The Capital One Cup thread 2013/14

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I thought Lamela did fine. Of course the moronic Spurs fans online will slag him off and the papers will make a big thing of it but he hustled around, tracked back, made some good passes, kept play rolling, made some good runs and got some good dribbling in. Not £30mil worth yet but it's coming. Lad just needs a big old arm around his shoulder and some time with his family and some English lessons.

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeah, knew instantly Lamela was gonna miss that one, and the commentator was being a right dick about it. How was he tonight? I just want him to settle & shut everyone up.

Lamela was pretty good in the first half. Not good in the second but then nobody was really.

I was on the phone so I had commentary muted, but then I had commentary muted for most of the second half anyway because that dude was a douchebag.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Apparently Tottenham's first penalty shoot out win since 1994 and now West Ham at home in the cup. Either revenge or more misery. Hopefully the former. Theoretically it's a great draw. Theoretically.

[Jimmy]

Heh, West Ham at home again will be interesting. A nice win there would certainly see WHL on its feet.

Yeah, I'd love to see Lamela start a Premier League game sometime soon. We can't expect his confidence to get much better until we actually show some faith in him, so we've got to throw him in at some point.

Also, just saw Siggy's goal. Oh my.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

The biggest four teams kept apart. Man Utd, Man City, Spurs and Chelsea in the semis would really look good for the competition.

[DavidMarrio]

You don't need the big teams in the semis for the competition to look good. You just need the bigger teams to start taking it serious and as a chance to win a trophy which over the last two seasons it seems like the bigger teams have been putting out stronger teams.

[GoGo Yubari]

The biggest four teams kept apart. Man Utd, Man City, Spurs and Chelsea in the semis would really look good for the competition.

Meh. The semi's of the last one were a fantastic story and only one of those four teams were involved.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Of course, a strong team from the bigger teams is much preferable to the weaker teams put out. Squads like Chelsea, Spurs and Man City especially are pretty deep and you can change 7, 8 (0r 10) and still have a team that would compete in the Premier League.

Of course, Arsenal for the last however-many-years, decided to make a big thing about the cup being for their youth, which is fair play to them for that. By really hyping that they get the fans along who are interested in seeing the young guys get a run out and getting a glimpse of the "future". It's a shame Arsenal didn't stick to that this year really.

It's hard for the Premier teams with the shallower squads or who are fighting at the bottom. The manager has to make a tough decision whether to "target" the cup (with limited chance of success) and risk tiredness and injury for the league, or put out a weaker team and risk abuse from fans and media complaining that they should target the cup and risk relegation because they've got more chance of winning it.

I know a Birmingham fan who was more than happy to win the cup although it meant getting relegated. These things stay in your trophy cabinet forever, however the difference in money between staying up and getting relegated can make for a 10+ absence from the top flight, if not more. The list of clubs who dropped out in the last 20 years and never made it back up (or dropped way down) is huge.

The biggest four teams kept apart. Man Utd, Man City, Spurs and Chelsea in the semis would really look good for the competition.

Meh. The semi's of the last one were a fantastic story and only one of those four teams were involved.

Well if this year only one, particularly Jewish, club of those four was involved then I'd be perfectly happy.

[9 to 5]

Oh thank fuck Brad Friedel saved a second one. That would be a great moment to retire on HINT HINT.

Get dead. :@

[Nerf]

Oh thank fuck Brad Friedel saved a second one. That would be a great moment to retire on HINT HINT.

Get dead. :@

Yeah, this. Brad Friedel is wonderful.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ah Nerf. Thanks for your input as always.

[9 to 5]

You say that to Nerf whist I get away with threatening a mod's life?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Well I would happily pay to see you and GoGo in some kind of weird, fever-dream deathmatch.

[Nerf]

I like how I'm singled out and picked on the ONE TIME I praise anything to do with Spurs. I certainly won't be making that mistake again.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Too right you won't Nerfie-baby.

[Baddar]

Decent draw. You'd think we'd have United, City, Spurs and Chelsea as the semi-final 4, but last years final was supposed to be Villa-Chelsea after all.

[stokeriño]

Would have liked an away trip that allowed me to "follow the Chelsea over land and sea AND LEICESTER"...but I suppose Sunderland or Southampton is okay.

EDIT: Oh, it seems the game will come a fortnight after we already play Sunderland away in a midweek league game...and, indeed, a fortnight before we play Southampton away in a midweek league game. So either way, that's almost Football Manager levels of dullness for cup draws.

[MDK]

Just seen the highlights of the Spurs/Hull game.

What a cracking goal from Gilfi and poor Frad Briedel, good job he redeemed himself in the shootout later.

Would have liked an away trip that allowed me to "follow the Chelsea over land and sea AND LEICESTER"...but I suppose Sunderland or Southampton is okay.

EDIT: Oh, it seems the game will come a fortnight after we already play Sunderland away in a midweek league game...and, indeed, a fortnight before we play Southampton away in a midweek league game. So either way, that's almost Football Manager levels of dullness for cup draws.

Its true, you do hate fun.

[stokeriño]

Sunderland and fun do not go together.

[MDK]

'Oh no! My team is in the last 8 of a cup competition and we are riding high in the league with some average opposition to play soon! Curses!'