Carabao Cup

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

I''ve just delved into the state of this competition this time around and it does seem that the last sixteen contains a lot of genuine heavyweights considering that it is supposed to be of secondary importance and way down the list of priorities when pitted against the Premier League, the Champions League and even the F.A. Cup.

Apart from Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City Chelsea and Tottenham are all still present and only Liverpool of the big six have fallen by the wayside.

Furthermore the fixtures dictate that the entirety of the last eight left could be made up of Premier League teams.

If we do pull off a shock tonight there will still be a great deal to do if we are to progress.

I suppose the question has to be asked. Is it really in our best interests overall for us to win tonight now that we have a top six place in the Championship to preserve and possibly improve upon?

I''d love a win personally and know that Daniel Farke likes to win every game whatever and that this will probably result in a strong team tonight, but that cup runs can be damaging to league position there is little doubt even if it is only because of the risk of injuries or fatigue.

I suppose that the supporters of Wolves and Leeds might have the same concerns.

Let''s hope for a win tonight though, we noted just what boring ordinariness can do for a club on Sunday, and thus create a bit of a name for ourselves and our manager.

I won''t be particularly disappointed with a loss though as long as we put in a good performance.

Heads will remain high and it''s up the league we go.

[Lessingham Canary 108]

I really think there will be at least one "upset" in this round, i''m sure the fans of Leeds and Wolves (to name the 2 mentioned in OP) will feel it could be either of them, so why not us.Optimisitic, hopefull of a good showing and a result will be amazing tonight, but not the end of the world as we know it, just a long trip home !OTBC

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Perhaps if we were floundering in the league and it was looking like the season of transition that many anticipated then a win for us tonight would be quite a cause for celebration.

As I said though, we have a top six place to preserve and on the premise that all good runs have to end (our unbeaten one) then I would now rather it ended in this competition than in the league.

We have a congested run of fixtures ahead. I would even consider resting Maddison tonight, along with Zimmermann (if his injury doesn''t dictate it in any case) and Gunn as it would be disastrous if any of this trio were to pick up a serious knock.

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

For the life of me, I can''t see why Sky have selected Swansea v Man Utd as the game to broadcast. This game is surely the most uninteresting game this evening!?

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

No apologies for bumping my own thread but I feel that DF got it so very wrong against Arsenal and that we could have paid for it with precious league points against Derby.

It is great that we have a manager who wants to win every game and it is an understandable stance for one so new to the role but I really feel that some of his selections last Tuesday exposed a naivety of thought and that yesterday''s game was possibly lost at the Emirates.

That some of the players against Derby seemed clearly to have run out of gas, that it is possible injuries that needed clearing up were exacerbated and that there was a general fatigue and even anti-climax about yesterday''s important fixture seems obvious from the fact that some of us, including myself, would have been content with a draw from the outset.

As good a night as was last Tuesday I am beginning to wish, for one reason and another that we had gone out in round three of this competition at Brentford.

It is a competition for second stringers and youngsters, as Arsene Wenger showed. That apart, it becomes more irrelevant by the season to clubs hoping to achieve something in their respective leagues. A position we find ourselves in.

Farke seems tactically astute and learns quickly so let''s hope that if we are still in with a shout at the top end of the table when the time comes he does not afford EVEN the F.A. Cup the same reverence.

Yesterday was a set-back, we are more than capable under this manager of re-grouping and embarking upon a similar run of success in the league that ended, perhaps slightly unluckily, yesterday and in this respect in may eventually be seen that that awful refereeing performance that probably cost us our place in the Carabao Cup actually DID US A FAVOUR in the grand scheme of things.