The Carabao cup then, or as I still call it, the League cup.
I have total contempt for anything that changes it’s name every five minutes and it’s this that has helped diminish the standing of this trophy, just the same as the FA cup, in my opinion.
I’m not alone either, as every time I mention “Carabao”, everyone replies “what’s that then?”.
Even the Beeb are calling it the EFL cup.
Keep whoring yourselves out, league and FA. It will bite you on the proverbial eventually.
I do love a little moan every day and I was wondering where today’s was. That was it and I feel much better for it, thanks.
So I expect this game very much revolves around what team Steve Bruce decides to put out and it’s interesting to note who didn’t play in the U-23’s game against Stoke today.
Keinan Davis, Callum O’Hare, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Mitch Clark and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy didn’t feature at all.
Hence you’d have to suspect that most of them will be involved to some extent, although given that young lads can’t possibly play three games in a week, you’d expect Davies to be rested so Gabby can get over his “back twinge” and start. Which to my mind, is about fitting for him.
Wigan are also expected to rotate their squad, or in plain English, play a weakened side too.
So this really should be a home banker, shouldn’t it?
Unfortunately, if Bruce is going to treat this competition with the same contempt that everyone else seems too, well, why should I be bothered to try and predict the outcome?
But then, I still believe this is a cup worth winning, so am going to call a few goals.
Villa to win 3-1.
And the Wigan fans can pay cash on the door. What’s that about?
That should bring in another couple of hundred quid, I suppose.
The cup really isn’t what it used to be, is it? 🙁
No. They never used to hold the draw for English football competitions at 4:15 A.M. – or from Beijing, for that matter…
I didn’t know that.
What a disgrace 🙁
You should read the EFL’s official statement – all modern management-bullshit about the importance of the “South Asian -” & “Far Eastern… ‘markets’…”
[Getting to be as arrogant, pompous & self-regarding as the Premier League]
I’ll look for that tomorrow.
What a load of bollocks and it shows what it’s all about these days.
Pure money making.
badger
bruce has to keep winning run going my team
steer
bree samba chester delaet
adoamh birr lainsby houirane green
rhm
I totally agree JVillan.
Totally disagree with your eleven though.
I’d play the whole team that started on saturday, Hutton or any injuries apart.
But it won’t happen.
Rest, this early?
My arse.
Disagree Badger. I’d give even more kids a chance. Yes, even this early players need rest. We get injuries far too often to risk players needlessly playing 3 games a week. Plus who knows? Maybe we have a few more O’Hare’s, Green’s, Grealish’s and Davis’s in the reserves. I’d definitely give them a chance. We need to incorporate as many as we can this season into the team as they add the much needed freshness our aging and old squad has needed over the last ten years. Bring in at least one youth center back and possibly a left back.
Funnily enough, Andrew, I’ve been thinking about this and wondering if my thinking is outdated.
I’m not convinced it is.
We won the league with 14 players all season.
They played in probably worse winter weather on pitches that make today’s pitchs look like silk. The 90 min slog at the Baseball ground was probably the equivalent of a weeks training these days.
They never got injured every 5 mins, because they weren’t overtrained to near death in the gym.
And contrary to today’s players, where a little knock has the local A&E on high alert, they just got on with it.
Did John Wile look for a stretcher when his head was nearly hanging off in that classic cup Semi-final?
(Good old fashioned patriotic type music ramps up in the background)
No, he just wrapped a bit of old rag around the wound and carried on, playing a blinder.
Lol, I’m getting carried away with myself and am, of course mostly joking 🙂
The point is, things have supposedly moved on.
But all I know is, that while there was some turgid footy years ago, so it’s mostly turgid now.
I remember lots of goals at times. I wonder how the figures compare with today’s numbers?
In an age where double steak,egg and chips, 5 pints of beer and 20 fags was the norm, they didn’t need resting, especially this early on.
The technicals might have improved, but i very much doubt the game overall has.
And it’s probably why when lesser teams do so well (Leicester in the Prem and lower league teams going on a run in the cups) it’s appreciated so much by the fans.
This is what the clubs and the hierarchy have forgotten, imo.
“And contrary to today’s players, where a little knock has the local A&E on high alert, they just got on with it.”…
Might be just my imagination, but having watched a few matches on Sky already this season, the amateur theatrics seem to be getting even worse: any two players bump into each other at low speed, and at least one rolls around for 3-4 minutes signalling for the trainer [latex gloves on] to come out. Of course he’s back up and running after 30 seconds of magic-spray treatment.
Anyone else remember Dion Dublin playing half a game for us with what turned out to be a broken neck?
I’m not sure what it is, if it’s over-training as most manager’s go 2 a day. If it’s the pace of the game, because it’s much, much faster than years ago. Or if it’s the players. But we get injuries far too often. Which is why I think resting players whenever we get the opportunity is necessary. Whether it’s the 8th game, 20th, 40th, rest is rest and the better chance the players don’t get injured. That and I do think more kids need to be integrated into the squad, whether we rest some senior players for the actual need of rest or not. We’ve ignored the academy for far too long, and it’s cost us a lot. As that would also lower our need to get another couple of players in on loan. Which I know you hate.
