Mancini on his team selection and The Carling Cup:

[Project]

People really are eager for a competition that is completely devalued when every Premier League side fields 2nd or 3rd string elevens. "It's a trophy we could win" you say. Well, what exactly do you win when the level of competition and effort put into it by all other clubs is so low? What is there really to shout about? Winning silverware is the end point of being the best. That's what we crave - being the best. The Carling Cup is no longer about that though so I don't see the fascination.

With the additional Europa League games this year it is a distant 4th place in priorities and Mancini quite rightly treated the competition accordingly. Of course everyone is disappointed we lost - we certaintly didn't go out there to lose. But people going on like this is some disaster are completely missing the bigger picture. Silverware is nice but this is a nothing competition these days, that holds no prestige, and one can reach the semi finals by beating 2nd string sides along the way. Ferguson wasn't even at his game last night. The sooner the FA axe this competition the better, and it would allow the winter break that the league desperately needs.

A)It's the league cup......Not the *sponsor of your choice" Cup....always will be
B)Try telling the players of old it's a nothing cup......it doesnt matter....
C) ANY silverwear is good
D) It would get a massive monkey off our back
E) Don't have one
F) See E

A) What does this have to do with anything
B) The players of old are in an era of old. It meant something then. It means little now.
C) Theoretically, but what does winning the League Cup prove? That you can beat second string teams. Forgive me for not creaming myself.
D) True. But potentially at the detriment of achieving our real goals this year - top 4 and doing well in the Europa (those coefficients are important and the competition is actually taken seriously)

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Im sorry Roberto, but when we have spent over 200m in the past couple of years you would have expect to have a decent enough squad to beat West Broms second team.

We are a club who so far has achieved not alot. Sure 5th last year was a succcess, but trophies nothing. All this talk of us being the best club in the world in a couple of years needs evidence. I know the Carling Cup isnt the best competition, but winning breeds winning. Get that first one on the board. I hardly think after 30+ years of winning nothing we can start being choosy about which one we want to win first.

Playing 4 kids together in the back four is asking for suicide. Look at Chelsea, Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham etc in this weeks Carling Cup. A number of first teamers for experience and guidance combined with the youngsters. Thats the way to do it. Pretty confident we would have won if we had just stuck Kompany and Barry into the proceedings.

Im not saying play our first 11, but for christ sake pick a team that actually has a chance.

And Roberto, "I did not regard this as a necessary sacrifice. We wanted to win. That is why I had four senior players on the bench."

Well those four should have been on the pitch at kick-off. What is the point of packing the bench with experience and then end up chasing a game. Cracking goal from Jo wasted. I'll never be a football manager but I know when I'm being fed bull faeces.

 

[Polari]

It's the League Cup, what matters this season is finishing top 4. The team is probably better off without the distraction. Look at QPR, lost to Port Vale and have six wins and one draw in the league.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

It's the League Cup, what matters this season is finishing top 4.

What matters this season is establishing a winning mentality. Then we can do both.

 

[bluemoon32]

I understand it i suppose but the game is f*cked when finishing 4th in the league is more important than actually winning a trophy.
The CL might be the only place to be but it's wrecked the national cup competitions.

 

[YourBirdCanSing]

It's not blind opptimism, it's taking a step back and thinking what's probably going to be better for the club in the long term. Top 4 is better for the club long term than winning a cup that every other set of fans and players will have forgetten about in 2 years time.

There are a set of supporters who have remembered for 35 years when we last won the league cup.

To treat the league cup like this is simply unfounded arrogance.

To be honest, I think the pressure's getting to Mancini.

At the beginning of the season he seemed pretty comfortable with all kinds of questions. But in the last few days, he's seemed very bothered by the number of games, the relentless press questions, and the fact that he's got so many players unavailable.

I think it all got to him a bit yesterday, and he went over the top with his selection. It almost seemed like he was trying to prove a point about how difficult his job is.

He's said from the beginning of the summer that we want to compete for everything, but the team he put out last night showed he believes that's not actually possible.

But the problem with throwing away the Carling Cup, as others have said, is that it's actually counter-productive, because just ends up heaping MORE pressure on us in the difficult and un-winnable competitions. (The league, Europa League etc..) The Carling Cup was a chance to help us find our feet as a winning side, and a trip to Wembley buys us (and him) some breathing space.

It reminds me a bit of O'Neill throwing away the Europa League 2 seasons ago for the same reason - and look what happened to Villa's league form after that ...

In the meantime, over the road, Ferguson hasn't got the squad to compete in ONE competition, never mind four. But he shuffles his tired old pack, and puts out patchwork teams that do just enough every time, and more importantly, shrugs off the pressure every time.

Mancini better steel himself for the realities of English football, and quickly. Because if Ferguson sees Mancini's feeling the pressure, and starts exploiting it like he did to Benitez, it'll be a slippery slope for him.

