Topic: EFL draw - League Cup

[redgriffin73]

They actually have to win a trophy first though.

Oh yeah, scrap that then

[redgriffin73]

Teams barely want to play in the Europa, never mind a competition below it. Would rather finish 8th and not bother with all the extra fixtures than 7th and have to play in it.

Can see some of them finishing seventh and then remembering that a top 6 team won the league cup back in February and being like FFS!

[VVM]

Can see some of them finishing seventh and then remembering that a top 6 team won the league cup back in February and being like FFS!

Just been doing a little research on it now and to be fair it does seem like a good idea to get more nations properly involved in Europe and taking some of the bulk out of the Europa but I can't see any English team taking it seriously or being thrilled to be in it unless a lower team somehow flukes the league cup.

[Fromola]

Just been doing a little research on it now and to be fair it does seem like a good idea to get more nations properly involved in Europe and taking some of the bulk out of the Europa but I can't see any English team taking it seriously or being thrilled to be in it unless a lower team somehow flukes the league cup.

I think it's a good chance of a European trophy for clubs which will have a Cup Winners Cup vibe to it. What they should do is give the winners a CL place.

Europa League is very difficult to win if you're a non-top 6 Premier League club. You can play loads of games and rounds just to get to the last 16 or quarter final and then draw Arsenal or Man United over two legs or someone like Sevilla or Dortmund, Inter Milan or Atletico who've dropped out the CL group.

Take Leicester this season. I doubt they've got much chance of winning the Europa League, but if it was this other tournament they'd be quite fancied.

[Wabaloolah]

Just been doing a little research on it now and to be fair it does seem like a good idea to get more nations properly involved in Europe and taking some of the bulk out of the Europa but I can't see any English team taking it seriously or being thrilled to be in it unless a lower team somehow flukes the league cup.

I'm guessing it's similar to the Inter Toto Cup they had for a while.


Everton applied to enter it too


https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11671/3203955/everton-apply-for-intertoto-cup

[Dim Glas]

Teams barely want to play in the Europa, never mind a competition below it. Would rather finish 8th and not bother with all the extra fixtures than 7th and have to play in it.

Being from Wales though I can see how it might benefit poorer leagues who never get through the qualifiers.

Don’t think thats true though, a few smaller teams who get into it may not exacly be sad to go out early, as they know they won’t cope in the league with the extra fixtures. But players want to play in the Europa, it’s a great competition, only the national leagues and CL are better and bigger prizes, it’s bravado from some fans to say they don’t want to be in it.

 

[Ghost Town]

Don’t think thats true though, a few smaller teams who get into it may not exacly be sad to go out early, as they know they won’t cope in the league with the extra fixtures. But players want to play in the Europa, it’s a great competition, only the national leagues and CL are better and bigger prizes, it’s bravado from some fans to say they don’t want to be in it.

Absolutely right. Of course we'd rather contest the CL every season, but if that were not to be possible then I'd love to be in the Europa and win it. Have we forgotten the excitement that 2016 brought to The Liverpool Country?

[Red Beret]

Just been doing a little research on it now and to be fair it does seem like a good idea to get more nations properly involved in Europe and taking some of the bulk out of the Europa but I can't see any English team taking it seriously or being thrilled to be in it unless a lower team somehow flukes the league cup.

well tbf, City won it last year...

[Dan The Man 28373]

Is on SKY Sports, Thursday 24th September, 1945 KO.

We have Chelsea away on the Sunday before & Arsenal at home on the Monday after.

Will no doubt be a mix & match team, mostly youngsters & squad players who need some match time.

[gerrardisgod]

Fourth round is potentially the week after too, so possibly two Thursday’s on the spin.

[keano7]

Fourth round is potentially the week after too, so possibly two Thursday’s on the spin.

So if we get through to Round 4, Villa away will either be Sunday or Monday?

[VVM]

Don’t think thats true though, a few smaller teams who get into it may not exacly be sad to go out early, as they know they won’t cope in the league with the extra fixtures. But players want to play in the Europa, it’s a great competition, only the national leagues and CL are better and bigger prizes, it’s bravado from some fans to say they don’t want to be in it.

