Carabao Cup 2024/25 | QF 17-18 Dec

F**k!
Worst case scenario all round - missed out on all the easier ties, the only ones from that tougher group of 5 that drew each other, and drawn away!
Absolutely shit draw.
Huh? We could've gotten either arsenal or pool, this isn't anywhere near as bad compared to that.
 
I'm normally the guy going - eh, whatever we don't have the squad so might as well be out of the mickey mouse cup. This year though it feels like we have the squad to go on deep cup runs.
Agree with the squad depth comment. Completely disagree with the schoolyard 'mickey mouse cup' comment. It's a serious cup, won almost every season by the top clubs (last 11 years been either us, City, Liverpool or Chelsea). Nothing mickey mouse about that. And this year looks like the SF's could well be Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, and us or Spurs. Nothing mickey mouse about that either.
 
Can't believe people in here are having such trouble identifying shit after watching us for the last couple of years.
 
I am absolutely livid he's playing Saliba and Timber is a useless game like this. Especially when we have Newcastle and Chelsea away next; the latter will absolutely maul us if we don't get our injured defenders back. Especially when he knows more than half our defence is injured.

Arsenal playing Saliba tonight at Preston surprised me. Guess Gabriel injury isn't that bad and he's in contention to play at Newcastle?

Also he wants to get that first trophy for the group as last time they won something all of Ozil, Aubameyang, David Luiz, Ceballos and Emi Martinez were all in their squad!

He actually picked the team i wanted him to play before the game last night, apart from I had White at Right Back over Timber.

The rest of the team is exactly how I had it, Saliba included. He hadn't played at the weekend, ive always got a fear for these Championship teams away from home, midweek under the lights. Go up to them with the correct attitude and mindset, get a couple of goals up and make it comfortable for yourselves, then you can make any changes you want.

Im not one of those insisting Arsenal win something this season or else, and I'm not going to pretend I'm massive on the league cup now, but it's still a trophy, and in order to show progress this season he has to show now he can juggle domestic cup competitions with league and Europe. I am not wanting put out these competitions early like previous years, especially when the draw can open up like it has for Arsenal this season.
 
I think our lineup was ok. Maybe one more youngster in there would have been preferable. We needed some solidity at CB, and Arteta did use subs. Mostly, it was squad players and the few starters other than Saliba got subbed. Saliba had not played on the weekend either.

I don't really care too much about this cup, but now that we are in the quarters with a decent draw, we should make a push for it.
 
Huh? We could've gotten either arsenal or pool, this isn't anywhere near as bad compared to that.

This, Spurs are hit and miss, look at their game vs Palace, they were woeful.

Granted on their day they will give any team problems. But no where near the consistency or level of Liverpool or Arsenal who are in the mix at the top of the table. They are 2 points ahead of United as things stand atm.
 
Huh? We could've gotten either arsenal or pool, this isn't anywhere near as bad compared to that.
By worst case scenario I meant us drawing one of the tough teams - away - while all the other tough teams avoided each other, was the thing I was most hoping wouldn't happen.

Yes, if you want to try and put some kind of positive spin on it then you can say a couple of the other harder teams would have been even tougher - but then Arsenal might have sent out a more weakened side, prioritising another league challenge, whereas Spurs will very likely pick a strong line up?

Though I agree drawing Liverpool away would have been even worse - as much because I hate playing them so much, and twice a season is more than enough to play those gits.