HUGE gamble to take at this stage. Didn't come off. Over to you Roberto ...

 

[persvenality cult]

It's the League Cup, what matters this season is finishing top 4.

Top 4 is a minimum.

If that's the only goal, then I'm not sure Mancini's sums add up.

It only makes sense to me for us to prioritise the chelsea game if there is a real emphasis on finishing as close to the very top as possible.

I think that's the case. It's been hinted at several times. Staying within reach is a powerful motivator. Aim for that and take top four as a consolation if it doesn't happen.

The closer we finish to the very top, the more realistic it seems for us to start next season trying to win the damned thing.

Finish within 8 points and it would probably seem do-able, we'd have a settled side next time around, no false starts, and we'd be able to add to the squad. Finish 16 points off, and it maybe it all seems a bit far fetched.

So tomorrow really is a 6 pointer, even if we aren't really thinking about beating them to the league.

Right now Chelsea seem light years ahead, but they've had an absurdly easy start to the campaign, Blackpool, Wigan, West Ham, West Brom.... utter no hopers, and Stoke at home isn't much harder. It gets harder for them from here on.

Ancelotti has said we are their first real test. If we beat them, we cast real doubt in their mind, and give hope to every other team who faces them from now on. Crucial factors, if we are hoping to stay 'within reach'.

Beyond that, when (not if) we do challenge for the title, every Chelsea vs City game becomes crucial, so the psychological edge is worth fighting for, now.

 

[Soulboy]

There are a set of supporters who have remembered for 35 years when we last won the league cup.

To treat the league cup like this is simply unfounded arrogance.

To be honest, I think the pressure's getting to Mancini.

At the beginning of the season he seemed pretty comfortable with all kinds of questions. But in the last few days, he's seemed very bothered by the number of games, the relentless press questions, and the fact that he's got so many players unavailable.

I think it all got to him a bit yesterday, and he went over the top with his selection. It almost seemed like he was trying to prove a point about how difficult his job is.

He's said from the beginning of the summer that we want to compete for everything, but the team he put out last night showed he believes that's not actually possible.

But the problem with throwing away the Carling Cup, as others have said, is that it's actually counter-productive, because just ends up heaping MORE pressure on us in the difficult and un-winnable competitions. (The league, Europa League etc..) The Carling Cup was a chance to help us find our feet as a winning side, and a trip to Wembley buys us (and him) some breathing space.

It reminds me a bit of O'Neill throwing away the Europa League 2 seasons ago for the same reason - and look what happened to Villa's league form after that ...

In the meantime, over the road, Ferguson hasn't got the squad to compete in ONE competition, never mind four. But he shuffles his tired old pack, and puts out patchwork teams that do just enough every time, and more importantly, shrugs off the pressure every time.

Mancini better steel himself for the realities of English football, and quickly. Because if Ferguson sees Mancini's feeling the pressure, and starts exploiting it like he did to Benitez, it'll be a slippery slope for him.

HUGE gamble to take at this stage. Didn't come off. Over to you Roberto ...

Superb post. Sums up so many of my feelings at the moment.

 

[Benarbia]

Was the CC beneath Jose in his first season with Chelsea???? EXACTLY, he set his stall out to win a trophy and progress from there, he's 10 times the manager Mancini could ever think to be

 

[Anonymous]

There are a set of supporters who have remembered for 35 years when we last won the league cup.

To treat the league cup like this is simply unfounded arrogance.

To be honest, I think the pressure's getting to Mancini.

At the beginning of the season he seemed pretty comfortable with all kinds of questions. But in the last few days, he's seemed very bothered by the number of games, the relentless press questions, and the fact that he's got so many players unavailable.

I think it all got to him a bit yesterday, and he went over the top with his selection. It almost seemed like he was trying to prove a point about how difficult his job is.

He's said from the beginning of the summer that we want to compete for everything, but the team he put out last night showed he believes that's not actually possible.

But the problem with throwing away the Carling Cup, as others have said, is that it's actually counter-productive, because just ends up heaping MORE pressure on us in the difficult and un-winnable competitions. (The league, Europa League etc..) The Carling Cup was a chance to help us find our feet as a winning side, and a trip to Wembley buys us (and him) some breathing space.

It reminds me a bit of O'Neill throwing away the Europa League 2 seasons ago for the same reason - and look what happened to Villa's league form after that ...

In the meantime, over the road, Ferguson hasn't got the squad to compete in ONE competition, never mind four. But he shuffles his tired old pack, and puts out patchwork teams that do just enough every time, and more importantly, shrugs off the pressure every time.

Mancini better steel himself for the realities of English football, and quickly. Because if Ferguson sees Mancini's feeling the pressure, and starts exploiting it like he did to Benitez, it'll be a slippery slope for him.

HUGE gamble to take at this stage. Didn't come off. Over to you Roberto ...

The best post I've seen on here this morning (along with the thread Soulboy started). Sums up exactly how I feel...