Only Stan Mortensen has done it - in the 50s
Should we take the FA Cup seriously?
- Thread starter Wumminator
- Start date
I think you have to take every competition seriously if you want to instill the right mentality. When you start making concessions on competitions, you end up with an Arsenal like mentality.
It s a no brainer for me. If we were talking about Europa League than A team for sure. Unfortunately, FA Cup has lost its value. We should focus on top 4 only now. Why risk our players' health?? I am also confident that by going with a counter attacking B Team, we have some chances too. Its not like we will field a Rostov-like u-18 team. I want to see Axel, Dalot, TFM, Fred, Mctominay, Ighalo, Romero, Chong even Pereira play. They will be motivated and in case we go through I want these players playing in the final too, no matter our program.
Since the beginning of the season, for me it was always PL Champions>EL champions> 2nd, 3rd, 4th place >>> FA Cup > League Cup. Thus, EL should be our priority, but since it does not mess with our current program, full speed ahead for top 4.
Since the beginning of the season, for me it was always PL Champions>EL champions> 2nd, 3rd, 4th place >>> FA Cup > League Cup. Thus, EL should be our priority, but since it does not mess with our current program, full speed ahead for top 4.
There's a difference between taking a competition seriously and not rotating the team though. What Pool did in playing a full youth team and Klopp not even showing up for a game, that's not taking it seriously. Rotating because the team are knackered and we've a busy schedule ahead doesn't mean you're not taking the competition seriously.
Romero
Laird-Bailly-Lindelof-Dalot
Fred-McTominay
Chong-Mata-James
Ighalo
I get that but playing the above is not going to beat a full strength Chelsea side.
Romero
Dalot - Maguire - Lindelof -AWB
Fred Matic
Rashford Mata James
Igalho
Is enough rotation for me. You've changed far too much IMO.
We have 3 matches left and then if we are on the final we will have a week rest.
I think we should go all out for every game. 3 matches are not that much...we are not playing for the long run there. The players should just give everything.
I don't think we are that tired anyway. We started to play after the second goal yesterday. It is a confidence thing more then anything IMO. And for confidence nothing will be better then a win on sunday. We have to extend that unbeaten run...
The FA cup is a trophy and we are two matches away. It will do wonders for a young team as ours. It is a trophy in the cabinet and we are one away from Arsenal I think. It is the oldest competition in football !
Would like for us to win the FA and the Europa ! At the end of the day it would have been the best season since Fergie if we can do that.
I think we should go all out for every game. 3 matches are not that much...we are not playing for the long run there. The players should just give everything.
I don't think we are that tired anyway. We started to play after the second goal yesterday. It is a confidence thing more then anything IMO. And for confidence nothing will be better then a win on sunday. We have to extend that unbeaten run...
The FA cup is a trophy and we are two matches away. It will do wonders for a young team as ours. It is a trophy in the cabinet and we are one away from Arsenal I think. It is the oldest competition in football !
Would like for us to win the FA and the Europa ! At the end of the day it would have been the best season since Fergie if we can do that.
I don't believe Chelsea are going to go full strength. They're in the same position as us. Yes, I've made a lot of changes. But that's because so many first team players look knackered. Matic, Pogba, Bruno, AWB, Maguire.. they all need a rest.
Fair, I think they will, but we'll see. I think Bruno and Pogba do for sure, but I think changing our main midfield AND half our back four is asking for a poor performance - which helps no one.
This. We are playing very lethargic. Tired.
Priorities are 1) League
2) Europa League ... and a distant
3) FA Cup
In a couple of summers, I think we will have a squad to have a go at all four fronts, not this summer when we need to get into the CL -- of not for anything, financial reasons.
We both play Wednesday with crucial games: West Ham are still in big shit, Liverpool? Maybe they will want to sign off with 99 points even though the record is gone. Either way, Lampard isn't going to leave it to chance that Liverpool will be on the 'beach.'
I expect changes but I fancy one of Rashford and Martial to be on the bench,Greenwood and Odion to start. Bailly,Fred,McT. If Shaw is still feeling his ankle then TFM to continue
Anyone know what's happened to Chong? I know he signed but not heard a thing. Is he training with the 1st team?
Yeah I agree it's risky, but I'm not sure playing more first team players will be any less of a risk. Our performances since the Villa game have been pretty poor while playing our best eleven. We've not dominated those games and we've looked knackered. Yes, we were unlucky in the Southampton game with the Williams injury and the Romeu red card situation but we weren't dominating the game. We had 10 good minutes in which our performance was good but in the rest of the game we didn't play well at all. Same with Palace. A few flashes of brilliance from Rashford and Martial resulted in the two goals but based on performance and chances on another day it would have been a draw or a loss even. They just didn't finish their chances while we did. In both games it was obvious the other team had higher energy levels than us. It's a very difficult decision that Ole has to make and the reason it's so hard is because of our poor squad depth.
Yeah, I don't think there is a a definitive answer as there's pros and cons due to the poor squad depth. I have faith Ole will make the right call though
Normally yes but under current circumstances definitely not players need a break going into the final games of the season
Yes we have and should take it seriously, and play with our second best XI.
