I'm not sure we need this, so I'd be all for dipping out of it ASAP too. Which means we're 100% going to win it.

[Ric Flair]

U23's play Everton tonight so will be telling what sort of team we might put out on Wednesday if Beaglehole doesn't try and pick some of the fringe players like KDH and Thomas. 

[Moomin]

Surely we are due seeing a cameo from Cengo?

[RonnieTodger]

Given the Europa League, I can't imagine we'll be fussed about the cup this year. That said if Arsenal and Liverpool (if we win) put out young sides, then they're no tougher draw than a midtable side that would take it seriously.

 

I'd like to see Ward, Thomas, Choudhury, Iheanacho etc play, but don't take the piss with changes or we could get humped.

[egg_fried_rice]

For anyone who missed it, winning this cup would give us entry into the third tier European tournament - the new one introduced to sit below the Europa League. I would guess that further lessens our commitment to this cup.

[Col city fan]

Not bothered really

Give the first team a rest and put out the young uns

With Kelechi, Albrighton etc 

[jim5000]

4 hours ago, Stoopid said:

Don't get the negativity around the League Cup. It's a competition with resonance for our club and we should respect that. 

OK, it's likely to be a busy season,  but we've finally got a decent squad and it's not that much of an extra workload to potentially win something significant. 

Success breeds success and gives players not automatically in the first X1 a good chance to show their quality. 

Thing is, we don’t have a decent squad as the end of last season proved. We have a great first team but the backups drag us down to relegation levels if we have to play more than 2-3 of them together.

 

With the Europa League this season, the Carabao Cup is the lowest priority so going out in the first round wouldn’t be such a bad thing, no point getting to the quarter finals before going out, knackering our squad by Christmas.

[RowlattsFox]

KDH is only youngster i'd expect, maybe Thomas if Fuchs plays as a centre back. 

 

Ward

 

Amartey

Morgan

Fuchs

 

Albrighton

Dewsbury-Hall

Choudhury

Maddison

Thomas 

 

Iheanacho 

Perez 

 

Could probably rest Perez but if anyone is likely to not play against Man City it is him.

[glebe_sydneyfox]

Play kids

Move on

We don't need these fixtures with Europa on horizon

[coolhandfox]

Would love to win it, but it definitely the low priority of the 4 competitions.  

 

However it a good opportunity to improve the fitness of some fringe first team players and thought returning from injury. 

[OadbyBlue]

1 hour ago, Moomin said:

Surely we are due seeing a cameo from Cengo?

He’s not available according to BR, too soon

[filbertway]

Logically playing a complete reserve XI makes sense to me. I can't bring myself to back essentially throwing a competitive game though haha

[Clever Fox]

Strange that so many are of the same opinion that we could do without this cup this year. We have enough on our plate with the League and the Europa Cup.

I really feel that we have the quality to win the Europa Cup if we can avoid injuries.

 

[KingsX]

     

           IT'S ON LADS

 

 

 

[Moomin]

3 minutes ago, OadbyBlue said:

He’s not available according to BR, too soon

ah well...

[volpeazzurro]

3 hours ago, Jobyfox said:

I agree with most of this, but it’s this bit that I object too.

 

This view has been put into people’s heads by supporters of the biggest clubs to deride supporters of clubs like ours. Put the reserves out in the two cups and then claim bigger priorities when it all goes wrong. 

 

Despite this it’s invariably the biggest clubs that win the cups and there doesn’t seem to be much derision from players and supporters when they’re holding up trophies. 

 

I agree that we should rotate and prioritise  elsewhere. What I don’t agree with is the “I don’t care” or “this is a crap cup anyway” brigade. If we won an FA Cup and a League cup in the next five years it would be the most successful era in our history and prove that the PL title wasn’t just a one off. 

Yes that's a fair point, but it has worked the other way on here at times in that certain individuals call for the strongest team to be put out. I think the balance is to be found in the word priority and this case, it's the last out of 4.