Different way to spend a Friday evening watching the EFL Trophy draw. Just please not Forest Green. Good run out tonight though, bit of competition for places in defence and midfield too, agreed Louie Watson is a pretty good player, Tennai is growing in confidence with every game too. How we line up on Saturday could be very interesting
Away to one of the southern group winners (apart from Crawley I guess?) Pompey, Reading, MKD, Peterborough, Wycombe, Forest Green or West Ham (at home)
Forest Green winning their group is a bit of a surprise.
Away to one of the southern group winners (apart from Crawley I guess?) Pompey, Reading, MKD, Peterborough, Wycombe, Forest Green or West Ham (at home)
Forest Green winning their group is a bit of a surprise.
Is there some weird rule whereby the Premier League Under 21 team always have to play away (presumably because they don't want to host the game) ? If so, we could end up at home to West Ham as they won their group.
Interesting with the U21 sides in the trophy, 6 have gone through with 10 going out.
That sounds about standard honestly. Very rare that more than 50% of them get through the group, and by the quarters there’s usually none left - usually a Chelsea or Arsenal side…
Winning breeds confidence, so although the competition is third rate it can only be a good thing we've progressed.
For those who say we should concentrate on the league, the final last year was Bolton v Plymouth. Bolton made the play offs and Plymouth won the league.
Is there some weird rule whereby the Premier League Under 21 team always have to play away (presumably because they don't want to host the game) ? If so, we could end up at home to West Ham as they won their group.
It used to be the case that the U21 side played away but the rule changed last season and is now down to the club to decide.
Last year for example Chelsea were drawn at home to Peterborough, but chose to play it at Peterborough. Everton were drawn at home to Mansfield and chose to keep it at Goodison..........and got a crowd of 779!
Don't really care too much for the "prestige" of the competition but another win keeps form and confidence up, another chance to get some minutes into legs and Appleton can run the rule over some of the fringe players too.
When you think of how badly organised the "first choice" defence looked earlier this season then a clean sheet with the make-do-and-mend version of last night has to be a positive, even if it was "only" a lower league opposition.
What a team does in the first half of a season between August and December sets the agenda for the business end of the season between January and May. Cup games are bonus matches, whether it’s the FA Cup, the Carabao cup or the EFL cup and playing the core team in those so that other players can slot in a few at a time to get familiar with how they all play individually and as a team in a competitive match is the only way the squad really strengthens for that second half of the season.
45 league and cup games so far and the month isn’t over indicates the team and squad is getting it together and looking good for a a push come January when we will probably look to strengthen in a couple of areas. Anybody new coming in will find it easier slotting in if it’s an EFl cup match than they would if it’s a league match with 3 promotion points at stake. Onwards and upward.
Pleased with McGrandles, come January, the midfield could be really good, it feels something has clicked and long may it continue, like others, we all get a bit fed up with the performances, but the attitude in the last few games has to be admired!
Winning breeds confidence, so although the competition is third rate it can only be a good thing we've progressed.
For those who say we should concentrate on the league, the final last year was Bolton v Plymouth. Bolton made the play offs and Plymouth won the league.
Bolton would have won the play offs but were shattered from all the pointless cup games
Comments
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/football-league-trophy/table
A small sliver of amusement that Palace U21 came bottom with nul points.
For those who say we should concentrate on the league, the final last year was Bolton v Plymouth. Bolton made the play offs and Plymouth won the league.
Last year for example Chelsea were drawn at home to Peterborough, but chose to play it at Peterborough. Everton were drawn at home to Mansfield and chose to keep it at Goodison..........and got a crowd of 779!
When you think of how badly organised the "first choice" defence looked earlier this season then a clean sheet with the make-do-and-mend version of last night has to be a positive, even if it was "only" a lower league opposition.
.
Bolton would have won the play offs but were shattered from all the pointless cup games