Don’t forget we were arguably the fittest team in the league under Saunders. He used to make them sprint up and down the old Holte just for fun.
Badger
The answer here (for me) is a simple one.
Players should have the fitness levels to play 2 games a week, and we won the league with 14 players, not much to argue here. However:
1. It’s all fine when you’re playing against a whole team of players who are also playing their third game in 6 days (like the team vs Norwich would be doing if they played today vs Wigan and Friday vs Bristol), or the same 14 players are playing every game of the season. But that’s not the reality..
We would be playing against teams who have rotated their squad. Players that are well rested, with 100% in the tank, and who have actually had time to do some training and work on their games, iron out flaws and correct any mistakes they’ve made in the 4, 5 or 6 days between games.
If Hourihane, or Davis, or Chester played today and Friday, how many days would they be training? 1? 2?
2. Playing without sufficient rest leaves players increasingly susceptible to injury.
As you mentioned, the 14 that won us the league will have played with injuries, as will many of our opponents. But nowadays when players pick up little niggling injuries, they could / will be playing against teams with 10 or 11 players that are not. Someone who can sprint that extra 10 yards before slowing down due to muscle fatigue. Someone who can jump that extra bit higher because their ankle doesn’t have a minor sprain.
So yes, of course the players (most of them) would be able to play 2 games in a week. But when you’re playing against a fresh, well rested group of players it will leave us at a disadvantage.
SIDE NOTE – 2-0 Villa; Hogan and Adomah. UTV
Andrew…..so, are you taking up my challenge in the previous post?
Foreign v British managers
badger
my changes
steer after last round deserves a game
bree no reason apart from hutton should not wear my team shirt again
delaet needs game time
samba needs game time
birr if jedi not fit ,whelan too old for 3 in 7 days
adoamh like for like elmo needs game time
rhm needs game time
most are like for like ,needing fitness
i have been talking up davis for a while. he isn’t finished article by any means but he offers something the other strikers don’t or cant, which is holding the ball up allowing midfielders to join the attack. another player I like the looks of very much is Jake Doyle-Hayes. I know most of you want bruce to play strong team. but game on Friday must be priority. hayes is a jewel and games like against wigan will bring him on loads. I would expect bruce to play the same team he did in last round.
don’t be to hard on him lol davis was quality Saturday and that was his 1st team debut. we have a few decent youth players coming through, after a few years of droughts.
Davis does look the real deal.
I wonder how many will turn up for this one? It’s not a crowd-puller and I suspect there will be a bigger gate at the Sty. The last time Bournemouth were there they put 8 past Blues.
On a slightly different topic – if the Brum Mail are to be believed we are in for Snodgrass on a loan deal after missing out on Gallagher.
Apart from the loathing of loan deals that some posters have – will this be a good move if it comes off?
Dr T has tweeted that Villa have been in discussion with a player over the last week and are hoping to make an announcement soon – this is bring interpreted as Snodgrass on loan
dont want to be sounding like a smartass but I said we are in for Snodgrass on loan = weeks ago lol he is a decent player. but I wanted Gallagher don’t tell me we lost out to scum 🙁
Er Nath – we lost out to the scum – sorry mate
sunderland are competition for Snodgrass lol pull the other one. they couldn’t afford McCormack, how are they expecting to meet west hams demands on paying his wages
Um pah pah Um pah pah – that’s how it goes.
At least Ryan comes with a ready-made terrace anthem
11 changes!
Steer
De Laet
Elphick
Mitch Clark
Bjarnason
Gardner
Doyle-Hayes
Bree
Adomah
Hogan
O’Hare
Couple in the shop window?
Plus McCormack on the bench
All kids on bench apart from McCormack and Bunn
Yep, shop window jobs, some of them.
Let’s hope they have a blinding game.
Bree and De Laet?
badger
bruce saving hutton for fri
Badger – good spot. Is Bjarnason going to play LB?
Don’t mind the changes but I’m not sure on why we are picking players out of position?
Hogan 1-0
2-0 adoamh
JV do you want some handkerchiefs?
Too late….he’s topped himself! Can you really expect him to cope with 2 wins and 7 goals in 135 mins of football?
BTW….Hutton at fault for the goal conceded 🙂
2 /1 villa game on
3-1 game over.
3 /1 villa
I was just getting into rant mode and we score again…..still a crap goal to give away though
goals galore lol 7 goals in 1 and half HALVES lol
Bacuna scores for Reading….must be alot of Champions League clubs looking at him now! 🙂
I fell off my seat then cheers langford
Bolton beating Wednesday on tuesday
Cant beat anyone else on any other day of the week though lol 🙂
thor scores
my abacus says 8 goals 2 games
4-1 Thor – good to break his duck
4 goals in successive games?
At last maybe just maybe our academy has produced the goods UTV
Blimey let’s hope we take this scoring run away from home on fri
scum losing as well
McCormack comes on what price on him making it 5
No clean sheet yet….
Boo – Bruce out can’t defend 🙂 🙂
Hutton’s fault…..again! 🙂