Im hearing Evans has pulled out of the NI squad, so that just makes risking ONien even more pointless now
If we're promoted this season people will say 'forget about the cups and concentrate on the league' which is exactly what they'd say in the Championship and the PL ... ... and this is why the cups are so poorly regarded.
At the end of the day I have to agree with you Tees . I never like to see us lose and it was nice to win this, especially putting the Wembley hoodoo to bed But all we are really remembered for last season is fading away and not gaining promotion. Now we have another season in this fooking god forsaken league. Experience for the youth and game time for fringe/recouping players yes, and the more the better. But risking a key player who's not 100% at this stage is fookin crazy imo.
Id love us to do well in all the cups that matter ie FA Cup and Carabao. Id expect Johnson to play as strong a team as possible in them, because they are financially worth while especially if we draw a Premiership team and make it on the TV. The Papa Jons cup offers no incentive at all and its really not worth risking key players that would effect the games that really matter.
Imo first and foremost is promotion from this league. Risking key players for a nothing cup, or the other cups we have little chance of winning given the league we are in is risky/daft. In the champo, maybe a chance in fa cup etc. In the prem, especially if no real chance of Europe or title, then go for a cup
Id like to think a club of our size would prioritise things more important that a Cup of that stature. Its a decent cup for lesser teams, but realistically we should be looking beyond that. Im actually suprised people would risk injury/fatigue to our key players to try and win it again
I'd even forego the fa cup etc to concentrate on promotion personally mate. I'm sick of fannying round in this league. The only way we are realistically going to be contenders for the fa cup etc is by being promoted. Fook the pizza cup.
Exactly, it doesnt exactly go down in history as an achievement does it. Living in Teesside i got the pish taken out of me when we won it because it really did show how much we've fallen being in the tournament in the first place. Enoughs enough now we just need out of this league at all costs, its gone on for too long now. I just hope ONien is ok after last night and no first teamers are made to start against Man Uniteds kids.
The main thing for me was ending the Wembley jinx. We were that fooked come the end of season we couldn't even get to Wembley FFS. Although I thought we were better than Lincoln over the two legs and this team would of more easily put them to the sword.
Whilst, as you have will have probably read, I generally agree, we must get automatic promotion this year so cups are a distraction. BUT, as we have a biggish squad, none starters for the league games, need 'minutes'. Last night was useful for lots of the young'uns and Neil.
Yes mate and as I've said "im more than happy to keep winning in the cups to give more game time to fringe/recovering/youth players and build revenue". But not key players, especially ones not 100%. If we win the pizza, get promoted and have other good cup runs then fantastic. But don't lets risk promotion through injuries. I want us to be promoted as early as possible to get the party started
Yes i agree its good for young players and players needing minutes, but the further on in the tournament we get the more of a hinderance it becomes. We had a game nearly every 3 days towards the end of last season. Unlike other teams in this league that can rest players from fatigue we also have alot of players that get called up for international duty including players like Huggins and Cirkin who represent their country at youth levels, which then results in a backlog of games after Xmas.
