retired_kpr

Pretty standard football topic that's probably been discussed a lot but I want to bring it up again.

There were Coventry fans on the local radio station the other night saying 'We should experiment a bit for the West Hame game on Tuesday, play a few of the younger lads, after all 3 points against Stoke on Saturday is more important'. NO

Big Premiership teams doing it seems to have trickled down to the lower divisions now, including teams who are blatantly just going to sit in mid-table, not going to get into the playoffs, probably not going to go down, like Coventry (depending on administration).

I don't understand this at all. It doesn't even make financial, frugal sense. The money that could be generated by an extra round in the league cup surely outweighs any small difference it might make to the condition of the players for Stoke away on Saturday. And that's without thinking of the lift a win like Manchester United 0-2 Coventry gives to the club, how that affects the season, and the extra valuation it adds to players who might be sold.

But forgetting all that - where the hell has the romance gone? Have all fans turned into accountants? I'll be accused of going into a rant about tradition and things here, but for me, cup games are far more fun than league games. The possibility of playing big opposition, beating them and going on a run possibly culminating in a REALLY big game - that is far more exciting than finishing 10th in the Championship for the 5th year in a row.

People moan about how the romance has gone out of the game thanks to the money men but the fans have to take some blame if they're going to insist on dourly playing under strength teams in big cup games.

Witness this gem of a post by skybluedave before the Manchester United game. Drives me mad. Coventry actually did play an understrength team in that game - Simpson, Marshall, Turner and believe it or not Mifsud probably wouldn't have played if it had been a big league game. I was really angry at first but it didn't matter in the end.

So I'd like to hear what other people think of this, especially lower league fans.

retired_breakbred101

No chance of three points off us though really

retired_paeng2000

As a Liverpool fan I'm all for fielding under strength line ups in the Carling Cup. Firstly for giving the fringe players a chance to shine and secondly there are too many games in the English season as it is, especially for those playing in European competitions.

It's the managers perogative to select whichever team he wants for any game. Shows how much of a joke the Carling Cup is with the Lower league supporters wanting to field a weakened side

retired_Pantora

i'd be rathe rannoyed if on Wednesday Blakcwell was to put a back up side out to face Everton. Alright even with their resrve side out Everton will more than likely beat us with ease but we should go for it, the league season looks like being rather average and a dull mid table affair so lets go for it in the cup, it's a good chance for some media coverage and gets some excitment going unlike some of the drab league football we've played this season

retired_jshendel

Lower leagues have 24 teams in, so a 46 game season. That with the Johnstone Paint and starting in the early rounds of the Carling Cup and FA Cup means its impossible for teams to put out full strength teams

I dont mind at all if Leeds get knocked out early in all Cups. ofc i would love a good cup run, but we have more important things to worry about

retired_Pantora

oh and the reason behind the weak cup sides put out is the usless reserve schedule in this country, Luton can go over a month without a resrve game then have 3 resrve games in 3 weeks. Fringe players don't get enough football and the resrve football set up needs improving.

retired_kpr

I wouldn't say it's impossible.

I would argue that for some clubs, it might even be worth resting players in the league so that they can play better in the cup, for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

I can understand it a bit more for a side like Leeds, who are going for promotion and for whom it may be a close run affair, but for a side like Coventry who are unlikely to have anything to play for in April it seems insane not to try our hardest in the cups.

The same has happened in the FA Cup, I remember going to Middlesbrough away and we left out Dennis Wise to rest him for the match at Watford at the weekend, we were 10 points off the playoffs at the time, lost 1-0 to Middlesbrough and really missed the presence of Wise, and then lost 4-0 to Watford anyway. Really disappointing for the 5,000 fans that went up to the Riverside.

But the ridiculous thing is that many of the fans at that game agreed with Micky Adams's decision, 'at the end of the day 3 points at Watford is more important'. Bizarre

retired_justin05

Pretty sure the clubs know the financial benefits of a good cup run compared to a good league position much better than us seen as that's their job really.

retired_barbara45

I'd much rather have a place in the Premier League than win the league cup tbh.

retired_jshendel

If mid table teams rest players in the league so they can try harder in the cup, wouldnt they run the risk of slipping dangerously near the relegation zone if they dont have their full strenth team out week after week?