Maybe I'm an optimist or maybe I'm just naive. Either way, I appear to be in a minority of one because I was disappointed we didn't take last night's game more seriously.
The League is clearly the Club's bread and butter, but there is little practical difference between finishing 7th and 21st, unlike the situation in the Premier League. Odds are we'll end up comfortably in the middle of that range. The Brighton game is important, obviously, but at this stage of the season the players are fresh and, if anything, still getting truly match fit. In any event, post Brighton we have a two week break. I'm not clear what the downside of putting out our best side would have been. There is, of course, the risk of injury, but you can't wrap the players in cotton wool.
For me a good Cup run is potentially very attractive and exciting. Two seasons ago I saw Bradford at Wembley in the Final of this competition. Why not us? Or a lucky draw next round and then a big team at the Valley for a place in the last eight. Why not roll the dice?
There is clearly a benefit to giving first team squad members, who are not ordinarily in the starting XI, a game, Fox, Morrison, Harriott, for example. But there's a price to pay for that, at least in terms of the opportunity cost, and I for one regret that yet again the dream of a big night at the Valley, under floodlights, against a Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham or Liverpool or of a more winnable tie against a Villa or Sunderland, has yet again been extinguished without a real commitment to the competition having been made. Wouldn't a bit of luck in the Cup help to rebuild core support? It would certainly create interest.
We're not alone, of course. Nobody takes the competition seriously. Ironically though, this ought to favour any Club that takes a different view. An opportunity missed in my view though I am aware that I'm in a very small minority.
I'm not sure that we didn't take it seriously enough. Peeters played a stronger team than Chris Powell would probably have done at The Valley against Colchester and it then becomes a question of how far you want to go down this route. Winning at Derby was always a tall order, even given the result a week earlier. Vetokele is an obvious vulnerability if he picks up an injury, so he doesn't start but he did play in both matches. That was a risk. People like Morrison, Gomez, Wilson and Harriott need games for a variety of reasons and last season three of them were in our Championship team. How the team played is another matter, but it seems to me the selection was reasonable, given the squad we have. Had Church and Pigott started (notwithstanding there are still questions to be asked of Tucudean and Moussa) I would agree with you.
Maybe I'm an optimist or maybe I'm just naive. Either way, I appear to be in a minority of one because I was disappointed we didn't take last night's game more seriously.
The League is clearly the Club's bread and butter, but there is little practical difference between finishing 7th and 21st, unlike the situation in the Premier League. Odds are we'll end up comfortably in the middle of that range. The Brighton game is important, obviously, but at this stage of the season the players are fresh and, if anything, still getting truly match fit. In any event, post Brighton we have a two week break. I'm not clear what the downside of putting out our best side would have been. There is, of course, the risk of injury, but you can't wrap the players in cotton wool.
For me a good Cup run is potentially very attractive and exciting. Two seasons ago I saw Bradford at Wembley in the Final of this competition. Why not us? Or a lucky draw next round and then a big team at the Valley for a place in the last eight. Why not roll the dice?
There is clearly a benefit to giving first team squad members, who are not ordinarily in the starting XI, a game, Fox, Morrison, Harriott, for example. But there's a price to pay for that, at least in terms of the opportunity cost, and I for one regret that yet again the dream of a big night at the Valley, under floodlights, against a Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham or Liverpool or of a more winnable tie against a Villa or Sunderland, has yet again been extinguished without a real commitment to the competition having been made. Wouldn't a bit of luck in the Cup help to rebuild core support? It would certainly create interest.
We're not alone, of course. Nobody takes the competition seriously. Ironically though, this ought to favour any Club that takes a different view. An opportunity missed in my view though I am aware that I'm in a very small minority.
There's a lot to be said for top flight opposition, ideally of London origins under floodlights for I would hazard a guess that 50% of the fanbase saw West Ham, QPR and Chelsea(in the league) perform in front of 30,000 fans under floodlights in the '70s.
It's what kept the dream alive in the darkest days.
Right now I would maintain that September fixtures including Home games vs Wolves and Watford are the priority so as to set a stake in the ground as to where we are this season.
I appreciate Morrison, Fox and Gomez getting a run out for they may have to step in sometime soon. Fundamentally I believe that every month in the league will be a challenge for this new set up. It's a results business and delivering a first XI that can take us to a new place is far from guaranteed...
So, yes a cup night out might help aid the imagination but the league bread and butter will help us move on from the last seven years.
Maybe I'm an optimist or maybe I'm just naive. Either way, I appear to be in a minority of one because I was disappointed we didn't take last night's game more seriously.
The League is clearly the Club's bread and butter, but there is little practical difference between finishing 7th and 21st, unlike the situation in the Premier League. Odds are we'll end up comfortably in the middle of that range. The Brighton game is important, obviously, but at this stage of the season the players are fresh and, if anything, still getting truly match fit. In any event, post Brighton we have a two week break. I'm not clear what the downside of putting out our best side would have been. There is, of course, the risk of injury, but you can't wrap the players in cotton wool.
