[Football] A mIssed opportunity?

[Gabbiano]

This! The vast majority are not knocking on any f**king doors never mind the one marked Premier League.
Totally agree that most will never step out onto the Amex pitch again... Spong? Really? So anonymous that the scoreboard operator just made up a name for him!

It’s fair to say that most of the best of our U23s/those closest to the first team, are currently out on loan. But to write off some of these lads at age 17-18 (including Roberts and Jenks who regularly play for England) is a bit silly.

 

[Icy Gull]

They also dont have nine injuries, a fact everyone seems very keen on ignoring.

It is as clear as night following day that you’d be defending Potter whatever he does and Spence would be slagging him off

Did I see a post from you on what GP did in a Cup game at Swansea last season? Sounds like he did exactly the same last night. Hopefully he’ll have learnt now that however good a coach he thinks he is, he’s not good enough to carry off team selections like that at this level.

 

[father_and_son]

It’s fair to say that most of the best of our U23s/those closest to the first team, are currently out on loan. But to write off some of these lads at age 17-18 (including Roberts and Jenks who regularly play for England) is a bit silly.

Not writing them off at all. Most will probably go on to be quite good league 1, maybe even Championship, players... But it won't be playing for Brighton and won't be at an established PL club.

This was about putting the wares in the shop window for the grand January/summer sales that are approaching.

All well and good and I have advocated for playing more u23 players on the fringes to increase their value just like this.

My objection isn't who played or even why they played, it's the fact that the club charged 15,000 (minus 1901 members?... They still get cup for free?) normal cup prices for a sales event.
If the club had priced at £5 adult and kids for a quid or something similar, then we'd all have been treated fairly.

 

[blue-shifted]

It’s fair to say that most of the best of our U23s/those closest to the first team, are currently out on loan. But to write off some of these lads at age 17-18 (including Roberts and Jenks who regularly play for England) is a bit silly.

Yep, that was a silly thing for him to say. I'm guessing he was getting at the fact that on average, most 17 or 18 y/o's at a club don't go on to become first team regulars

 

[Swansman]

It is as clear as night following day that you’d be defending Potter whatever he does and Spence would be slagging him off

Not really, I've had fair amounts of criticism towards Potter last year - like his choice of keeper or trust in Cameron Carter-Vickers, and I would do the same here. However, not playing sick or injured players or starting players who would do 3 games in one week and possibly be tired in the game against Chelsea and instead using it as an opportunity to give young players a game is not anything I am going to be critical of.

 

[Icy Gull]

Not really, I've had fair amounts of criticism towards Potter last year - like his choice of keeper or trust in Cameron Carter-Vickers, and I would do the same here. However, not playing sick or injured players or starting players who would do 3 games in one week and possibly be tired in the game against Chelsea and instead using it as an opportunity to give young players a game is not anything I am going to be critical of.

Fair enough I guess it depends on whether you believe that so many players were sick or injured

I added to my post that you have quoted that it seems he did EXACTLY the same last year at Swansea in a Cup game. Did he use the same excuse for doing it perchance?

 

[Easy 10]

Not really, I've had fair amounts of criticism towards Potter last year - like his choice of keeper or trust in Cameron Carter-Vickers, and I would do the same here. However, not playing sick or injured players or starting players who would do 3 games in one week and possibly be tired in the game against Chelsea and instead using it as an opportunity to give young players a game is not anything I am going to be critical of.

Easy to say when you weren't fleeced out of £15/£20 to go and watch us throw a game though.

 

[blue-shifted]

I totally disagree with Potter on this one

But clearly the players last night will have got some value from playing in front of 15k people and will have got some value from playing against seasoned international footballer. Clearly there is some risk to further injury of a first team player which might have a marginal effect on the likelihood of getting something from the Chelsea game.

I just think that none of this justifies the sacrifice necessary of good faith from the supporters and more importantly doesn’t justify giving up a chance of progressing in a major trophy. It wasn’t a game we couldn’t have won. They are a newly promoted team to our division and we were at home.

There’s several permutations of competitive line ups in the team v Villa thread that took into account the injuries.

 

[symyjym]

Looking at the highlights it looks like everyone who went had a good night and enjoyed it in the spirit of how it was intended; which was seeing some of our youth players in action who put up a good display against an experienced Villa. I would much rather get the 3 points against Villa in two weeks tbh.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Looking at the highlights it looks like everyone who went had a good night and enjoyed it in the spirit of how it was intended; which was seeing some of our youth players in action who put up a good display against an experienced Villa. I would much rather get the 3 points against Villa in two weeks tbh.

