[Football] A mIssed opportunity?

[crodonilson]

Personally I was bitterly dissapointed with the way we treated last night game. I know the Caribou Cup is much maligned in some quarters but as a lower half EPL club why can't we take this a bit more seriously?

At the beginning of the season I wonder what our aims are, obviously first and foremost it is EPL football in 2020/21 so survival, but surely we can stretch our ambitions slightly beyond that and take the two cup competitions seriously? We won't get 3 consecutive seasons in the EPL on our honours list, or in our trophy cabinet but whilst we are a decent EPL outfit we do have an outside chance of winning a cup, an outside chance but a chance all the same.

 

[Springal]

Given our injury list - and what happened to Duffy I am not surprised we took the approach we did. But agree it was fairly disappointing

 

[Icy Gull]

If we get something at Chelsea it will have been totally justified, if we get rolled over it will have proved to be a mistake...imo

I do not believe that we could not have put out a reasonably strong side, had Potter wished. Any reason given as to why Bissouma didn't start? He needs to get up to speed as he only played for a few mins on Saturday. Bizarre team selection imo and a bit cavalier.

 

[Palacefinder General]

First two posts above sum it up, couldn’t risk the thin squad but as a PL team this is arguably our best ever chance to win silverware, disappointing that we don’t take it seriously. Wonder if Bloom has any input into it.

 

[beorhthelm]

not a fan of the competition, accept normally used to give fringe/back from injury players some game time, that was more or less thrown.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Personally I was bitterly dissapointed with the way we treated last night game. I know the Caribou Cup is much maligned in some quarters but as a lower half EPL club why can't we take this a bit more seriously?

At the beginning of the season I wonder what our aims are, obviously first and foremost it is EPL football in 2020/21 so survival, but surely we can stretch our ambitions slightly beyond that and take the two cup competitions seriously? We won't get 3 consecutive seasons in the EPL on our honours list, or in our trophy cabinet but whilst we are a decent EPL outfit we do have an outside chance of winning a cup, an outside chance but a chance all the same.

Agreed.

We were never going to risk the critical central players - Ryan, Dunk, Pröpper, Stephens, Groß. We'll take the club at their word that Murray and Maupay (a scratch on his leg ) were genuinely unavailable, and that none of Bernardo, Schelotto, Balogun were ready to play even a half.

That still leaves the likes of Mooy, Webster OR Burn, Bissouma, Alzate, Montoya who COULD have played some part in the game.

The youngsters did really well, and I am all for promoting the youth. But, to start 8 academy players. To have TEN players making their debuts together. NINE of those, playing their very first senior game. That is ridiculous.

 

[Beach Hut]

I enjoyed last night and if this is the future it is very bright.

Stand out players for me were Richards and Roberts

 

[rippleman]

Totally agree with the selection last night. Although to be fair I didn't spend my hard earned to go and watch it.

We have scant enough resources up front since the illogical binning off of Andone after the window had slammed shut and our ever growing injury list. PL survival must be our priority and if playing the kids in the mickey mouse cup was the price to pay for not risking our first team players then sobeit.

However, I think that in games where we play the kids admission should only be a fiver. Hopefully Barber will see that charging the admission that he did last night was OTT and will bung those that went a hefty dollop of loyalty points.

 

[Weststander]

The tie was handed to Villa, on their forums they couldn't believe it at 7pm, some laughing.

Injuries could not have been the only reason. Ah well, we were never going to win the LC anyone.

Glad I didn't go. If I wanted to see the kids, I'd go to Lancing matches.

 

[Invicta]

The young players you wouldn't mind seeing are all out on loan, Gyokeres, White etc. Doubt many of those players that made their Debuts last night will be around in a years or two.

 

[Gritt23]

Personally, I'm disgusted, and if I'd have made the trip, and paid my money, expecting to see at least a fringe 1st team out there, then I'd be demanding an explanation.

U23 games are FREE to attend, yet last night we charged regular EFL prices, and put out the U18s.

When 6 of the starting XI, aren't even listed on the back of the programme, when 4 of the squad numbers didn't have names against them in the player database for the app, when the scoreboard don't even attempt to show pictures of the players when announcing the line-up, then we really have taken "disrespecting the competition" to a whole new level.

