Do we really need this Cup game?

[Tumbleweed 106]

OK, we haven''t done much in any cup for many years and its exciting to get through to the later stages. However who can honsestly say that they expect anything other than a bit of a tonking. I don''t want to be likened to smudger or cluck, but they do regulalrly point out that we struggled to beat the Championship''s bottom side and were pretty even with a League One side.

My fear is that a bad defeat on Saturday will actually set us back and drain confidence away. We need to pick up some points in our away league games pretty soon if we are not to be dragged in to the dogfight at the bottom and what we ideally could have done with is a good league performance this Saturday to maintain the momentum of the Leeds game and the win on Weds. If Barcelona can get turned over at Chelsea then I really fear for us even though they will likely rest many first teamers.

We will have Earnie and Chadwick missing, Lappin and Fotheringham still new to the team, and a weak central defence. It''ll be a great day out (and I already have my ticket), but I do wonder whether it could do us more harm than good.

[GMF 1,010]

I think the answer has to be "Yes, we do need this game", if only for the money [;)]

Being serious though, if we''re all honest for a moment, none of us would be terribly surprised if we lost 4-0 or 5-0. The Chelsea team are full of quality, so a heavy defeat is expected by the footballing world. With expectations for success relatively low, we''ve actually got very little to lose (unless we get completely tonked 6-0 plus) with a defeat of that nature.

[One Flew Over... 33]

We may have struggles against lower opposition but against Derby, West Brom, and Birmingham we have won two and drawn one. I do think we have an extra gear, and on our day can be a good side.

If we get destroyed on Saturday then it could be disastrous for confidence..a good performance however could spur us on for the rest of the season. Besides apparently Chelsea are struggling too at the moment [:^)]

 

[Hartsons Gut 0]

Yes we need the dosh.

[FU MAN SHOE 0]

Who cares!...we cant withdraw from the competition, if we dont try hard enough we will definitely get a tonking...lets worry about that next week...this weekend is party time!

[First Wizard 0]

I shear your concerns Tumbleweed, and who can forget the 9-0 stuffing the scum got at Man Utd?. If its something like a 4-0 defeat, City can bounce back okay from that I believe.

Anymore than that ie. 6 or 7, could well destroy us.

However, if we got a draw (unlikely) who knows what that could do for the confidence. I would still rather be in this game, then have lost to Blackpool.

Now that really could have been damageing!.

[Chip20 69]

I, too, have that niggling fear of an embarrassing stuffing. On the other hand, though, I don''t expect many Chelsea players to be running in top gear. I''m fairly sure they''ll rest some key players and any first team regulars on the pitch will probably ease off the gas once they score their first or second goal. Nobody will want to be unjured for the Champions League game. The only ones I can see putting anywhere near maximum effort in are any fring players trying to impress the manager. I''m hoping for a workmanlike performance from Chelsea rather than a showcase. If our players are up for it they might make a game of it, but it''s hard to see Chelsea not winning. Like others, I''m hoping our lads at least put on a good show and restore some self-belief.

[Ark 0]

Should be a great opportunity for the likes of Chris Martin to test themselves against a top team. Even if the result is a heavy defeat, beating players like Essien, Terry etc to the ball on a couple of occasions, or pulling off a few good passing moves as a team should outweigh the damage of a defeat on confidence. Equally, a 6-0 loss is a hell of a kick up the backside without any damage to points or goal difference in the league.

[london Canary 0]

i know it''s nowhere nearly of the same importance but it took us over a year to recover when we last lost 6-0!