Yeah don't get me wrong, as a fan I'd rather be in it over not being in Europe at all but some of the teams treat it as more of an inconvenience, like Burnley a couple of years ago seemed almost pleased to lose their qualifier.

[Mighty_Red]

The problem we have in this country is that the money earned by playing in the prem dwarfs that of other competitions (bar the CL) to such an extent that it just isn't worth being in it unless you have a squad equipped to deal with it. Throw in a bit of good ol English xenophobia and you can see why clubs look down on the Europa.

Not sure whether the new competition will attract many from the prem - most clubs outside the top 6 don't give a fuck about winning trophies as evidenced by
the FA & league cups.

Glad our game is on a Thursday, breaks up the week nicely and a good game for us to start with. If we have less than 11 changes from Sunday I'd be amazed.

[simesy]

4-0 to Lincoln. So we travel to Lincoln next Thursday.

I am made up with that as I'm a born & bred lincolnshire yellow belly(dont ask what that means because nobody in lincoln really knows) Absolutely gutted I cant attend that.

[simesy]

Not played Lincoln since Feb 1961

Wasnt born till 71 & have waited nearly 4 decades for this tie(lincoln born & bred) & now its happening I cant get to see it in the flesh. Fuck the pandemic.

[markedasred]

Wasnt born till 71 & have waited nearly 4 decades for this tie(lincoln born & bred) & now its happening I cant get to see it in the flesh. Fuck the pandemic.

You can go and see the bus, and the players getting off it with our manager. In your shoes I'd want to do that anyway.

[Fromola]

What's going on with the TV picks for this round? West Brom at home to Harrogate, Everton at home to Salford (both as expected very routine home wins for West Brom and Everton reserves), Brighton at home to Portsmouth tonight.

I know the big teams aren't in it yet, but they could have picked at least one game someone other than fans of those teams might want to watch.

[VVM]

The problem we have in this country is that the money earned by playing in the prem dwarfs that of other competitions (bar the CL) to such an extent that it just isn't worth being in it unless you have a squad equipped to deal with it. Throw in a bit of good ol English xenophobia and you can see why clubs look down on the Europa.

Not sure whether the new competition will attract many from the prem - most clubs outside the top 6 don't give a fuck about winning trophies as evidenced by
the FA & league cups.

Glad our game is on a Thursday, breaks up the week nicely and a good game for us to start with. If we have less than 11 changes from Sunday I'd be amazed.

Yeah I think you've summed it up perfectly. It's all about money which I suppose you can't really argue with.

There is little incentive to try in the domestic cups anymore and it seems that whoever does win it wasn't really that fussed in the first place. If you offered a mid table team 11th place and an FA cup or 10th place and no cup then they'd probably take 10th. The fans of course would want the cup but the club themselves aren't arsed.

[Fromola]

Don’t think thats true though, a few smaller teams who get into it may not exacly be sad to go out early, as they know they won’t cope in the league with the extra fixtures. But players want to play in the Europa, it’s a great competition, only the national leagues and CL are better and bigger prizes, it’s bravado from some fans to say they don’t want to be in it.

It makes a big difference psychologically for how you approach it, to go into a tournament believing you can win it. That's why so many teams put out weakened sides in the domestic cups because they don't believe they can win it anyway until at least the later rounds, in order to concentrate on the league. It's the same with the Europa League. Burnley finished 7th the other year and couldn't even reach the group stages of the Europa, they wouldn't have had a cat in hells chance of winning it. They'd have a decent chance if it was this one.

[Fromola]

Yeah I think you've summed it up perfectly. It's all about money which I suppose you can't really argue with.

There is little incentive to try in the domestic cups anymore and it seems that whoever does win it wasn't really that fussed in the first place. If you offered a mid table team 11th place and an FA cup or 10th place and no cup then they'd probably take 10th. The fans of course would want the cup but the club themselves aren't arsed.