Why didn't we just chuck the game vs Bristol Rovers and save us the hassle of having to actually play games, if all that matters is premier league games at the total exclusion of all other football.

Good luck selling Cup game tickets in the future!

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Agreed.

We were never going to risk the critical central players - Ryan, Dunk, Pröpper, Stephens, Groß. We'll take the club at their word that Murray and Maupay (a scratch on his leg ) were genuinely unavailable, and that none of Bernardo, Schelotto, Balogun were ready to play even a half.

That still leaves the likes of Mooy, Webster OR Burn, Bissouma, Alzate, Montoya who COULD have played some part in the game.

The youngsters did really well, and I am all for promoting the youth. But, to start 8 academy players. To have TEN players making their debuts together. NINE of those, playing their very first senior game. That is ridiculous.

This

It's not really first team experience when they are playing with the same players they always play with.

 

[Gritt23]

Injuries could not have been the only reason. Ah well, we were never going to win the LC anyone.

By that logic, once safe from relegation, do we just rest everyone up for August?

 

[Weststander]

Good luck selling Cup game tickets in the future!

Great point.

 

[Milano]

I hope in future seasons we are always drawn away, as I doubt I will buy a home ticket for a LC game again.
I’d be very interested to know B&B’s behind closed doors reaction to that team, I’m not sure Potter did himself any favours there.
Are we really saying Mooy, Gross, Montoya, Propper, Burn, Webster, could not even be on the bench? Mooy especially looks like he needs game minutes.

 

[Steve in Japan]

I thought that was poor last night, we didn't have enough quality either on the field or on the bench, to seriously trouble Villa.

And more worryingly, with a few exceptions, I don't think we really matched them for intensity or effort either. Trezeguet, for example, was seriously at it all night, showing real hunger.

A bit of a sad night really. Depressing.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Were we the only club making many changes .nope ...sorry but it’s a Micky mouse cup

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Personally, I'm disgusted, and if I'd have made the trip, and paid my money, expecting to see at least a fringe 1st team out there, then I'd be demanding an explanation.

U23 games are FREE to attend, yet last night we charged regular EFL prices, and put out the U18s.

When 6 of the starting XI, aren't even listed on the back of the programme, when 4 of the squad numbers didn't have names against them in the player database for the app, when the scoreboard don't even attempt to show pictures of the players when announcing the line-up, then we really have taken "disrespecting the competition" to a whole new level.

Why didn't we just chuck the game vs Bristol Rovers and save us the hassle of having to actually play games, if all that matters is premier league games at the total exclusion of all other football.

Good luck selling Cup game tickets in the future!

I travel down from London for every home game.
If we get a home draw in the cups I will be there, regardless.
I even attend the pre-season Amex games.

Without the subsidy, my train ticket was £31 last night, my match ticket was £15.
The total cost was probably slightly less than the average squad number of last night's squad, but only just.

The kid's did well enough, but I go to football to watch us compete and try and win a game.
It properly pissed me off that was not a priority last night.

 

[crabface]

I was so pleased when seeing the team sheet, i hadnt wasted my money on a ticket.

To field that many young players against a strong Villa side, seemed very irrational to me. There were other more senior players that could have also played and helped a few of the younger ones through the game.

We forget how har we have come and probably shouldnt be disrespecting a cup game like this, that we could have gone further in and had more games to bed the youngsters in.

 

[Palacefinder General]

Personally, I'm disgusted, and if I'd have made the trip, and paid my money, expecting to see at least a fringe 1st team out there, then I'd be demanding an explanation.

U23 games are FREE to attend, yet last night we charged regular EFL prices, and put out the U18s.

When 6 of the starting XI, aren't even listed on the back of the programme, when 4 of the squad numbers didn't have names against them in the player database for the app, when the scoreboard don't even attempt to show pictures of the players when announcing the line-up, then we really have taken "disrespecting the competition" to a whole new level.

Why didn't we just chuck the game vs Bristol Rovers and save us the hassle of having to actually play games, if all that matters is premier league games at the total exclusion of all other football.

Good luck selling Cup game tickets in the future!

Agree 100% and as per your last sentence, surely Bloom and Barber must sit down with Potter to agree on taking this approach. Be very interested to know how that plays out, whether the ultimate say is GP’s or not.