For me a good Cup run is potentially very attractive and exciting. Two seasons ago I saw Bradford at Wembley in the Final of this competition. Why not us? Or a lucky draw next round and then a big team at the Valley for a place in the last eight. Why not roll the dice?
There is clearly a benefit to giving first team squad members, who are not ordinarily in the starting XI, a game, Fox, Morrison, Harriott, for example. But there's a price to pay for that, at least in terms of the opportunity cost, and I for one regret that yet again the dream of a big night at the Valley, under floodlights, against a Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham or Liverpool or of a more winnable tie against a Villa or Sunderland, has yet again been extinguished without a real commitment to the competition having been made. Wouldn't a bit of luck in the Cup help to rebuild core support? It would certainly create interest.
We're not alone, of course. Nobody takes the competition seriously. Ironically though, this ought to favour any Club that takes a different view. An opportunity missed in my view though I am aware that I'm in a very small minority.
There's a lot to be said for top flight opposition, ideally of London origins under floodlights for I would hazard a guess that 50% of the fanbase saw West Ham, QPR and Chelsea(in the league) perform in front of 30,000 fans under floodlights in the '70s.
It's what kept the dream alive in the darkest days.
Right now I would maintain that September fixtures including Home games vs Wolves and Watford are the priority so as to set a stake in the ground as to where we are this season.
I appreciate Morrison, Fox and Gomez getting a run out for they may have to step in sometime soon. Fundamentally I believe that every month in the league will be a challenge for this new set up. It's a results business and delivering a first XI that can take us to a new place is far from guaranteed...
So, yes a cup night out might help aid the imagination but the league bread and butter will help us movement from the
Bob Peeters made an judgement when he selected his starting eleven for the Derby game, balancing a desire to win with a wish to rest some regulars while giving other players a run-out. That's fair enough and there is no objective way of determining whether he got that judgement right or wrong.
However, what we do know is that while Peeters played a strong team it was not his strongest team. Indeed, he left four of his best five players on the bench. Derby were favourites on Tuesday, whoever had played for us, but Peeters would have been in no doubt that our chances would have been better had Ben Haim, Buyens, Gudmundsson and Vetokele all started.
All I'm saying is that I'm disappointed we didn't give it our best shot. I suspect that I might be even more disappointed when I see which Championship Clubs make the last eight or even the semi-finals. I understand why Peeters made the call he did and I know I'm in a minority, but I would prefer us to roll the dice when playing in both Cup competitions.
I think looking at the 16000+ crowd in one of the less glamorous ties of the round, fanzone outside the ground and general feel good factor around the club it would suggest that league success is a priority. So I hope we can follow Derby's recent example because that is a premier league club and set up without doubt.
Comments
BP put out a strong team. We were in the game until the 87th minute. We lost. So who cares? Well I do.
Of course it's easy to say after we lost well we weren't taking it seriously etc etc.
I believe that BP was taking it seriously and will be genuinely disappointed that we lost.
It's what kept the dream alive in the darkest days.
Right now I would maintain that September fixtures including Home games vs Wolves and Watford are the priority so as to set a stake in the ground as to where we are this season.
I appreciate Morrison, Fox and Gomez getting a run out for they may have to step in sometime soon. Fundamentally I believe that every month in the league will be a challenge for this new set up. It's a results business and delivering a first XI that can take us to a new place is far from guaranteed...
So, yes a cup night out might help aid the imagination but the league bread and butter will help us move on from the last seven years.
It's what kept the dream alive in the darkest days.
Right now I would maintain that September fixtures including Home games vs Wolves and Watford are the priority so as to set a stake in the ground as to where we are this season.
I appreciate Morrison, Fox and Gomez getting a run out for they may have to step in sometime soon. Fundamentally I believe that every month in the league will be a challenge for this new set up. It's a results business and delivering a first XI that can take us to a new place is far from guaranteed...
So, yes a cup night out might help aid the imagination but the league bread and butter will help us movement from the
Thanks for your replies.
Bob Peeters made an judgement when he selected his starting eleven for the Derby game, balancing a desire to win with a wish to rest some regulars while giving other players a run-out. That's fair enough and there is no objective way of determining whether he got that judgement right or wrong.
However, what we do know is that while Peeters played a strong team it was not his strongest team. Indeed, he left four of his best five players on the bench. Derby were favourites on Tuesday, whoever had played for us, but Peeters would have been in no doubt that our chances would have been better had Ben Haim, Buyens, Gudmundsson and Vetokele all started.
All I'm saying is that I'm disappointed we didn't give it our best shot. I suspect that I might be even more disappointed when I see which Championship Clubs make the last eight or even the semi-finals. I understand why Peeters made the call he did and I know I'm in a minority, but I would prefer us to roll the dice when playing in both Cup competitions.
Just my perspective.
and injury to any of those on the bench could be hugely significant... exiting the league cup is not ...