It's not as bad as that, a lot of it is clubs don't believe they can win these competitions, therefore don't even try. Look at Watford, they limped along to the FA Cup final and then got absolutely battered, as ever, by Man City and they never recovered from it last season.

On the other hand though Wigan did win the cup and got relegated and given the choice, clubs would take 17th and a defeat to Accrington Stanley in the 3rd round over that eventuality because of the finances (look at Wigan now). But even the year Wigan won it they were putting the reserves out through to the semis. Even in the quarter final they left half the team out against Everton.

[Ghost Town]

Is any of this true though? I mean true as in backed up by evidence? I know it's the common belief that no-one cares for domestic cups anymore, or even the Europa League/UEFA Cup, but has it actually been investigated? Or are people taking a few high-profile instances of weakened teams etc (which is itself a partly subjective assessment, in any case) and drawing erroneous generalisations?

[simesy]

You can go and see the bus, and the players getting off it with our manager. In your shoes I'd want to do that anyway.

Depends on the restrictions as lincoln has a rise in virus cases at the moment but I would be happy just to go in with my mask & see Jurgen & the lads & take pics.

[The G in Gerrard]

Fourth round draw later tonight. Haven't even played third round yet.

[disgraced cake]

Fourth round draw later tonight. Haven't even played third round yet.

Another really good chance at a trophy this, a couple of decent prem sides already out. Hoping for a nice draw but we'll have to do Lincoln first.

[Gods_Left_Boot]

Wolves have lost at home to Stoke, one potentially tricky opponent out of the way.

[redgriffin73]

Fourth round draw coming up on Sky now.

[gerrardisgod]

Leicester or Arsenal at home, potentially.

[redgriffin73]

First out. Home to Leicester or Arsenal if we get past Lincoln.

[gerrardisgod]

Lee Hendrie thinks the Premier League clubs will be the ones to have a good run in the competition.

Hark at Mystic Meg.

[redgriffin73]

Lee Hendrie thinks the Premier League clubs will be the ones to have a good run in the competition.

Hark at Mystic Meg.

Fascinating insight from him wasn't it?

[Stevie2810]

Lee Hendrie thinks the Premier League clubs will be the ones to have a good run in the competition.

Hark at Mystic Meg.

He gets paid to give that opinion 

[Shanklygates]

Oooh Arsenal or Leicester just for a change

[dudleyred]

If we get There id probably Prefer arsenal as they’ll likely change the side like we will. Give our likely young team a more even contest

[redgriffin73]

If we get There id probably Prefer arsenal as they’ll likely change the side like we will. Give our likely young team a more even contest

Another 5-5 would be fun!

[Ghost Town]

Thiago plus 10 kids will send either of them packing

[Red Beret]

Oooh Arsenal or Leicester just for a change

I suppose City got Oxford?

EDIT: Ah, Millwall or Burnley away, should they manage to overcome the mighty Bournemouth at home.

Is it too much to ask that we NOT get a fucking PL club so early in the competition for a change?

[PaulF]

Even in the quarter final they left half the team out against Everton.

Look, I know Everton are shite. But this can't be true. They need to start the game with at least 7 players , ergo they can't have left half the team out 😀

[Fromola]

I suppose City got Oxford?

EDIT: Ah, Millwall or Burnley away, should they manage to overcome the mighty Bournemouth at home.

Is it too much to ask that we NOT get a fucking PL club so early in the competition for a change?

It's not just drawing PL clubs it's the better ones. Chelsea and Arsenal early in both domestic Cups last year (Everton as well in the 3rd round). The year before Wolves and Chelsea in the 3rd round of both cups.

Arsenal or Leicester will turn up with a strong team

[anfieldpurch]

Wasnt born till 71 & have waited nearly 4 decades for this tie(lincoln born & bred) & now its happening I cant get to see it in the flesh. Fuck the pandemic.

We played Lincoln in a friendly in 2006. Fowler played

[simesy]

We played Lincoln in a friendly in 2006. Fowler played

I know but was in hospital at the time so I dont count that one.