[Football] Should the League Cup be axed?

[Kalimantan Gull]

No. Still a major trophy that makes it that more unlikely one club can take all 4 major trophies in one season. Even petro dollars FFP cheats can’t manage it.

Dean Smith and others are taking it seriously. Well done them.

Dean Smith made 9 changes for his team against us. Hardly taking it 'that' seriously. Get rid of the stupid thing.

 

[Durlston]

Dean Smith made 9 changes for his team against us. Hardly taking it 'that' seriously. Get rid of the stupid thing.

No. The only change I'd make (it might already have been said) is to make the semi-finals one leg on a neutral venue.

I imagine the Crawley and Colchester fans are getting very excited at the prospect of making the quarter-finals.

 

[Surrey Phil]

All the time Pep is playing a near full strength team, the cups are effectively dead (see FAC last season). Sure a few little clubs can get through a few rounds and earn a few extra quid but they won't win it.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

How about making clubs name a 25 man squad for the competition - maybe once in August and once after the January window? That way at least fans will know how seriously each club will be taking it

 

[Mellotron]

Voted "fence" as I feel completely and utterly apathetic about the League Cup nowadays.

 

[DavidRyder]

2 nil win away at Leicester in 1994, with a Stuart Munday worldie. Yes, I love the League Cup!

Jeez, 25th anniversary on Oct 5th!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Who can forget beating Man City, at Withdean, on penalties?

 

[Weststander]

Dean Smith made 9 changes for his team against us. Hardly taking it 'that' seriously. Get rid of the stupid thing.

El Mohamady, McGinn, Jota and Hourihane are very experienced players with quality. No one would deny, shirley, that when the team’s were announced, it was always going to be a lovely evening to be a Villa fan. Borne out by the huge swing in bookies odds in the hour pre match. And so it proved to be. The media including some broadsheet writers used the word “outclassed”.

This is not a criticism of our hitherto ‘uncapped’ players btw.

 

[Wozza]

Who can forget beating Man City, at Withdean, on penalties?

I thought you weren't bothered by cup results?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Dean Smith made 9 changes for his team against us. Hardly taking it 'that' seriously. Get rid of the stupid thing.

Ridiculous.

The Villa line up, with transfer fees paid, and the number of appearances each have made in this season's Premier League:

Steer (free)
El Mohammady (£2m) App. 5
Konsa (£12m)
Hause (£3m)
Targett (£14m)
McGinn (2.8m) App. 6
Luiz (12.5m) App 5
Hourinhane (£3m) App. 3
Jota (£2m) App. 5
Davies (Academy) App. 3
Trezeguet (£9m) App. 5

Total, £60m, PL App: 32

And on the bench:
Nyland (2.7m)
Wesley (£22.5m) App. 6
Grealish (Academy) App. 6
El Ghazi (£4.5m) App. 5
Guilbert (£5m) App. 4
Mings (£20m) App. 6

Total, £55m, PL App: 27


In comparison, our complete squad boasted 7 PL appearances between them - and that includes four sub appearances by Bong / Connolly.

To suggest that Smith, like Potter, didn't 'care' is an absolute nonsense.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Dean Smith made 9 changes for his team against us. Hardly taking it 'that' seriously. Get rid of the stupid thing.

Smith used 10 players from his squad that had faced Arsenal on Sunday, the sort of rotation you’d expect, as opposed to the kids we played.

 

[Weststander]

Smith used 10 players from his squad that had faced Arsenal on Sunday, the sort of rotation you’d expect, as opposed to the kids we played.

Nailed it. End of argument.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Most Albion fans can’t be bothered.

Potter not interested (okay, okay, ‘not prioritising…’).

Plenty of Albion fans could be bothered this time. Tho given the club's patent disinterest in the thing, many won't make that same call next time.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I thought you weren't bothered by cup results?

That isn't what I said. I said I enjoy cup games because I can be relaxed about the result.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Ridiculous.