“The spirit of how it was intended” should have been a cup match between two Premier League teams, it anything but that. The majority of fans attended expecting to see at least some attempt to win the game, sadly there wasn’t. There was a distinct feeling of apathy regarding the result and most people had made their peace with what it was, a completely lopsided contest.

 

[FloatLeft]

“There was a distinct feeling of apathy regarding the result and most people had made their peace with what it was, a completely lopsided contest.

And 15 loyalty points in the bag!

 

[Swansman]

Fair enough I guess it depends on whether you believe that so many players were sick or injured

I added to my post that you have quoted that it seems he did EXACTLY the same last year at Swansea in a Cup game. Did he use the same excuse for doing it perchance?

Despite most people in here being all-knowing I've yet to see one argument exactly why Potter would lie on that topic.

And no, he didnt use the same excuse. He used the "we've lost 16 first team players and signed 3 so we want to see what the younger players can bring us" excuse. I guess it depends whether you believe that so many players were sold and so few brought in, but sort of like this time there was no real reason to question it.

 

[Swansman]

Easy to say when you weren't fleeced out of £15/£20 to go and watch us throw a game though.

Ok, so what injured, sick or Newcastle + Chelsea starters would you have gone with?

Its true its easier for me to say as I didnt pay any money, but thinking with your wallet doesnt make you any wiser than someone not thinking with his wallet.

 

[The_Viper]

Last year NSC: "Why are we continuing to put our starters out in the FA cup, its a distraction, it's ridiculous and CH should be given the axe for this kind of short sighted attitude"

This year NSC: "Why are we not putting out first team players to progress in the league cup, why are we not taking it seriously? It's a good distraction for the players to win games, GP should be seriously questioned for this kind of short sighted attitude".

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Ok, so what injured, sick or Newcastle + Chelsea starters would you have gone with?

Its true its easier for me to say as I didnt pay any money, but thinking with your wallet doesnt make you any wiser than someone not thinking with his wallet.

I think I've asked him that already - and he's answered

 

[Easy 10]

Despite most people in here being all-knowing I've yet to see one argument exactly why Potter would lie on that topic.

Quite simply, because 15,000 people had paid their hard-earned in the hope of seeing BHA make it through to the next round (whilst accepting there would certainly be SOME changes to the lineup), only to turn up and see that he'd thrown the game by playing an academy team.

Far easier to justify that team selection by, lets say, "embellishing" the injury/illness situation a bit, rather than being honest about it and saying "Look I don't give a shit about this cup. Its all about Saturday".

He couldn't admit that of course, and certainly not in the run-up to the game, or the crowd would've been about 5k.

 

[symyjym]

“The spirit of how it was intended” should have been a cup match between two Premier League teams, it anything but that. The majority of fans attended expecting to see at least some attempt to win the game, sadly there wasn’t. There was a distinct feeling of apathy regarding the result and most people had made their peace with what it was, a completely lopsided contest.

But also everyone knew that we have injuries so I am not sure why "The majority of fans" expected anything different. As it is, one of our squad members Duffy who ended up with an injury and may be out of contention for a game or three.

I can only go by watching highlights and the commentary from Warren and JC and they thought the game was worthy of watching. I would also say that the majority of fans got behind them too.

This is more about how serious Potter is about staying in the Prem than undermining the League Cup.

What would your starting 11 have been btw?

 

[Easy 10]

Ok, so what injured, sick or Newcastle + Chelsea starters would you have gone with?

Its true its easier for me to say as I didnt pay any money, but thinking with your wallet doesnt make you any wiser than someone not thinking with his wallet.

I've done this already elsewhere. In addition to Duffy and Bong, I'd also have included Mooy, Alzate and Bissouma, with at least a couple of 1st team options on the bench as well.

And I don't accept that 6 games into a season where we've already had a 2 week International break, and another one on the way, our players somehow can't cope with the (very occasional) Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday scenario. Please don't give me this "they're tired" bollocks already.

 

[Weststander]

They also dont have nine injuries, a fact everyone seems very keen on ignoring.

Let's see how many of the 9 make miraculous recoveries in very quick time.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

Let's see how many of the 9 make miraculous recoveries in very quick time.

Not one of the nine but Duffy is out for weeks which is bad news