Premier bid takes priority over cup run – Matt Oakley

[davieG]

Source - Merc - http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/Premier-...il/article.html

Leicester City skipper Matt Oakley says a Carling Cup run is way down on his list of priorities this season.

City are at Preston tonight (7.45) in the second round of a competition they have won three times as well as twice being runners-up.

But Oakley insisted: "The fans will be looking at it as something to look forward to, but the league is what I'm looking at.

"I would rather have a good go at getting in the Premier League than an average season and a good cup run."

Oakley says manager Nigel Pearson's mentality is that he wants to win every game.

TIN.adverts.adWriteDC('article-detail-impact-tile', '452x118'); The former Derby and Southampton midfielder said: "For me, I want the club in the Premier League and that's why I'm here."

Oakley has been delighted with City's unbeaten start to the campaign, with two draws and two wins in the Championship, the latest victory coming with a single-goal success against Barnsley at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday.

And City's impressive opening, which has left them seventh in the table, has led some pundits to reassess where they think the club will be in May.

A couple of them have re-adjusted a top-10 spot to a play-off push.

Oakley said: "It's nice if people are reassessing where we are.

"We're looking at the top 10 as a squad and then being in there towards the end and pushing for the top six.

"And from what I've seen against two of the teams tipped to do well (Ipswich and Sheffield United), we've been by far the better team.

"The home performances will be a key for us as it gives us the confidence to go away and put on a good show.

"We are a good counter-attacking side with pace which can hurt people on the break."

City boss Pearson has hinted at changes for tonight's clash, with Wales Under-21 midfielder Andy King expected to start a game – something he has not done in three of the first four Championship matches.

Oakley said: "It has been disappointing for him because he had a fantastic season last time.

"But the manager felt we needed to strengthen and he signed Richie Wellens, who is a fantastic player."

Last season, King missed just a single League One match during City's march to the title, and chipped in with 11 goals.

He has also made his first appearance for the full Wales team.

Oakley said: "It's unfortunate for Kingy because he is having to sit on the bench and watch.

"But, at the same time, it's pushing Richie and myself to raise our standards.

"We've linked up quite well and seem to be dominating games against good sides and, hopefully, that will put us in a good position."

[Uncle Monty]

Fair play, i would rather do well in the league than in the cup(s).

[Bert]

Some people will take this out of context I'm sure, but don't for a minute think that the team won't be giving everything they've got got tonight.

What Oakley says is right, though.

[Joe.]

Fair enough to be honest. the only reason we'd want to progress tonight is for financial reaasons anyway, it's not like we're going to win the thing...

Oakley doesn't normally play in these cup matches anyway does he?

[Collymore]

It would be good to test ourselves against Premier clubs though. Chelsea 4-3 will remain in my memory for a long time. I say get as far as we can at all costs

[Braunyfox]

Source - Merc - http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/Premier-...il/article.html

"I would rather have a good go at getting in the Premier League than an average season and a good cup run."

Totally agree, the only thing Cups are good for is the hope that you will get a home tie against one of the big boys ...

[C-man]

Sense from Oakley - and the reason I'm not going tonight and will be going to the league meeting at Deepdale instead.

[Granno]

Totally agree, the only thing Cups are good for is the hope that you will get a home away tie against one of the big boys ...

[Guest]

Some people will take this out of context I'm sure, but don't for a minute think that the team won't be giving everything they've got got tonight.

What Oakley says is right, though.

Couldn't agree more

[dandannieldanok]

All this premiership and play-off talk is far too premature at the moment for me, yes it's plain common sense to prioritise the league ahead of the cup but I just hope the players don't get too complacent. We've made a cracking start to the season but there are bigger tests to come. We've still yet to see how this team reacts in winless periods which every team inevitably suffers at some point in this league.

[C-man]

All this premiership and play-off talk is far too premature at the moment for me, yes it's plain common sense to prioritise the league ahead of the cup but I just hope the players don't get too complacent. We've made a cracking start to the season but there are bigger tests to come. We've still yet to see how this team reacts in winless periods which every team inevitably suffers at some point in this league.

