Match Day Thread Sheffield Wednesday vs. Arsenal (Capital One Cup) 2015/16 Official Match Thread

I think it's typical Wenger double-speak tbh.

Though I agree we needed to bring in more outfield players, and also could have done without loaning out players like Crowley. However I was puzzled why he said he brought too many experienced players when players like Debuchy, Gibbs, Chambers and Flamini should be expected to play very well in a game like this no matter what.

We definitely missed Rosicky and Arteta in this game as the battle was lost in the middle where, for some incredible reason, we couldn't play around Wednesday's pressing, and couldn't make any space/time for ourselves! Rosicky in particular is an excellent player, and Arteta has his place in the squad, isn't on a great deal of money, is by all accounts a good club captain who will be retiring at the end of the season (hopefully to become a coach).

But why we didn't get rid of Flamini and by Schederlein I don't know...

 

I think Rosicky would have made a big difference in the game but where on earth has he gone? Haven't seen him for ages.

 

We had a midfield of Flamini (DM, not great on the ball), Kamara (youth DM) and oxocube (the one clearly expected to provide the creativity and move the ball through midfield). When oxo went off injured we had no natural CM/CAM to bring into his place and it meant we had no control of the midfield and couldn't link our defense and attack. There was no transition.

This was highlighted when Beilik came in for the last half an hour and actually tried to play the ball forwards and it made a big difference. So I thought it was fairly clear why we couldn't out pass there pressing. What annoyed me is we didn't switch to going down the wings or long to Giroud.

Completely agree on your last line though. With our current injury issues I bet he is wishing he'd gone ahead with signing Schnedierlin when he had the chance.

 

I couldn't give a f*ck about being knocked out. This is an awful competition that always manages to screw us somehow. Fair play to those who take it seriously but we don't and I'd rather purely yoof and reserves play than this mis-match we use. Only thing of interest to me were performances from the likes of Bielik and Iwobi who I've not really seen play before.

Now of course the only thing I'm interested in is the fitness of AOC and Theo (plus the rest of our sick-note barstewards).

 

It's better than winning **** all......again.

 

"Awful competition". Well,many would disagree,me among them.

There is a regrettable tendency for supporters of Clubs eliminated by lower League opposition to disparage it,i.e.,"it's a mickey mouse Cup"," glad we are out of it", etc.

Whilst it lacks the cache of the F.A Cup,it's not far behind in importance,significance,etc.

Wenger would have loved to have won it. Don't be such a bad loser.

 

Ha! I disagree. We're at that level when we can realistically target the league, FA Cup and, whilst not likely to win, still in the Champions League. The league cup takes focus away from these competitions and what's more we invariably come away from it with injuries as was shown last night.

I have no issue with competing in it but would rather we went back to the days when we used it as a chance to blood our kids and give the second string squad a chance. As we showed last night we lack depth and it's going to now haunt us in the more prestigeous trophies.

 

I don't think it's a case of being knocked out by lower league opposition. Many fans have said this for years, and were saying it before the competition even started. In the same way as Spurs and Liverpool fans have slagged off the Europa, for the same reasons as well, and the same reason Swansea fans were slagging off the Europa (even though you'd think they might be praising it, having never competed in Europe before). It's that we may have won a few more games in the League Cup, but every game we won would have entailed more injuries, weakening us further and making us less likely to win any of the important competitions, but at the same time leaving out squad so threadbare and tired we probably wouldn't have had a chance in the League Cup either.

Some fans are seeing it, that at least we can protect our players, and actually have a chance in some competitions, not overplay them in every competition and as such not have any chance in all of the competitions. In the same way Liverpool were glad to get knocked out of the Europa in some seasons, and Swansea suffered hugely in the league when they competed in the Europa (and staying in the Prem is of the upmost importance for them!)

 

When? I don't get that feeling from the fans. Every cup game whether Europa, League or FA Cup are all important to me as a fan. Winning trophies is what it's all about after all.

 

The manager is given a budget and in my opinion should be able to assemble a squad that is capable of competing on all fronts, the squad will need to be rotated and yes some younger players may get a chance in the League Cup but the bigger clubs should have sufficient talent that means they can manage all these games.

 

I don't recall Swansea fans' slagging off the Europa Cup.
Swansea appeared in the Cup Winner's Cup,so had previous European experience.

 

Didnt laudrup get sacked for how poorly you performed across all competitions, particularly the league while you were in Europe? I remember hearing a few fans not being too happy about you having your worst season in the prem at that time, when you were just a few points off the relegation zone (until monk took over).

Not saying all your fans disliked europe. Just saying that there were a number who didnt like the negative effect it had on your league performance, considering your small squad.

 

This is a weird comment as it seems to imply that no matter how many extra games you play or how little rest you have then the performance shouldn't drop regardless of how many times the team is rotated.

This is blatantly not the case as is shown when big clubs like liverpool or spurs have to compete in 5 competitions their league form suffers despite having large squads full of quality.

Its like saying that Sheffield Wednesday have a budget similar to most in the championship, therefore their league form shouldnt be effected in the slightest if they get to the league cup final and play every few days yet their rivals have week long rests.

 

I never said every fan hated europe. But every time the europa league comes along you see words like 'distraction', 'tiredness', 'the continental effect' from fans with some fans questioning its worth in comparison to domestic honours. Happens at every club, because no trophy is competed for in a vaccum, they all effect the clubs attempts at winning other trophies.

 

Not looking for a fight here by the way just putting my thoughts on the subject down.

I think the moaning from some fans is driven by the media, I don't care how tired the poor football players are or how much the manager moans. At the start of the season I want to win the lot, as a fan we're constantly being fed crap from all outlets.

Millions are spent on creating a squad, a squad not a best 11 and managers then crap themselves and are under pressure to win things so play their best 11 all the time and wear them down. I think the squad should be used more and confidence put in younger players. If you get knocked out it's not good enough regardless of the players on the pitch as it's down to them and the manager to get the job done.

As I type this we've put out a heavily rotated team, there's no excuse if we lose the players on the pitch need to get the job done.

 

Fair enough.

I agree that I want to win the lot at the start of the season. Though I do realise that the squad has a lot better chance of doing that if the majority of players are fit, and if the squad is at 90% rather than knackered and at 60%.

 

Laudrup's dismissal was more complicated than that.
The Europa took it's toll,no doubt about it,but the fans' loved the experience.

Prior to last weekend, the team were in a worst plight than when Laudrup was shown the door.

 

Borough United & Bangor City have also played in the ECWC after winning the Welsh Cup

 

Those were the days,eh? Remember them well.

 

My dad was the Borough's physio when they won the Welsh Cup in 1963