Pep's embargoed press conference. Quite interesting

[blueparrot]

A majority of PL clubs don't take the league cup seriously now, so what makes you think that they will when it becomes even more watered down?

Maybe with teams like us not in it they’ll feel they have a better chance of winning it and a path into europe. That would be up to them though wouldn’t be our problem, hope not anyway.

 

[dickie davies]

Maybe with teams like us not in it they’ll feel they have a better chance of winning it and a path into europe. That would be up to them though wouldn’t be our problem, hope not anyway.

You can't close off a route to European football for six clubs

 

[Thomas Hearns]

What I don't get is why Pep plays such a strong team in the league and FA cup. If it's too many games why not play all kids and fringe players in the league cup and acknowledge you don't expect to win it? Problem is Pep wants to win every trophy available and needs to prioritize.

Because it’s absolutely fucking brilliant winning a cup final at Wembley

 

[blueandwhite]

Pep is astonishingly honest in this interview. I don't have the ability to read into it. Is he saying that he wants to stay and fight? Or is he wanting to leave us?

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

This too many games mularkey. They should start league and FA Cups in Jan. Seeded draw. Prem teams all have to play away games in first two rounds and only with under 23 players. Here's how it might work:
SAT 2 Jan Luton v City u23 FA CUP
WED 6 Jan Bristol Rovers v City u23 EFL Cup
SAT 9 Jan BLANK WEEKEND
WED 13 Jan City v Tottenham PREMIER LEAGUE
SAT 16 Jan Brentford v City u23 FA CUP
WED 20 Jan Cambridge v City u23 EFL Cup
Sat 23 Jan Everton v City PREMIER LEAGUE
Wed 27 Jan City v Watford EFL CUP
Sat 30 Jan City v Arsenal FA CUP

So in summary we could still be in all the cups, have played eight games but ONLY four games with first team. There's even room for a blank weekend and first team not back in action until 13 Jan which is effectively a two week winter break after the Christmas fixtures.

 

[bluealf]

We’d certainly get thrown out of the competition for devaluing it, disrespecting it, for playing our women’s team, with under 14’s involved and lastly starting the 1st World War! I love the league cup with all the memories associated with it for us, but as many say on here, things need to change. If the CL goes to 6 teams a group as it will, it will inevitably involve playing a more academy focused group of players which for us would give some of those young uns a taste of competitive football at a reasonable level.

Exactly.

 

[Esteban de la Sexface]

This is fucking simple lads.

Extend the season by a month. They get 2/3 months off at the end of the season. That's more than teachers.

If you added a month onto it all the congestion goes away

 

[eastmanc]

Considering that there’s talk of playing even more meaningless games in the CL I doubt very much we’ll ever see less games.

Less games means less money therefore it’s hard to see less games.

 

[kaz7]

He has one of the best squads, One of the biggest spenders in the world, one of the best academies.

Therefore, he should rest his main 11 in both domestic cups and give the youngsters more minutes instead of complaining.


Sorry Pep, we love you and believe you are the best but stop complaining about additional games where I see it as an opportunity for young stars to be born.

You are missing the point,he is talking generally for all teams,players dropping like flies this week,it's too much for everyone

 

[kaz7]

The FA will not bow to pressure from Premier League managers to scrap FA Cup replays, despite growing fears over player fatigue and injury. There are unlikely to be any major changes in the domestic cups until 2024, the proposed start date for an expanded UCL. [@MattHughesDM]