We've already had a winless period of 2. We bounced back from that...

[Bert]

Fair enough to be honest. the only reason we'd want to progress tonight is for financial reaasons anyway, it's not like we're going to win the thing...

Oakley doesn't normally play in these cup matches anyway does he?

He didn't do last year.

I can see King, Tunchev, Gradel and Adams all starting tonight.

City squad: Weale, Logan; Neilson, Morrison, Tunchev, Hobbs, Powell, O'Neill, Oakley, A King, Adams, N'Guessan, Dyer, Gradel, Fryatt, Gallagher, Dickov, Kermorgant, Parkes.

[leicesterfox86]

Some people will take this out of context I'm sure, but don't for a minute think that the team won't be giving everything they've got got tonight.

What Oakley says is right, though.

Exactly. Oakley and the whole team will be giving it all they have got in the Carling Cup. However, the League is the most important thing. Everyone knows that. If it came to a player deciding if they would risk an injury tonight, they wouldn't do it. If it was a league game, they might.

You have got to have a priority in such a long season.

[Ozwin]

We need to keep Tunchev happy somehow. I hope he get's a look in when in the league, I know Hobbs and Brown are doing great but he's not going to want to sit on the bench, he knows he's better than that.

[Uncle Albert]

Yeah like others have said even though we all know the League is more important the lads will still be going to Deepdale tonight and thinking about the next round, the only way it should be. A good cup run will be an added bonus.

Saying that if we can do what Burnley did in the League and Carling Cup this year then I think we will all be very happy.

[Sir Fynwy]

We need to keep Tunchev happy somehow. I hope he get's a look in when in the league, I know Hobbs and Brown are doing great but he's not going to want to sit on the bench, he knows he's better than that.

Have you asked Tunchev if he's happy at the moment? He might see a staged return to the first team as a good way to be certain that he is over his injury and to prolong his playing. Too many good players are rushed back into action too early and end up curtailing their playing career or never reaching their full potential.

[Ozwin]

You've made a fair point there, I just don't want him to leave.

[Tommy G]

We need to keep Tunchev happy somehow. I hope he get's a look in when in the league, I know Hobbs and Brown are doing great but he's not going to want to sit on the bench, he knows he's better than that.

I watched him warm up at half time with Gradel and hi touch on the ball was first class. Can see how he is much better than even Hobbs or Brown.

[Thracian]

Source - Merc - http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/Premier-...il/article.html

Leicester City skipper Matt Oakley says a Carling Cup run is way down on his list of priorities this season.

City are at Preston tonight (7.45) in the second round of a competition they have won three times as well as twice being runners-up.

But Oakley insisted: "The fans will be looking at it as something to look forward to, but the league is what I'm looking at.

"I would rather have a good go at getting in the Premier League than an average season and a good cup run."

Oakley says manager Nigel Pearson's mentality is that he wants to win every game.

TIN.adverts.adWriteDC('article-detail-impact-tile', '452x118'); The former Derby and Southampton midfielder said: "For me, I want the club in the Premier League and that's why I'm here."

Oakley has been delighted with City's unbeaten start to the campaign, with two draws and two wins in the Championship, the latest victory coming with a single-goal success against Barnsley at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday.

And City's impressive opening, which has left them seventh in the table, has led some pundits to reassess where they think the club will be in May.

A couple of them have re-adjusted a top-10 spot to a play-off push.

Oakley said: "It's nice if people are reassessing where we are.

"We're looking at the top 10 as a squad and then being in there towards the end and pushing for the top six.

"And from what I've seen against two of the teams tipped to do well (Ipswich and Sheffield United), we've been by far the better team.

"The home performances will be a key for us as it gives us the confidence to go away and put on a good show.

"We are a good counter-attacking side with pace which can hurt people on the break."

City boss Pearson has hinted at changes for tonight's clash, with Wales Under-21 midfielder Andy King expected to start a game – something he has not done in three of the first four Championship matches.

