Watford (H) | EFL Cup | Post Match Thread

[Brightwell Bros.]

Not sure what is happening with Foden. If we take it on face value that illness really seems to have knocked him on his arse. Looked slow in the legs and head yesterday, which I've never seen from him before.

 

[Lee the Blue]

Got the job done with a minimum of effort expended and no further injuries. Walker took one for the team and played 2 games back to back in 48 hours - refreshing to see a team with 5 starting from the academy -Rico, Braithwaite, McAtee, O'Reilly & Foden - and also another in Wright coming on.

The worry was Foden - he was largely anonymous again and looks well out of sorts to say the least. Theres a backstory there to whats really going on with him as I dont buy the "upset stomach" story for his recent absence. Im sure an ITK somewhere knows whats really going on but he isnt himself and its plainly obvious.

 

[remember arthur mann]

Strange 90 mins.

Far the better team, but as per usual with Pep teams we just seemed to coast in the 2nd half and we all knew the goal would come for Watford (first shot on target)

Thought Rico, O'Reilly, Nunes, Jack and both James McAtee/Doku had a good game.

Braithwaite looked good, but I'm sure if the challenge on him that led to Watfords disallowed goal against someone like Dias it would of stood.

Savinho was great 2nd half on top.

Not sure, but Phil Foden looked half arsed in the game, especially in the 2nd half

It was pretty obvious Phil played to get match fit, didn't endanger himself or break into a sweat.

 

[Blue Til Death]

I agree!

Maybe it should become an EFL Trophy (as in League Cup!!!) again, with (maybe) an automatic promotion instead of European place? Something worth really fighting for!

Great idea mate, that would keep the competition relevant and lucrative for the lower league teams ..

 

[Norman kneejerk]

More a matter of position than anything imho. With Ake out and Gvardiol being used so much, it was a chance to blood a good technician with a good left foot. His highlight reel is decent and apart from his physicality (he’s 16!!) he did not look out of place.

He is either going to be a good first team squad addition or another $25M for the pot.

Good luck to the lad!

Good point about the left foot. Probably what clinched it for him.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

What’s wrong with Nunes? Have I missed something? Has he slagged the club off? Quite a few people giving him grief on here so I just wondered. :-)

Think it’s just a case of him looking lethargic most of the time and not having enough fire in his belly.

Gundogan went through the same when he first came too.

Us English want our midfielders to smash into tackles when the chips are down.

On top of that, you can see he has talent and maybe some think he’s not realising his true potential.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I hope we win this but with a full second string, which we are capable of..
Too many other games lots higher in the pecking order nowadays which is great as it’s down to our continued success..
I don’t think it will be to much longer before all PL teams are pulled from the competition completely.. The landscape has changed drastically and there is no going back from here ..

I've always liked it as a competition, and I don't forget (as no-one here does, I trust) that it was our last major trophy for many, many years, courtesy of an overhead goal by Dennis-who-walked-on-water that should be in any anthology.
But. But, reluctantly, I'm obliged to agree. Put it this way — there is now a quite monumental weight of games being imposed both by UEFA and FIFA, many of which I actually couldn't give much of a toss about. As long as these games are in place (and I strongly suspect that Rodri's injury is linked to the unending marathon that he's been involved in for the last three seasons, although of course I'm not a doctor and I can't prove it), the League Cup is now simply squeezed into a fairly meaningless corner.
For the bottom half of the PL, I suppose it might be meaningful. For the top half, who are increasingly involved in Europe (right down to eight or ninth position!), and for the top four teams, who have loads of players on duty for their country, the League Cup is now a luxury.
I'm sad to have to say it. Partly because, I'll repeat, winning the domestic treble in 2019 was a huge achievement. The proof — it's never been done before, it's not been done since. You can actually coast for the first third of the season or so, allow the League Cup to go by the board, and as long as you stay in touch with the league, and you get into the top two in your group in the CL, you can kick into top gear from about December onwards and maybe, maybe do the European treble. Not saying it's easy. Only two clubs have done that, and one did it much more handsomely than the other, by any kind of reasonable criterion. But to do the domestic treble, you've got to have been on it more or less from the get-go, and have maintained that through the season. So I'd be sorry to see the League Cup go if only for that reason (i.e. to see that nobody else can do the domestic three).

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Do we have a thread for tactical gripes ?

Our attempts at the cross field pass back to front are terrible. Walker has stopped hitting it thank god but not one of the back 4/5 players have it in there locker. Laporte to Mahrez outball is sorely missed in some scenarios. Nunes hit a couple of shockers last night as well.

 

[Gabriel]

Us English want our midfielders to smash into tackles when the chips are down.

Whilst smiling.

 

[pride in battle]

Do we have a thread for tactical gripes ?

Our attempts at the cross field pass back to front are terrible. Walker has stopped hitting it thank god but not one of the back 4/5 players have it in there locker. Laporte to Mahrez outball is sorely missed in some scenarios. Nunes hit a couple of shockers last night as well.

Josko...