If Saints win at Selhurst Park tomorrow night they will be through to the Quarter Finals and a step closer to a Wembley Final. But if you do stay in the competition and get a favourable draw in the Quarters do you feel there could be a danger that the distraction could start to have an adverse affect on your league progress?
we seem to be playing a weak team, so i see it as more of an opportunity for fringe players and youngsters to impress
It could do. IF we get through I hope we get City if they get through too. A chance to see how we do against top Prem side.
I do not really mind as I was never expecting us to be in the auto promotion chase. I still think there is a long way to go, although of course I am delighted with the way things are going. I think a lot of teams enjoy a cup distraction, like yourselves when the league was going so badly.
Not a distraction in the slightest. It keeps the fringe players very much involved and allows us the odd look at the odd youngster. If we played our best XI each round, it would be a bigger problem, but we don't. If we get through tomorrow, I would absoloutely love Liverpool at home or Arsenal away. Getting City would be a little disappointing for me, whilst I'm fed up of drawing United in the cup. If not Liverpool or Arsenal, then the winner of Cardiff-Burnley (ideally at home) as that would present us with a glorious opportunity of making the semi's.
In any case, if we get through it's a maximum of 2 extra matches plus a possible Wembley appearance. Less of a distraction than the JPT was, I'd say.
I dont think it will be a distraction, Nigel won't let that happen. I don't think we'll play a particularly weak team, although Ward-Prowse is definitely is definitely going to play
Ah... yes. This is the $64,000 dollar question, isn't it..? Do you try your best to get into the latter stages of a competition where you will be tempted to put out your best team against another side who have possibly nothing else to play for, and so possibly weaken your ability to achieve your main goal..? It's a toughie, but only when a Wembley appearance starts to come into view. After all, last 16 is not that far away. Get past Palace, and it really becomes tempting. I think, for the moment, Nigel is playing his League Cup cards very well indeed. When the FA Cup comes along that'll be another distraction. Personally, I'm hoping that Nigel continues to use the Cups as a bloody good run out for fringe players, with some main guys occasionally thrown in, where necessary, to keep the team core going.
But it's half-term. He should be allowed to stay up an extra hour, what with no school/college tomorrow.
Are the two even linked that much? Did Portsmouth not lose in the first round at home to Barnet but still sit only 16th in the league? Having no Carling Cup 'distraction' hasn't helped them much it seems. The cup matches provide an opportunity for fringe players to break into the team, real and competitive match situations for the manager to try different tactics and give players the chance to impress.
Success breeds success. Sir Nigel Adkins is too canny to allow the cup to become a distraction. It will be used to get a better look at some of our youth players, and to play some of the squad players who have not figured much so far this season. We have a big bus, with seats for many players. Sometimes Sir Nigel lets you sit up the front, other days you sit at the back. this is a chance for those at the back to get to sit up the front.
My Mum always told me, "if you are not in bed by 9 o'clock, get up and go home....." Anyway, could we avoid any more use of the word misses? Let's not put ideas in his head.
I always liked to sit at the front of the bus but upstairs, does that mean i will be sat with Nigel ?