Oakley said: "It has been disappointing for him because he had a fantastic season last time.

"But the manager felt we needed to strengthen and he signed Richie Wellens, who is a fantastic player."

Last season, King missed just a single League One match during City's march to the title, and chipped in with 11 goals.

He has also made his first appearance for the full Wales team.

Oakley said: "It's unfortunate for Kingy because he is having to sit on the bench and watch.

"But, at the same time, it's pushing Richie and myself to raise our standards.

"We've linked up quite well and seem to be dominating games against good sides and, hopefully, that will put us in a good position."

That's honest and straightforward as you'd expect from the skipper and just about concurs with my own feelings in every way.

People like Wellens and N'Guessan are the new boys and, like new toys, they're likely to be played however people like King and Gradel perform.

Those two might find it frustrating for a time but I do believe Pearson will not make the mistake of leaving them to get unfit and disinterested but will endeavour to ensure they play a worthwhile part.

Their job is to knuckle down, improve their weaknesses and make sure that they don't drop off the radar completely. It won't be easy. King, once again, has been asked to play in what seems like such a negative way that he's bound to look like half the footballer he can be and will have little chance to shine.

Gradel may not have had brilliant 90-minute matches for the first team but he's so often made something happen that he must sometimes wonder why he's forever sidelined.

It's ironic too that Pearson talks about maintaining width and Gradel pointedly did that against Macclesfield - and was promptly dropped again.

King scored 11 vital goals for us last season. Yet it now looks as if he might never get close enough to goal to score again. Which means that Wellens will have to score those goals and, for all the praise he's getting, I have my doubts that it will happen given that he didn't score that many goals in the equivalent of two full seasons at either Oldham or Doncaster.

Nor do I necessarily think he's as good a defender as King but we'll see. I like Wellens as a footballer but if he doesn't score those 11 goals or more then it will be a major blow to our chances of scoring enough goals to go up. Cos someone has to get em and it can't just be left to Fryatt and Dyer.

[Cheese Me]

I really dislike this attitude that has become more and more common.

I love the cups and a good run for me is way up on my list of hopes for the season. Obviously if we could get play offs / promoted that would be brilliant but there's more to a season than just the league table.

The worst thing is when teams (especially prem teams) play significantly weakened teams and don't give competitions the respect they deserve. They deserve to take a beating for it.

[Uncle Albert]

But there's more to a season than just the league table.

And there is alot more to a season than a cup run to the Quarter Final of the Carling Cup.

[C-man]

People like Wellens and N'Guessan are the new boys and, like new toys, they're likely to be played however people like King and Gradel perform.

King scored 11 vital goals for us last season. Yet it now looks as if he might never get close enough to goal to score again. Which means that Wellens will have to score those goals and, for all the praise he's getting, I have my doubts that it will happen given that he didn't score that many goals in the equivalent of two full seasons at either Oldham or Doncaster.

Nor do I necessarily think he's as good a defender as King but we'll see. I like Wellens as a footballer but if he doesn't score those 11 goals or more then it will be a major blow to our chances of scoring enough goals to go up. Cos someone has to get em and it can't just be left to Fryatt and Dyer.

Wellens hasn't travelled so King will be playing central midfield, as he did last season.

Berner is the other first choice not to travel.

[willchafer]

i think we need to win this because we have the likes of tunchev and that coming back from injury so we can give them first team football so if we push for a win we maybe able to slowly and carefully bring waghorn and howard back...just as an example say.

[dogadug]

Wayne Brown hasn't travelled either - so I expect the Tunch to get some game time

[Guest Bilo]

In all fairness, what Oakley has said is pure common sense.

As much as we would all love a cup run, I'd much rather see us competing in the higher echelons of this league.

Promotion to the Premiership will earn us £60 million, a semi-final exit in the Carling Cup will earn us a fraction of that and won't move us any further forward. I'd rather have the opportunity to go to Old Trafford, the Emirates et al every season in the league rather than as a one off in one of the cups.