Sport Football Thread 2011/2012

[kiroquai]

Gutted and now faced with the weird prospect of not wanting us to win many more games this season as I can't cope with having to go there again.

To be honest though chap if your players play like they did yesterday (or even 90% of how they did) I reckon you'll have a fair chance of getting in automatically. There's a long way to go and yesterday showed that you have an excellent team, so hopefully then can take motivation from yesterday through and have a good run.

Sorry you didn't have a good day, though . Your guys definitely didn't deserve to lose.

[Stig]

Maybe not, but for the biggest clubs in England, it's rated third behind the CL and the league. Fourth, if you consider Arsene Wenger's words that he'd rather finish fourth than win the trophy.

Yet all most Arsenal fans want is to win stuff. Sure 4th gets you into CL qualification but your name and club doesn't go down in history for finishing 4th, it goes down for winning things.

Excuses Arsene hides behind for not winnig anything in 7 years.

They should make the FA cup a way into the CL I reckon. At least then you're a champion rather than a team that finished 4th. Maybe then it would be taken serious all the time.

[Fry Crayola]

They should make the FA cup a way into the CL I reckon. At least then you're a champion rather than a team that finished 4th. Maybe then it would be taken serious all the time.

Absolutely - it's a good way to keep sides interested. I remember Platini had mentioned something about wanting this to be the case when he was pining for the UEFA job, but whether or not it's still in his plans, I've no idea.

Most other European nations don't treat their cups in the same way as the FA Cup is treated, though, which may be a barrier, but if the decision is left to the individual associations then it'd be in the FA's best interest to nominate the FA Cup winner over their fourth placed league side.

I should also remind myself that in the last twenty years, only Everton in '95 and Portsmouth in '08 have won the cup without also being considered among the country's big sides. It seems there's still plenty of love for the competition, or at least enough desire to win it.

[The Fox]

Can I just say, I really really feel for Aston Villa fans. Parking the bus against Wigan must be a new low point in a long succession of low points for Alex McLeish. But hey he's mates with Fergie, so the press pretty much give him a free pass from playing the worst football imaginable while not even getting results from it.

[Reynard]

Didn't they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge along the way?

Don't let that get in the way of the bitter sniping.

[SMD]

This whole thing is a joke anyway. Only one club out of 20 can win the Premiership each season but almost any team can try to win the FA Cup and any league club can go for the League Cup. Outside the biggest 4 or 5 clubs, who has a chance of the Prem? No disrespect to the likes of Everton and Stoke but these cups represent the best chance of glory for them. Okay, they lost to Chelsea and Manchester City but it's not exactly a foregone conclusion.

[milko]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/feb/24/secret-footballer-cash-trophies seems appropriate reading at the moment. To the players, it's nice but it ain't necessarily all that.

Seems wrong that to pretty much any fan the trophies are important but for the clubs and those playing for them it's not that big a thing.

[bradigor]

I'd rather my team won the League Cup every year and finished 5th to 17th, than kept finishing 2nd-4th but not winning any silverware.

Of course winning the league is what I'd want the most, but I'd take any silverware over fuck all.

I've said it before and I will say it again. If we are to have a 'Champions League' with more than one team from any one league in, then it should be:

1. League Winners - Automatic

2. FA Cup Winners - Final Qualifying Round

3. League Cup Winners - Preliminary Qualifying

or other leagues equivalents.

UEFA Cup then for the runners up of each competion.

[paddyo]

Silver lining to the scouse winning the league cup is hopefully it will keep kenny in a job ensuring they never trouble the top 4 of the prem again

[Danster]

Fuck it, I'd be happy with the Leyland DAF or whatever they call it these days....

The FA Cup is a total and utter dream, so far away...

England are probably my greatest hope for a team I support getting silverware....

[christaylor]

http://www.guardian....r-cash-trophies seems appropriate reading at the moment. To the players, it's nice but it ain't necessarily all that.

Seems wrong that to pretty much any fan the trophies are important but for the clubs and those playing for them it's not that big a thing.

Well it's not really saying that at all is it.

It's more like "when the alternative is relegation, losing millions in revenue and having to sell all of our best players, it's not that big a thing".

Kuyt seemed fairly happy when he scored what he thought would be the winner, along with the rest of the team, and then when Gerrard A. missed his peno they didn't seem too blasé about it.

[Fry Crayola]

Fuck it, I'd be happy with the Leyland DAF or whatever they call it these days....

The Football League Trophy.

Sure, they'll try and sell you the Johnstone's Paint branding, but I ain't buying this corporate sponsorship malarky.

[Fry Crayola]

Does anyone know what happens to the FA Cup's UEFA cup place this year if Liverpool win both cups (and don't get into the Champions League)? Will it go to the team that loses the FA Cup (with Liverpool going through via their Carling Cup UEFA cup spot) or will they go through to the UEFA Cup from the FA Cup, and the Carling Cup place going to the 6th place team in the premier league (or the 7th, if Liverpool finish 6th)?

Liverpool will take the FA Cup spot, with the League Cup place reverting to the league.

[milko]

Well it's not really saying that at all is it.

It's more like "when the alternative is relegation, losing millions in revenue and having to sell all of our best players, it's not that big a thing".

Kuyt seemed fairly happy when he scored what he thought would be the winner, along with the rest of the team, and then when Gerrard A. missed his peno they didn't seem too blasé about it.

