Morning Fats I see what you are saying, but he wasn't successful in the cup, we lost, for whatever reason(s), but we are in the history books as losing. As for Puel, it would be wrong if he goes now as he needs another season, or part of it if we start badly. I think he should get until Dec and review, but if he stays ans they aren't winning or playing poorly I think he will go. That said, I actually think he is already going before the summer.
No, yes, not especially. I said before the final that I wasn't that interested in the competition and there were a number of discussions about it. No point going over it all again. In short, I don't discount it entirely. It's just that for me the League Cup is miles down the manager's priority list. Top is the league, then a gap to Europe (if playing), then a another gap to the FA Cup and finally another, larger, gap to the League Cup. Reaching the final of the least significant competition, a competition that many (most?) sides don't take very seriously until the semi-finals doesn't come close to making up for relative underperformance in the other competitions, although the extra fixtures may have played a part in our slipping back in the league - if ever there was a season to play the kids in the League Cup it was this one where we had the extra European games.
And Puel said early in the season that doing well in one of the domestic cups was given to him as a target, so he would hardly ignore that would he.
If we had beaten Man Utd, as we would have done without the blind officials' interference, we would be in the Europa League again next season.
To be fair Chilco you could argue the same for couple of league games that we lost......the result is just the same.
Hence me putting " " around the word "successful" Reaching the final was more than any other Saints manager has achieved since 2003, so I was just saying it is something even if Puck didn't apply any weight to it and it should carry some meaning. I agree with your other points as I posted yesterday.
Puel has finished 2nd in a competition with 92 teams and therefore won us medals whereas the best Koeman achieved was 6th in a competition with just 20!
Whereas I'd put both our promotions above reaching the final. Probably finishing 6th last season as well.
I simply can't understand why you place such a low importance on winning a cup, over getting a minor place in a league we have very little chance of ever winning. This club's ONLY major honour so far in its history is the FA Cup in 1976, which meant the world to every Saints fan and the whole city at the time. If we had won at Wembley in February that would have been an incredible, massive achievement for our club, to put right up there with '76. Yes, of course getting as high up the league as possible is vital, I'm not denying that, but winning silverware is also vital. Look at the JPT in 2010, we all needed that after the misery of the preceding years, and it put us back on the map, in the same way the promotions of the following two years did. But now we're established in the Premier League the only way of standing out from the pack chasing the top 6 is to win a cup.
I know we lost. But that day was quite possibly my favourite as a Saints fan, if not it's right up there.
Have to agree to an extent... the 20 minutes or so after half time is possibly the best atmosphere I've been involved in. The point is valid though. Milan is probably my favourite ever away game.
I can understand a dispassionate business man attached to Saints would value league position (whichever position) above all, but for most supporters it must be winning a major trophy for the experience and just the pride in knowing that we have won something.
Think there's a distinction to be regarding whats referred to when talking about "importance" of league vs cup. Importance to fans (i.e. enjoyment, memories, cementing managers/players in our hearts forever) a cup wins every time (hence the fact we still talk about the Paint Pot!). Importance in evaluating the abilities/achievements of the manager it has to be the league (more games better teams all playing their strongest sides)
Missed my point I think Puck. I haven't said where I put it or where it sits compared to League, just said it must carry some weight.
I don't know mate. I've been having this debate on here for years but I'd say that I was very much in the minority until this season where there seems to have been a change in attitude. Dunno what caused that like...
Ah. I thought you did when you said "Reaching the final is more than any other Saints manager has achieved since 2003". I addressed your first point earlier. I don't give it no weight at all but the League Cup is (by a long distance) the least important competition we enter, good performances in the early stages have to be put in the context that most teams don't take it seriously until the semis and you only have to look at the other teams that have reached the final recently to see that doing so is not a sign of a high quality team or a club progressing to new heights.