Be clear: you are willing to greatly jeopardise qualification into CL, for the chance the play in FA cup Final, likely vs Man City?
The situation demands prioritisation: Which one are you choosing?
Well that's a straw man if I ever saw one.
B team and kids please with maybe 6 first team squadders and 2-3 first 11 players. Even though I think some of the performance drop is nerves bringing on fatigue rather than simply fatigue.
refuse to deal with the reality of the situation. Thought so.
What are we going to do next season we've CL football midweek and PL at the weekends? Everything is going to be jeopardised.
Not if you take it as read that we can't do both and I'd agree.
If we play a full side against Chelsea on Sunday the tanks will be completely empty against West ham on Wednesday.
They'll have had 5 days rest since tonight's match and we only beaten them once in two years.
With CL qualification on a knife-edge, we should rest players but I think Ole will go for the win.
Those two extra rest days will be a massive advantage. Can't really see us winning this one. Even with our best side.
I want to win this. Which means, the law of averages will favour Chelsea or City will bum us in the final...
Poor guy, scores a hat-trick in an FA Cup Final and to this day it's known as the Stanley Matthews Final.Only Stan Mortensen has done it - in the 50s
Thankfully Ole is not a caftard and is of the oldschool mindset in wanting to win trophies.
How many times have we seen teams having had extra days rest and having rings run round them by a team that played a few days before. It's all to play for.
Yeah, but we've played a lot of games lately, with little rotation, and I think we've looked tired last couple of games. I do hope we give it a go, we are one match from the FA-cup final, but I have a bad feeling. Think the run ends at 19.
I'm just gutted that we've already lost against Leicester on the final day. Insurmountable that extra rest. Ditto West Ham. Ditto Chelsea.
Domestically we have a maximum of 4 games left. We are 5-0 up from the first leg of the Europe league and a quarter final draw that is extremely winnable, plus a decent rest in between.
There isn't even a question that we should be also going out for the FA Cup.
It seems as though you only started following football since the lockdown.
Early stages of CL have many easy games that allow for squad rotation, we don't have to win every single game when we play during those sequences, the squad will have a different spread of fitness/recovery amongst the players, we'll have a stronger squad because of incoming transfers.
Many more reasons I cant be arsed to write, because it's all so obvious, unless you only started following football since the lockdown, in which case watch more football and learn.
Lastly, we wont have the conundrum you write about if we don't get CL football next year, so your whole premise is rather pointless too.
Your stance reminds me of the redcafe infamous words of @GlastonSpur 'want, Want, WANT'.
Playing your strongest team, i.e. the team that you feel will give you the greatest chance of winning that particular match, on Sunday, Wednesday and Sunday doesn't mean making no changes.
If OGS goes for it, and we drop points vs West Ham or Leicester and miss CL through league, he will have to deal with the fall out.
Ive been 100% behind him since his appointment. But I'll be fuming at him if he makes a miscalculation on player fitness because of his stupid macho ego.
If he manages to pull off both, all the more power to him. But I've followed football for 35 odd years, and seen teams fall for this mistake time after time.
Name me your three teams that win those 3 games. Lets see how you'd do it.
Because famously the teams winning competitions rarely win multiples...
I think the time to think about rotating was a few games ago. We only have 3 significant matches left we may as well play as strong of a team as possible in all of them at this stage and sub players off as appropriate. Definitely higher quality backup needed for next season
De Gea x3
AWB x2 Dalot Lindelöf -Maguire x3 Shaw 2x Williams
Matic x2 Fred x2 Pogba x2 Mctominay x1
Bruno x2 Lingard x0
Greenwood x2 Ighalo x1 Martial x3 Rashford x3
If this makes any sense. How to do it is pretty straightforward.
I don't think we are tired. We are not focused enough because we have some trauma but the fitness seems to be there. So we need to keep winning and create momentum with wins.
---------------------De Gea-----------------
AWB---Lindelof----Maguire---TFM
-----------McTom-------Fred-----------
Greenwood-----Pogba-----Rashford
----------------------Ighalo------------------
Minimal changes for me. Still have to be in for this and a win could give us swag going into the final few games.
Can't afford injury to Martial. More important to keep Matic fresh for West Ham.
Bruno needs a rest
AWB---Lindelof----Maguire---TFM
-----------McTom-------Fred-----------
Greenwood-----Pogba-----Rashford
----------------------Ighalo------------------
Minimal changes for me. Still have to be in for this and a win could give us swag going into the final few games.
Can't afford injury to Martial. More important to keep Matic fresh for West Ham.
Bruno needs a rest
Yeah, it's not even just about the West Ham game. If we play full strength against Chelsea, we'll be knackered by Wednesday. What will we be by Sunday then when we play Leicester, who have had a whole weeks rest? Chelsea have had two days extra rest for the Cup game so will make us work harder. West Ham will have had 2 days extra rest by the time we play them so will make us work harder. And Leicester will have had 3 extra days rest by the time we play them. It's virtual suicide to play most of our first team on Sunday. I really hope Ole sees sense. Pogba, Bruno, Martial. Rest all please!
If we don't qualify for the Champions League it's not just Sancho not coming, it's the threat of our own stars leaving.