League Cup.

Next Wednesday sees us entertain Leeds in the third round of the League Cup, our best chance of winning anything this season. How many of you are thinking of going to the game? Getting behind the guys and helping them along a little bit.

It'll be nice to get our hands on a trophy again.

Prices are fairly reasonable too:

£20 adults, £10 NUS, £5 concessions (£25, £15 and £10 in Platinum Club etc).

 

Was thinking that, assuming the team against Villa is our starting 11, we can put a pretty good team out against Leeds without using any starting players:

Gouffran Shola Marveaux

Jonas Tiote Bigi

Dummett Saylor Willo Good

Elliot


All of the players are either of a good championship standard (Shola, Bigi, Dummett, maybe include Jonas and Willo) or of premiership standard but in need of a run out. The only square peg/question mark is Good and I think he'd do all right.

Would expect the front three to cause a lot of problems and for the midfield to be able to boss possession. Back 4 look solid enough. Hopefully enough to get the three points without risking any of our first string talent

 

I'd be more tempted to do a 4-4-2. It's easier to just get together and play. The first XI formation is a 4-3-3/4-4-2 asymmetrical kind of system (i.e. Benny's a winger, Remy's an inside forward), it's not so easy to just ask Sammy or Marveaux to be as good as Remy or Ben Arfa, there's quite a gulf in class.

I'd also prefer Jonas in his normal position, it's the only way to get anything out of him and I doubt Leeds will have an answer to our left hand side.

Good is a left footed centre back, having him in at RB would be a disaster. I like him, he seems composed and I think he and Saylor (given Saylors right footed nature) could work ok. Also as Anita is likely to be dropped soon (sadly), I'd consider him in at right back. Either that or Tavernier. Gouff and Shola make a decent Championship partnership, so I'd play them up top - wouldn't play Gouff on his own, and think Jonas > Gouff on LM. Middle two would probably be right, Tiote and Bigi, then I'd actually prefer Sammy Ameobi over on the right, or Jonas right/Sammy left. Point is he's a touchline hugger and I think we need basic tactics in this match.

Elliott

Anita Taylor Good Dummett

Sammy Tiote Bigi Jonas

Ameobi Gouffran

Subs: take your pick - lovin' the strength of our squad when neebodies injured!!!!!

 

Let's face it, both of those teams should be more than capable of taking care of Leeds.

 

Maybe MA bought an invincibility charm over the summer instead of players - - so long as a magic power keeps everyone safe, the team does look pretty good

 

Nope.
Gutted that I can't go, but probably for the best.

As long as Pards takes it seriously and puts out a decent team, we should be favourites to go through.

 

I remember setting off at 1:00 am on a cold wet morning to get to the Brighton game and Pards put a rubbish team out that didn't even try. We should have been given our money back because it was against the trades description act. It wasn't football.

 

It was bad enough on the TV never mind being there.
No excuse when they don't try especially against teams we should be beating.
Best chance some of the squad are gonna get to show what there made of, and far too often they don't take it.

They will against Leeds, confidence will be up after we bet Hull.
Being positive..

 

Here's hoping anyway.

 

Do you honestly believe that this squad is capable of winning a trophy with the current management?

I really don't.

I would say that we've never been further away in recent years.

 

All down to the luck of the draw.

Bradford showed last year that any club can get to the final, with Swansea lifting the trophy.
Two years, Cardiff reached the final, and the season before that Birmingham won it.

Our best chance to win something, beat Leeds and with a decent draw, who knows ow far we can go.
But we need to take it seriously.

 

I'd play first choice eleven never mind fancying on with the team and taking a risk ,play your first choice if you get beat fair enough but if you put a weakened team and get beat your thinking why didnt he play the first team ! We haven't won wot for donkeys just give it a right good go with the first eleven

 

That was meant to say fannying !

 

Got the picture.

 

Agree, however one thing we lack compared to Bradford is spirit

 

We showed plenty of spirit in the Villa game and things have been gradually improving for a while. We're starting to play like a team instead of a bunch of individuals.

 

The last few games have been refreshing and we have looked half decent.

How long it will last until we get injuires
And then the likes of shola comes to town.

 

We'll just have to keep giving it a go.

 

We pay £10 and will not have a reserve team out ! (SAFC)

 

How will you be able to tell ?