I disagree slightly here Chilcs. If it was Saints and we had a CL knockout game followed by a cup final a few days later again, I'd perfectly understand our manager being selective in who he plays. I'd want us to win the cup final and make sure the team was ready for it. I'd also say Pellegrini got the priority right. He's not devaluing anything, he is just deciding which games at this very moment mean more. One means winning a trophy there and then, one means progressing in a trophy they've never won and I understand that. They've paid the penalty by getting knocked out, so people that don't like them leaving players out should be happy.
Fair enough, and I must admit I'd forgotten how long their injury list is when I wrote that. Generally though, clubs like City have enough strength in depth to cope with these situations but I agree that yesterday was exceptional circumstances.
The ones to feel sorry for are the travelling City fans....they bought tickets and travel in good faith, expecting a good game. They've been robbed.
Re: Chelsea v Man City. As a manager does, Pellegrini prioritises what's more important and what's less important. I think moaning about his lot of injuries and fixture list is one step too far. He was dealt the cards and played them. His bluff didn't work. Next game.
Perhaps if the reward for winning the FA Cup was one of the Champions League spots, its esteem would be raised and top flight sides would play stronger teams in the competition. The trouble is , at the moment, that the prize money for the FA Cup is so miniscule compared to the league that you're financially worse of if you win the damn thing at the cost of dropping a couple of places in the league. Even sides at the top end of the Championship will field their under 11s girls team in the third round if drawn against a League One or Two side as the lure of the play-offs is greater than winning the world's oldest knockout competition. As mentioned above, perhaps each club should name a 24 man squad for each cup competition. How often do you have the kids playing in the early rounds of the FA or League Cup, only for the 'stars' to take their place once they get to Wembley? As for scrapping the League Cup, as suggested above, how about this for a radical idea: Remove the Premier League clubs from the competition and have a place in the Premier League as the prize for the winners (a fourth team relegated from the Premier League unless the club winning the league Cup is promoted via the Championship)
Being a fan (and therefore not so money oriented), unless a place got us into Europe, I would rather win the FA Cup than finish 2 places higher. You don't get a trophy for that...neither do you remember it for decades afterwards.
I still think they should leave the FA Cup alone. It's fine how it is thanks, pisses me off as this is just another one of those changes to suit the top clubs n top clubs only. How about having the league cup for teams not in Europe? Seeing as the bulk of the tournament is before Christmas while the group stages are going on?
I'm still trying to come to grips with the team finishing 6th, in the Championship, and shedloads of points behind the team finishing 3rd, making it into the Premier League, as a result of improving their form for just three matches.
