Dear Gus Poyet, Manager of Brighton and Hove Albion FC.

[clippedgull]

Couldnt give a shit for the F.A Cup , wanted to go out to Woking and FC but that all changed the moment we drew Pompey

Massive game

Don't get too excited. We aint going to get through against the plumbers and electricians.

 

[Notters]

I WISH people would stop banging on about how we didn't win because we fielded a weakened team. It's SO obvious that it's the players attitudes to the cup and not the players themselves that is the problem.

 

[Biscuit]

I WISH people would stop banging on about how we didn't win because we fielded a weakened team. It's SO obvious that it's the players attitudes to the cup and not the players themselves that is the problem.

This is true.

The attitude of the weakened team we played was poor.

Go through or not I don't care less about Portsmouth. I'd rather a big club like Blackpool....

Play the youth team.

 

[brakespear]

We're not talking about chasing 2 domestic cups, a league and a European campaign? We've already added 2 unnecessary fixtures to our workload by not dispatching Woking and FC United at the first time of asking. If this is an approach to reduce the workload, then it's looking like a false economy of effort ... and our momentum has stalled and if the League campaign is all important (and it is) then we would have been better off looking to win every game. Most of this has already happened, but surely it's worth putting FC away quickly in the replay, and not get dragged into another 120 minute game please. If we are 3 up at HT, by all means rest a couple for the 2nd half, but this softly softly approach has caused us problems IMHO.

This.

 

[strings]

In many respects, I'm not fussed about the result of the replay.

However, if we do get through, I would love to see the first choice 11 take on Pompey. It would be really interesting to guage exactly where we are when compared with a team from the league above. I'm not saying it would be sensible to risk our first team, but it would be a good test to see where we need to strengthen.

 

[cuthbert]

Why does everyone assume that its one or the other?

There is no reason why we cant reach the 3rd/4th round of the FA Cup AND get promoted, just like there is nothing saying that we throw the FA Cup away and still dont get promoted.

We should just try and win every game possible and whatever happens, happens.

Spot on

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I WISH people would stop banging on about how we didn't win because we fielded a weakened team. It's SO obvious that it's the players attitudes to the cup and not the players themselves that is the problem.

Indeed. While I do feel the Woking changes probably disrupted the rhythm we had built up, the team Gus put out against FCUM was easily strong enough to have beaten them. It isn't Gus's fault that Barnes couldn't have scored if he'd been on the pitch 900 minutes, that Baz headed straight to their keeper, or Sandaza was trying to take rugby conversions. Gus didn't miss the penalty. If we had won, there would have been a binfest about us not playing our usual flair football, but it would have been more a case of "oh well, at least we've got past a potential banana skin." I'm not absolving Gus totally from the blame (I don't like the idea of conveying that you don't care about a competition, even if it isn't your main priority), but the players must take their share of the blame.

 

[On the Left Wing]

everybody that i speak to seem to be of a similar opinion as me i.e that we all want promotion and are not concerned about the cup, a competition we wont win but feel that when we do get knocked out of the cup it is with having put up a fight rather than just surrender and offer nothing. Winning breeds a certain mentality which we had prior to woking but through changing the sides excessivily for that tie we have lost this mentality and a stomping win in the cup may be bring it back. Had we converted our chances on saturday and had a resounding win like 6 or 7 - 1. As it should have been with the chances we created, it may have set us back on the road. So dont lets berate the cup but use it to get back to winning ways in the league. Perhaps the reception received saturday will push the players to do better agaiinst colchester and then a win in manchester will set them up for a good performance against huddersfield.

this 100%

 

[cuthbert]

In many respects, I'm not fussed about the result of the replay.

However, if we do get through, I would love to see the first choice 11 take on Pompey. It would be really interesting to guage exactly where we are when compared with a team from the league above. I'm not saying it would be sensible to risk our first team, but it would be a good test to see where we need to strengthen.

I'm very fussed about the result of the replay, and I'd have been just as fussed if the draw had given us Dover in the next round. I'm always fussed about the result of Albion matches, I can't see the point of the game if you don't try to win.

 

[BensGrandad]

But if their No.5 resumes his style of play in the replay, and goads the likes of Greer into a red-card retaliation or hospitalises somebody like Murray or Calderon, you'll be saying 'Why did he play them? We need them for the league?'

He wont, a red card for violent conduct is 3 game ban and he was sent off for Violent Conduct I would think.

That is not to say one of the other thugs that they have wont do the same.

 

[cuthbert]

How are we going to feel if a mid table club in our league plays a weak team against one of our promotion rivals, because they have a big cup tie against a Premier League team the next weekend?

 

[drew]

Why does everyone keep banging on about Leeds. They beat Utd and had a dip in form but were still promoted automatically. We fielded a weakened team against Woking and our dip in form started there. We are now having two extra games that we could have done without. Nobody is saying that they think we will win the cup but you should aim to only go out having tried your hardest and to a better team than yourselves, such as us last year at villa. After losing to Villa, we lost 5 more games, winning 8 and drawing 8 and that was when we were a relegation threatened team.

I WISH people would stop banging on about how we didn't win because we fielded a weakened team. It's SO obvious that it's the players attitudes to the cup and not the players themselves that is the problem.

But maybe the blasé attitude of the players was fostered by the lack of interest in the competition by the manager.

 

[Caveman]

Why does everyone keep banging on about Leeds. They beat Utd and had a dip in form but were still promoted automatically.

Did they? I thought they messed up 2 seasons running after leading the table, before finally getting automatic promotion?

 

[durrington gull]

Disagree, we should be going out and trying to win these FA Cup games with the minimum of fuss. "Winning becomes a habit" is a phrase that gets thrown around, but I certainly think we've seen the opposite happen. We went into the first Woking game brushing sides away with the minimum of fuss, and then suddenly we rested a few, took the foot off the gas, and the momentum seems to have been lost since that game.

I think we should go to Manchester (or Bury) with our strongest possible side, with the players being told it's the biggest game of the season so far. Let's friggin' give them a damn good spanking and get back to batting teams aside 3-0 every week.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

I WISH people would stop banging on about how we didn't win because we fielded a weakened team.

It's the fact that FCUM had a bloody good goalkeeper!

 

[Betfair Bozo]

I have no problem at all with playing the reserves in the replay. What I am struggling with is what seems to be an indifference (or worse) to the result. We have plenty of players who have not or who have rarely featured and we always hear that players need competitive games. Put out a shadow side, tell them to go and win the match and decide nearer the time what to do about Pompey.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Essentially it boils down to the fact that our "scratch" team isnt really good enough to beat Woking or FCUM. Over 90mins before people throw penalty shootouts at me.

If it was a proper first 11 it would have probaby won both games at a canter.

Thats the "worrying" thing.

 

[stss30]

The cup distractes from the league, it's a fact. I'd rather get promoted so, I hope we play our youth team for the rest of the Cup and I hope they enjoy their first team experience and maybe even make a name for themselves

 

[drew]

Did they? I thought they messed up 2 seasons running after leading the table, before finally getting automatic promotion?

But isn't the comparison people are making about Leeds more to do with last season when they were going strong and then fell away after they beat Utd at Old Trafford in the FA Cup!