Hmm. True. Turns out linking to something 24 hours after reading it is plenty of time for me to completely forget what it was actually about, sorry. I had interpreted it more about being league position than relegation avoidance. That said, how they look on the day doesn't mean a lot, Brum also looked very chuffed to win at the time.

[Shimmyhill]

The Carling cup is the mickey mouse cup but i was pleased when Spurs won it in 2008, mainly as we beat Chelsea in a period when we just didnt ever beat them!

Its kind of like the out of form premier league teams cup of choice and you only have to see how few multiple winners there are to see that its not a cup that big teams always get behind.

Having said that its the cup that Norwich have won as often as Arsenal so always holds a special place in my heart

[dizogg]

If you look at the last decade of winners it's all Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and that though. It's not like some small club cup.

[Stig]

I guess what people mean is that the likes of United and Arsenal never start out with their full strength team. They usually use reserves/youngsters in the first few rounds and if they were taking it serious then they'd start with the strongest team and continue throughout.

[SMD]

I guess what people mean is that the likes of United and Arsenal never start out with their full strength team. They usually use reserves/youngsters in the first few rounds and if they were taking it serious then they'd start with the strongest team and continue throughout.

What does that have to do with the vast majority of clubs, though?

[Shimmyhill]

If you look at the last decade of winners it's all Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and that though. It's not like some small club cup.

Well other than Birmingham, Blackburn, Tottenham and Middlesborough its all no wait....

Arsenal have won it twice in the entire time its been going, Man U four times (all in last 20 years) Chelsea four times, Spurs four times etc.

Given that the FA cup, a far more prestigious cup I'm sure you will agree, has been won eleven times by Man U, ten by Arsenal, eight times by Spurs etc etc it shows how much more it means to teams to win.

[Guest]

I find it ridiculous that the winners of the League Cup only get £100k prize money. That's probably about 90mins wages for the squad.

[DeadRussian]

It'll always be the Rumbleow's Cup to me.

[Shimmyhill]

It'll always be the Rumbleow's Cup to me.

Milk Cup!

[FinalityJack]

My housemates and I were having an equivalent lower league discussion: would you prefer to win the Johnstone's Paint trophy or win against one of the big 4/6 premier league clubs in the FA cup.

Two of us would take the trophy, one argued he'd prefer the glory of beating a Premier league club, that no one remembers who wins the paint pot and your club would get onto the back pages of the national press.

I'd rather have a paint pot.

[Smoothy]

The Worthless (Worthingtons) Cup.

[Ryan]

Don't forget that Swindon beat Arsenal to win it in 1969. It's the only thing we've ever won. We haven't even won the Football League Cup (though we have a chance this year). And yeah, I'm pretty psyched about it.

[dizogg]

Well other than Birmingham, Blackburn, Tottenham and Middlesborough its all no wait....

Arsenal have won it twice in the entire time its been going, Man U four times (all in last 20 years) Chelsea four times, Spurs four times etc.

Given that the FA cup, a far more prestigious cup I'm sure you will agree, has been won eleven times by Man U, ten by Arsenal, eight times by Spurs etc etc it shows how much more it means to teams to win.

Last 10 winners:

Liverpool

Birmingham

Man Utd

Man Utd

Spurs

Chelsea

Man Utd

Chelsea

Boro

Liverpool

That compares quite well to recent fa cups winners.

Anyway your avatar makes you look like a twat. I hope youre not really ginger.

[waddie]

Arsenal have won it twice in the entire time its been going, Man U four times (all in last 20 years) Chelsea four times, Spurs four times etc.

Given that the FA cup, a far more prestigious cup I'm sure you will agree, has been won eleven times by Man U, ten by Arsenal, eight times by Spurs etc etc it shows how much more it means to teams to win.

I'd agree that it's a more prestigious cup, but what exactly is winning a competition that's been running for 141 years more times than one that's only been running for 52 years supposed to prove?

[FinalityJack]

So in answer to your question I don't know, mainly because you don't get a choice, and most seasons are just unrelenting misery and I'll take any vague pleasures I can get I'm not fussy.

I'm a Barnet fan, we've been dire for the last 7 years. Getting to the regional final of the paint pot has been the best thing in that time.

[Untogether]

My favourite thing about the League Cup is when ITV used the Stone Roses' "Fool's Gold" as the theme for all their coverage. Summed everything up a treat.

[Shimmyhill]

Last 10 winners:

Liverpool

Birmingham

Man Utd

Man Utd

Spurs

Chelsea

Man Utd

Chelsea

Boro

Liverpool

That compares quite well to recent fa cups winners.

Anyway your avatar makes you look like a twat. I hope youre not really ginger.

It's my passport photo.

Im glad you have resorted to personal insults, only one person looking a twat - if you even read what i posted you may even agree, i said it was the mickey mouse cup but i was pleased when we won it. Do i care when we go out, no as its the mickey mouse cup - still nice to win it on occasion tho!

I'd agree that it's a more prestigious cup, but what exactly is winning a competition that's been running for 141 years more times than one that's only been running for 52 years supposed to prove?

Look at when the 'big teams' have generally won it, in the last few years where it has become the cup to win for the sake of wining something against the FA cup that every club wants to win (bar Man U famously)