The Villa line up, with transfer fees paid, and the number of appearances each have made in this season's Premier League:

Steer (free)
El Mohammady (£2m) App. 5
Konsa (£12m)
Hause (£3m)
Targett (£14m)
McGinn (2.8m) App. 6
Luiz (12.5m) App 5
Hourinhane (£3m) App. 3
Jota (£2m) App. 5
Davies (Academy) App. 3
Trezeguet (£9m) App. 5

Total, £60m, PL App: 32

And on the bench:
Nyland (2.7m)
Wesley (£22.5m) App. 6
Grealish (Academy) App. 6
El Ghazi (£4.5m) App. 5
Guilbert (£5m) App. 4
Mings (£20m) App. 6

Total, £55m, PL App: 27


In comparison, our complete squad boasted 7 PL appearances between them - and that includes four sub appearances by Bong / Connolly.

To suggest that Smith, like Potter, didn't 'care' is an absolute nonsense.

If you take it seriously, you play your best team. No ifs, no buts. If you don't take it seriously you don't. Why this clamor to pick a half and half side I really don't understand.

 

[Weststander]

Ridiculous.

The Villa line up, with transfer fees paid, and the number of appearances each have made in this season's Premier League:

Steer (free)
El Mohammady (£2m) App. 5
Konsa (£12m)
Hause (£3m)
Targett (£14m)
McGinn (2.8m) App. 6
Luiz (12.5m) App 5
Hourinhane (£3m) App. 3
Jota (£2m) App. 5
Davies (Academy) App. 3
Trezeguet (£9m) App. 5

Total, £60m, PL App: 32

And on the bench:
Nyland (2.7m)
Wesley (£22.5m) App. 6
Grealish (Academy) App. 6
El Ghazi (£4.5m) App. 5
Guilbert (£5m) App. 4
Mings (£20m) App. 6

Total, £55m, PL App: 27


In comparison, our complete squad boasted 7 PL appearances between them - and that includes four sub appearances by Bong / Connolly.

To suggest that Smith, like Potter, didn't 'care' is an absolute nonsense.

Cheers, you can’t argue with irrefutable facts.

Bizarrely, some would though! Don’t know why? Pride I suppose.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

If you take it seriously, you play your best team. No ifs, no buts. If you don't take it seriously you don't. Why this clamor to pick a half and half side I really don't understand.

Rubbish. Picking a side that you think is good enough to win, is taking it seriously. If the opposition are such that only your best team is likely to do so, then yes, you might need them. Other times, given the nature of the opposition, you have the luxury of leaving out SOME important players and still remaining very confident of a positive result.

 

[Weststander]

Rubbish. Picking a side that you think is good enough to win, is taking it seriously. If the opposition are such that only your best team is likely to do so, then yes, you might need them. Other times, given the nature of the opposition, you have the luxury of leaving out SOME important players and still remaining very confident of a positive result.

You’ve obviously played the game, not just an armchair manager.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Rubbish. Picking a side that you think is good enough to win, is taking it seriously. If the opposition are such that only your best team is likely to do so, then yes, you might need them. Other times, given the nature of the opposition, you have the luxury of leaving out SOME important players and still remaining very confident of a positive result.

Different definitions of taking it seriously then. Whatever, no point in us trying to win this cup this season, and it bores me every year now. The win over Leicester back in 94 was such a good night, its just a completely different competition now. Focus on the league, the FA Cup and the European trophies

 

[Bold Seagull]

I would make a rule that you cannot be admitted to the League Cup if you qualify for the Champions League. That could be extended to any European football for that matter.

League Cup already clashes with Champions League fixtures, so why not relieve the strain on the Champions League clubs so they have their best chance of success in Europe, and in turn their removal gives the other teams their best chance of a trophy.

It's already devalued, I don't see why having say no ManCity, Liverpool, Spurs or Chelsea would change that really.