Madness

[Skibum]

I'm 40. I want to see us win a trophy-this year. I can personally wait another year for 4th. I am not naive enough to think that the owners and Roberto Mancini agree.

With our squad we should be doing both top 4 and winning a trophy to be honest.
Personally I'd love a trophy first. Just my preference.

I think we might do both. And hopefully the trophy we win will be one that other teams take seriously and is therefore of some merit. Mancini didn't invent treating the Carling Cup with contempt, pretty much every other top club does it. I'd love to win a trophy but seriously if you wanted me to choose specifically between 4th or the Carling Cup, there would be no choice to be made.

I totally understand what you are saying. Are we a top side yet though when we have won nothing?

Meaningless Cup or not it is still a Cup. With injuries clearing up soon we could have fielded a stronger side next time out.

Here's hoping we do both, fingers and toes crossed.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I think we might do both. And hopefully the trophy we win will be one that other teams take seriously and is therefore of some merit. Mancini didn't invent treating the Carling Cup with contempt, pretty much every other top club does it. I'd love to win a trophy but seriously if you wanted me to choose specifically between 4th or the Carling Cup, there would be no choice to be made.

I totally understand what you are saying. Are we a top side yet though when we have won nothing?

Meaningless Cup or not it is still a Cup. With injuries clearing up soon we could have fielded a stronger side next time out.

Here's hoping we do both, fingers and toes crossed.

We're a top side because we are thinking in terms of playing in the CL, winning European trophies and at a push competing for the Prem. I know it is arguable that we aren't a top side but I think as a club, we now percieve ourselves as such and are treating the Carling Cup accordingly. I know I mentioned the Senior Cup in another thread and I was joking but where do we draw the line in this any cup will do argument. When everyone started playing their reserves in the Carling Cup, it bacame about as credible as a reserve team comp like the Senior Cup imo. It is sad, it used to be a decent competition but times change, it has been totally devalued and for me they could just get rid of it. It means very little in footballing terms. I totally understand your desire for some success though.

 

[nolongeralone]

Mourinho's first trophy at Chelsea...league cup.Then the big ones followed.
Roberto, please note.

 

[Project]

People keep going on about last year. Last year we didn't have up to 17 Europa Cup games to deal with. If we want our top players in top shape for the big games, we can't afford for them to be playing in the Carling Cup whilst also in Europe. EVERY SINGLE OTHER TOP PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE TREATS THIS CUP THE SAME WAY. It just so happened that a whole heap of injuries for us meant that we didn't have the 25 to call up on fully, so dropped down to the reserves. Who weren't good enough to win the match. Done.

 

[PaulPowerShower]

People keep going on about last year. Last year we didn't have up to 17 Europa Cup games to deal with. If we want our top players in top shape for the big games, we can't afford for them to be playing in the Carling Cup whilst also in Europe. EVERY SINGLE OTHER TOP PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE TREATS THIS CUP THE SAME WAY. It just so happened that a whole heap of injuries for us meant that we didn't have the 25 to call up on fully, so dropped down to the reserves. Who weren't good enough to win the match. Done.

Why not play decent players for 30 mins - put 2 in over a very weak WBA side then bring off Tevez / yaya / Milner and send them home to bed

How's that for a tactic?<br /><br />-- Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:08 am --<br /><br />What scared me more was that the game was crying out for subs and Bob did nothing....

No attacking threat at all and he has Milner & Silve on the bench

 

[Project]

People keep going on about last year. Last year we didn't have up to 17 Europa Cup games to deal with. If we want our top players in top shape for the big games, we can't afford for them to be playing in the Carling Cup whilst also in Europe. EVERY SINGLE OTHER TOP PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE TREATS THIS CUP THE SAME WAY. It just so happened that a whole heap of injuries for us meant that we didn't have the 25 to call up on fully, so dropped down to the reserves. Who weren't good enough to win the match. Done.

Why not play decent players for 30 mins - put 2 in over a very weak WBA side then bring off Tevez / yaya / Milner and send them home to bed

How's that for a tactic?

-- Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:08 am --

What scared me more was that the game was crying out for subs and Bob did nothing....

No attacking threat at all and he has Milner & Silve on the bench

That kind of defeats the purpose of resting players doesn't it?

Tevez so far:

Player in the World Cup this summer
Had very little pre season
Played just 30 minutes of pre season football
Since August 14th (5.5 weeks), has played in 7 City games and 2 Argentina games, flying around the world.
On Saturday morning we have Chelsea, followed by Juve and Newcastle within the same week.

Last night was an obvious chance to rest him as well as the likes of Yaya, Vinny and other key players. Could he have played yesterday? Absolutely. Would he be at 100% for the Chelsea & Juve games if he had? No. And therein lies the problem.

 

[BlueRockape]

Chris, have you looked at tonight's team. It bears no comparison with any City side you will see from now to the rest of the season? You might as well fret about a youth team result, for all the insight this performance and result gives about our capabilities in every other competition. Wum.

Why are we playing a youth side?

We need to win a fukin trophy this was a golden opportunity instead another fukin embarrassment

 

[PaulPowerShower]

You play him then if he gets injured / knackerd then you deal with the problem

Whats the pint in bombing out of a cup, not even knowing - he might have scored 2 last night and 2 n Sat

ALSo

Why play Guidetti in Midfield?

Why play Jo as a winger?

Why play RSC on his own up front when we all know he isnt match fit

Why not make any subs when we are under the kosh?

Why pick 2 very very very inexpernced full bakc

 

[BlueRockape]

You play him then if he gets injured / knackerd then you deal with the problem

Whats the pint in bombing out of a cup, not even knowing - he might have scored 2 last night and 2 n Sat

ALSo

Why play Guidetti in Midfield?

Why play Jo as a winger?

Why play RSC on his own up front when we all know he isnt match fit

Why not make any subs when we are under the kosh?

Why pick 2 very very very inexpernced full bakc

This^^^^^^^

Why bother entering the comp if your not going to play

Why are we going to look utter twats if we get our arses kicked on sat

Why not be as arrogant as the rags and pull out of the FA cup now (save time and money)

Why bother

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

After 34 years without a trophy, this was a golden opportunity missed.

Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton all out. this was a trophy we could have won. Just cast your mind back to last seasons quarter and semis against Arsenal and United, boy we wanted it then. What on earth now makes us think we are good enough or big enough to just chuck away possibly our best chance of winning something.

Were you to get out the slide-rule, consult the bookies, check the crystal ball, this last bit is probably true. It was mathematically, probably our best chance of the season to win summat. But, of course, yer don't win cups knowing yer sums.<br /><br />-- Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:00 am --<br /><br />

People keep going on about last year. Last year we didn't have up to 17 Europa Cup games to deal with. If we want our top players in top shape for the big games, we can't afford for them to be playing in the Carling Cup whilst also in Europe. EVERY SINGLE OTHER TOP PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE TREATS THIS CUP THE SAME WAY. It just so happened that a whole heap of injuries for us meant that we didn't have the 25 to call up on fully, so dropped down to the reserves. Who weren't good enough to win the match. Done.

Why not play decent players for 30 mins - put 2 in over a very weak WBA side then bring off Tevez / yaya / Milner and send them home to bed

How's that for a tactic?

-- Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:08 am --

What scared me more was that the game was crying out for subs and Bob did nothing....

No attacking threat at all and he has Milner & Silve on the bench

I cannot understand why the basic philosophy of putting out yer strongest possible side (perhaps that's what we got!) and taking the game to the opposition no longer seems to be the first option. Demonstrate some attacking prowess, give them something to think about, knock in a couple, and then withdraw those who 'need a rest' (FFS), and shore up the job with some kids. If yer want a gamble that's a better one than giving the number of debutants a start.

We needed to win this tie and hope some of the injured would be back for selection in the next round. What chance WBA get Northampton at home!