Weak teams

[Danieljwaterhouse]

When did we allow teams to disrespect the FA Cup?

I love the minnows, the Davids, and the underdogs winning through to the fifth round, but how are other teams allowed to make 9/10 changes?

I never want our club to become one of those 'concentrating on the league' types. Rightly so Kloop et al have rightly reeped what they sowed.


ALSO, it really messes up my accas!!!

[Devils_Advocate]

Is it ok for us to disrespect the league cup like we did at Accrington?

[wilks_bfc]

We made 8 changes from last weeks starting lineup

Admittedly our changes were for those in usual squad and not a load of kids but 8 changes none the less

[Ooogeorgeorgeoghani]

Imo teams should be able to opt out of cups, however the finincial reward needs to be greater ,teams should get millions the further they progress, its not how it should be morally,but to make it a proper competition it has to happen

[Buxtonclaret]

Can't understand Southampton though.
They won't go down. Unlikely to make a Euro spot, but they make wholesale changes at home to Arsenal.
They're being tanked.
Ok. They're in the LC final.
But why not have a good go at the FA Cup too?

[Goodclaret]

I just don't get why Southampton have done it today (full team change from their last PL game). Getting battered 3 nil, it will be 5 or 6 by the end if Arsenal keep playing as they are. Saints are safe in PL, no other cups to play in so you'd look at the FA cup as some chance of success but they just throw the game. Very strange.

[Goodclaret]

Ha ha Buxton - great minds

[Buxtonclaret]

Goodclaret
I think it's just daft.
God only knows what the home fans must be thinking.
Saints have a good side. They're actually capable of winning the thing!

[Claretnick]

I just don't get why Southampton have done it today (full team change from their last PL game). Getting battered 3 nil, it will be 5 or 6 by the end if Arsenal keep playing as they are. Saints are safe in PL, no other cups to play in so you'd look at the FA cup as some chance of success but they just throw the game. Very strange.

I thought the Saints have just got to the League Cup Final.

[Goodclaret]

Sorry Claretnick, I meant European cups

[DCWat]

The FA Cup winners should get a champions league place.

[Buxtonclaret]

5-0

[Devils_Advocate]

Teams like Saints who have big squads need to keep players involved so use the cups to give fringe players some competitive game time. Not really that different to us but as we have a smaller squad we dont have as many squad players to give a game. The idea that is solely about resting first team players just isnt true

The modern game is a squad game and id rather Southampton put teams out like this in the cup than doing it in league games. Imagine if Southampton used a game against a team like Hull or Swansea to play a load of squad players we would be up in arms and quite rightly too.

[Rileybobs]

I'd imagine;

Heaton
Lowton
Ward
Hendrick
Boyd
Gray
Barnes

will all start on Tuesday.

[Sidney1st]

They've been chatting about this on 5 live.

One caller said that the winners should go into the champions league.
Another caller said that would be a bad idea because if a lesser team wins the cup and does poorly in Europe England run the risk of losing a CL spot

[CombatClaret]

I sympathize with Southampton somewhat having played Sunday, Thurdsay, Saturday and again on Tuesday. 4 times in 10 days, you've got to prioritize somewhere. We made 8 changes so regardless of who they are, fringe or youth players we've done exactly the same.

[lakesclaret]

To be fair our changes contained only 3 fringe "ish"players and Tarky Derek and Flanagan are all experienced pros (professionals not prostitutes)

It's great however that we can make so many changes yet still have a full on "Dyche" system team.

Southampton decided to sacrifice with Wembley assured and it's understandable. As for Liverpool another cup exit and no excuses for the side put out last night,Spurs took the p1ss as well and very nearly came a cropper.

Let's hope for a decent draw

[Newcastleclaret93]

The FA cup doesn't matter for premier league clubs because the prize money is tiny. You get more money for finishing one place higher in the league than you do for winning the FA cup

[Wile E Coyote]

it has ruined it for many, I mentioned elsewhere on here that wolves took 8000 away today, that'sa lot of travelling support.
How hollow it must seem though to know the team you beat was Liverpool in name only. It begins to become a mockery really.
If we progress it might seem appealing to think of the FA cup 1/4 finals, but i didnt bother today with Bristol game, it would feel hypocritical to suddenly feign interest in the latter stages. It has become a very devalued competition.The media still try to spoon feed us the "magic of the cup" but fans are not taken in anymore.

[dsr]

And anyway, what are the benefits of resting players? I suppose Bournemouth can be happy that in the two games since they threw the cup tie, they've got a point - at home to Watford. They were tubbed at Hull. Still, it's a point - who knows how many or how few they would have had if they had played the first XI in the Cup? And of course their players wouldn't have had another "well-earned" rest today.

Carrying heavy pay packets is a awell known drain on your energy. The more a player gets paid, the less he expects to have to do to earn it. It would be a major shock if anyone at the "big six" (apart from Terry and Gerrard) played 38 league games, let alone adding in a cup ie or two as well.

[Devils_Advocate]

Its more about giving squad players a game and keeping them involved than resting players

[boatshed bill]

And anyway, what are the benefits of resting players? I suppose Bournemouth can be happy that in the two games since they threw the cup tie, they've got a point - at home to Watford. They were tubbed at Hull. Still, it's a point - who knows how many or how few they would have had if they had played the first XI in the Cup? And of course their players wouldn't have had another "well-earned" rest today.

Carrying heavy pay packets is a awell known drain on your energy. The more a player gets paid, the less he expects to have to do to earn it. It would be a major shock if anyone at the "big six" (apart from Terry and Gerrard) played 38 league games, let alone adding in a cup ie or two as well.

Good stuff.

and I thought the idea of running a professional sporting establishment (football or any other) is to go out and try your best to beat the opposition. Anything short of that is cheating really.

[Duffer_]

If we progress it might seem appealing to think of the FA cup 1/4 finals, but i didnt bother today with Bristol game, it would feel hypocritical to suddenly feign interest in the latter stages.

Come on WEC - give into the urge if it sounds appealing. I'd rather have 40,000 Clarets with me at Wembley than 14,000. I think it's OK to be promiscuous with the Cup. I understand the disillusionment from some but it worked for me and mine today on a few levels.

UTC!

[Rojales Claret]

i have to admit that the 2 cup games at home (don't do many away games) have not really got me too excited but Defours goal today was well worth the effort of going. I'm now hoping for a home draw in the next round then i might start to get a little excited.

[Wile E Coyote]

You are right, I want Burnley to beat everyone they play, its just that when you watch Lincoln and wolves fans celebrating, what do they believe their team has achieved? That wasn't a Liverpool team intent on winning the cup was it. If I had made the effort to travel, I would want to feel my team had beaten their best team. It Just isn't like that anymore, But somehow its dressed up as if it were.

[Rileybobs]

I get what youre saying Wile. There's rarely 'giant killings' as such. More a team of lower league players playing out of their skin against a Premier League youth team. It must still be great for the fans but it's hardly 'the magic of the cup'.