[Albion] Thank you TB, PB and CH. I think I'm going insane!

[Simster]

Tickets were £12, and £6 for u-18s.

Judging by the OP's whinge, I had assumed they were double that. Seriously, WTF was he moaning about?

 

[Badger Boy]

All the time we're not interested in the Cup competitions, these games are a thankless task which is a shame because our record signing started last night, along with the previous holder of that title. Propper came on as well, he was the record signing for a few hours too!

 

[Bold Seagull]

It's as good as your team make it. We'd all be VERY excited if we were in the final.

I think most PL sides treat it as game time for squad players until you get to the last 16 or so, then it becomes a reality of trying to win it. I've no doubt CH will be very disappointed as another round would have been another chance to experiment with his squad.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

It's as good as your team make it. We'd all be VERY excited if we were in the final.

That is absolutely true. But the competition is so degraded that only the semi or final would even register. The FA Cup is not the competition it was before, but the League Cup is the competition that never had a shine to it. It is a sad state of affairs our degradation of the FA Cup in particular, but last night I was walking away from the game and tried to remember last year's winners, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Man United? I really don't know or care anymore. As for the League Cup, don't make me laugh!

 

[Cozzy]

CH trying new formation & players in different positions as well as the fringe/U23's ... always going to be experimental when you throw that combination together ... watching it back on Seagulls Player the performance wasn't that bad when you factor in all those differences from Saturday and the usual 1st team

 

[Marshy]

I quite enjoyed it, but we should have chucked knockaert and Montoya on for the last 25 mins.

Gyokeres and Collar were knackered by then

Southampton wanted to win the game in the last 20 mins and we didn't is my only gripe.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Dunk is injured, so do you risk Duffy or Balogun in an early round league cup tie with Fulham at home in 4 days? Of course you don't.

Hemed has gone, Andone is still not fully fit, do you risk Murray up front, again of course not.

We've all been itching to see Jahanbakhsh and Bissouma, so of course they start, they are first choice stars in the making. Bissouma and Bernardo have already featured in the EPL, so they are first choice XI at this point are they not? Kayal as we know will have his role to play and has always been reliable as he was last season in the league when called upon.

We have to have a look at Button in a full fixture as he'll be needed if Ryan is out.

So we've taken a look at Barclay, Collar and Gyokeres. The rest for me have and will continue to be in and around first XI selection and need game time. Don't have an issue with the selection at all, the concern isn't philosophy or taking the cup seriously, it is that the strength or improvement you hope to have within the squad didn't shine through and win the game.

 

[Gary Leeds]

So you would prefer to watch us at Withdean being turned over by Rotherham and Barnsley than watch at the Amex and see us turn over Man United (twice) and Arsenal?

 

[Bold Seagull]

So you would prefer to watch us at Withdean being turned over by Rotherham and Barnsley than watch at the Amex and see us turn over Man United (twice) and Arsenal?

That's just the cherry, or the icing, or the cream filling, maybe the sprinkles? It's not the cake though.

 

[goldstone]

Agree with the OP. Agree with the team selection, but it would have been nice if the players put in some effort. Much of the time they looked disinterested and were forever passing the ball sideways and backwards.

 

[drew]

Like others, I was with you until "The pitch is the cake..." onwards. Perhaps you were just over-emotional.

I agree it was rubbish entertainment. If CH is going to use these games as training exercises, then tickets should be a fiver. And the beer free

Note your comments but stand by what I said. If the icing was more important, I would have stopped going when the Goldstone started to fall apart and large areas were condemned, nor would I have gone to the cesspit that is Gillingham or spent 10 years getting soaked in the South Stand at Withdean. Perhaps switch it around and ask are there any genuine fans who go just because of the Amex?

 

[drew]

So you would prefer to watch us at Withdean being turned over by Rotherham and Barnsley than watch at the Amex and see us turn over Man United (twice) and Arsenal?

 

[Lower West Stander]

Now that's a fair point. Given that there wasn't to be any extra time in this fixture then where would be the harm in throwing the dice and making some substitutions? The players were not going to be required for the additional 30 minutes so why not make some changes with 10-15 minutes left? I said to my daughter that I'd like to have seen Knockaert come on for the final spell to see if he could beat a tiring defence. Hughes made his subs on 80 minutes dead and changed the match.

I agree, but I think our injury situation had a lot do with it.

Hughes brought on Redmond and Austin but Southampton have a fully fit squad and he could afford to. Chris would have been very reluctant to risk Knockaert and with Murray clearly not an option we had nobody else to bring on apart from U23s.

If anything I think it exposese our squad size more than a desire to win...

 

[drew]

Dunk is injured, so do you risk Duffy or Balogun in an early round league cup tie with Fulham at home in 4 days? Of course you don't.

Hemed has gone, Andone is still not fully fit, do you risk Murray up front, again of course not.

We've all been itching to see Jahanbakhsh and Bissouma, so of course they start, they are first choice stars in the making. Bissouma and Bernardo have already featured in the EPL, so they are first choice XI at this point are they not? Kayal as we know will have his role to play and has always been reliable as he was last season in the league when called upon.

We have to have a look at Button in a full fixture as he'll be needed if Ryan is out.

So we've taken a look at Barclay, Collar and Gyokeres. The rest for me have and will continue to be in and around first XI selection and need game time. Don't have an issue with the selection at all, the concern isn't philosophy or taking the cup seriously, it is that the strength or improvement you hope to have within the squad didn't shine through and win the game.

As I said before, not questioning the original selection and would have expected that. Its that the fact we don't bother with any attempt to change in the second half with a view to winning the game. Why have the likes of Stephens and Knockaert on the bench if you have no intention of using them. Why not give those spaces to other youngsters?

 

[drew]

I agree, but I think our injury situation had a lot do with it.

Hughes brought on Redmond and Austin but Southampton have a fully fit squad and he could afford to. Chris would have been very reluctant to risk Knockaert and with Murray clearly not an option we had nobody else to bring on apart from U23s.

If anything I think it exposese our squad size more than a desire to win...

But why waste a substitute position on them then. As I said elsewhere, give the spaces to other youngsters. If you're not bothered about losing then chuck Connolly on earlier to give him a chance to prove himself.

 

[Giraffe]

I get the sentiment of the opening post and agree to a large extent but it's not the clubs fault though is it? The league cup competition is not what it used to be. Yes the Premier League is to blame for that.

Personally I would can it or rebadge it.

How about doing something completely revolutionary and bringing the womens game into it.

First half men, second half women?

The competition is dead so try something else.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Last night marked fifty years to the evening of my first Brighton match (kind of the club to arrange one)...I was just quite happy to watch the Albion

 

[Bold Seagull]

Note your comments but stand by what I said. If the icing was more important, I would have stopped going when the Goldstone started to fall apart and large areas were condemned, nor would I have gone to the cesspit that is Gillingham or spent 10 years getting soaked in the South Stand at Withdean. Perhaps switch it around and ask are there any genuine fans who go just because of the Amex?

But didn't we go through the trauma of the Goldstone, and Gillingham, and Withdean because no one looked after the icing?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Merge it with the Scottish League cup, might get some more interest in it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Tickets were £12, and £6 for u-18s.

Not forgetting £8 for the oldies. Two tickets, £20, and an evening out at the Amex. I can think of worse things to do on a Tuesday night.