FA Cup - do City need it ?

[Bill 1,788]

I know this will sound like heresy but it might not be such a bad idea if we go out fairly early.

I know the magic and also know the financial benefits of a good draw against a ''big club'' but I''m also aware of the distractions it can cause. I''m fairly certain that Leeds FA cup games last season caused them to take their eye of the league.

I am not at all surprised at our position - I stuck enough money in Aug on us going up, but I''m also well aware of how big an opportunity we have this season. Extra games will only be a drag on the players.

Going out will hurt, missing out on promotion will hurt far, far harder. I know there''s no guarantee that going out will get us promoted or having a good run will stop us going up but we already have one postponed game to catch up. I don''t think we need extra games. I was a young lad that watched a barely interested City team go out 3-0 to Hull in ''72, The rest we know.

Thankfully we now have as good as a fortnight for the players to rest up and get a few injured players back in contention for Cardiff

ps I know we ''owe one'' to Orient after last season away but ...........

[alysha 0]

I have to agree, whilst I will of course be pleased if we win Saturday I won''t be too disheartened if we lose. I wouldn''t want to risk any more injuries in games that will not be adding to our points in the league

[kdncfc 27]

I''d say we do need it if only for the money, get through a couple of rounds and draw a big prem side and we could quite easily make a million quid especially if it''s on tv. I grew up through an era where the FA cup was a competition that every single club took seriously from the outset and find it really annoying that the competition is not taken seriously anymore. I for one hope Lambert picks the strongest eleven avaliable to him, Orient are in decent form and are not to be taken lightly.

[Hooleyfan 0]

I expect us to field a very different team for the FA Cup 3rd round...Lambert will be able to defend this on the basis of his need to give squad members a run out and give a much needed rest to senior players...like Hools not making the team today and Grant Holt''s substitution.

That having been said I fully expect us to beat Orient whoever plays

[Excited Canary 19]

If we go out on Saturday then we go out, we can focus on the League and not worry about the players fatigue. However, if we get through a couple of rounds, then I would then like us to take it completely seriously. You never know we might get a few easy draws like the Scummers in the Carling Cup and before you know it we''re in the Quarters...also the semi''s are played at Wembley which would be bloody fantastic! Haha, I need to wake up we never do well in the cups!So, my general idea is go out Round 3 or 4, no problem, probably good in the long term..But if we get to Round 5 then take it completely seriously as at that stage with a few lucky draws a trip to Wembley isn''t beyond the realms of possibility.OTBC [Y]

[paul moy 235]

The problem is that the more we progress the less we will be concentrated on the league. History is littered with teams that have lost out on a promotion prize due to cup distraction. If we want promotion we must go out fairly early. Please remember for instance what happened to Leeds last season !! They were very lucky not to still be in Div1.  

[Ginja 26]

I wish we could simply say "No, Thanks" and just let Orient go through, the whole thing is a waste of time. On the flip side though, it does present a chance to field some (preferably all) players from the youth/reserve team.

[First Wazzock 902]

[quote user="Excited Canary"]If we go out on Saturday then we go out, we can focus on the League and not worry about the players fatigue. However, if we get through a couple of rounds, then I would then like us to take it completely seriously. You never know we might get a few easy draws like the Scummers in the Carling Cup and before you know it we''re in the Quarters...also the semi''s are played at Wembley which would be bloody fantastic! Haha, I need to wake up we never do well in the cups!

So, my general idea is go out Round 3 or 4, no problem, probably good in the long term..But if we get to Round 5 then take it completely seriously as at that stage with a few lucky draws a trip to Wembley isn''t beyond the realms of possibility.

OTBC [Y]
[/quote]

Nail on the head - good post.

[.takecare. 0]

yeah i think we need it, gives other players a chance to get out there and impress PL and also nice if we get through, who knows we might get to wembley (unlikely)

[Salopian 1]

Perhaps the cup is lower in priority at the moment, and perhaps one or two players may be rested or begin on the bench.

It is not in PL''s make-up however, to send out a team with instructions anything other than to win.

I think it possible that Drury and Holt could be rested, and perhaps even Crofts, who has seemed tired recently. There could be others as well. I am not suggesting that these are left out altogether, merely that they may start on the bench in case they are needed later.

The actual side will be mainly determined by availability - those who travelled to Middlesborough plus any other restored players.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

I want us to win and a little cup run (including maybe a lucrative tie in the 4th or 5th round) could be beneficial (financially at least) but i must admit this 3rd round game is one where I would not want certain players risked with the Cardiff game a week later. As things stand, this 2 week gap gives us a real opportunity to get players fit for Cardiff who have been missing in recent weeks with minor injuries. I think the FA Cup game is an opportunity to give the likes of Whitbread and Drury a bit more game time. I expect therefore that the back four will be strong. Maybe Fox and Hughes can get a bit of a run out as well and even Surman a few minutes if he is anywhere near coming back. It is also a chance to give Jackson and Johnson a decent run out.

Personally I would go with:

Ruddy

Martin, Whitbread, Barnett, Drury

Smith, Crofts, Fox/Hughes, Macnamee

Jackson, Wilbraham

 

[Chelmsford Canary 0]

As well as giving certain players a rest, it also gives others a chance. Johnson, and Gill. I would like to see the young left back Sam Habergham given a go!

[Evil Monkey 52]

Not interested in this year''s FA Cup in the slightest.  Yes we could get a little bit of cash for it, but the risks of an extended cup run to our league form just isn''t worth it. Our team is also based on a winning mentality, and getting a ''lucrative'' cup tie against Manure or Arsenal would only likely see us thrashed by a large margin, with the potential dent to our confidence to follow.

Plus, with our depleted squad, its a chance to rest key players and get our injury list down.

To me the potential pitfalls outweigh the benefits by a long way.

Play the kids from the start, if they get somewhere it''ll be a nice little booster for them and give them valuable competitive experience, and maybe unearth a few academy talents in the meantime.

[......and Smith must score. 1,336]

We''ve been rubbish in the Cups for years so I doubt I''ll be having money on us to beat Orient.A trip to Wembley would be nice, along with the extra cash on the way, and the pot would look quite fetching on the sideboard for a season but it ain''t gonna happen is it ?

[Bill 1,788]

Back to the question posed - Do City need it ?

I would strongly argue, no

For ever possible lucrative draw there are far, far more nonsense ties. Places like Hartlepool, Carlisle and Torquay where the costs can almost outweigh what is given as a share of the gate.

We already have three tuesday games scheduled in a five week period of Feb/March - we have yet to fit in the postponed Palvce match.

By the 5th round we have a scheduled game away at Leeds, then Bristol at home on the 6th round. Put in just the one possible replay, which will mean an away game irrespective of whose drawn at home and we are starting to look at a two month period where we are playing Sat and midweek continously for two months. But never mind, we get a midweek breather in early April then it''s back to back midweek/sat games up to and including Easter !

Lambert has already spoke out about the effect a few continous games have had on the players. To begin February knowing that it could be virtually two games a week until the end of April is not a pleasant thought.

I love the FA Cup and have many fond and lasting memories (as we all have) but I think that this is the one season that it might be best if we were to miss out and concentrate on the league. They''ll be many, many more FA Cups, I''m not so sure if they''ll be another chance like we have at the moment.

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Yes cause the money earned and great atmosphere that a cup run creates is all good for the club!

 

But we don''t need a cup run as much as we need to get back in the Premiership!

[Syteanric 1]

the league is number 1 priority, if we go up then next season work on staying up.. in the snd prem season then why not go for a cup. Either League cup or FA Cup, neither is beyond us, luck of the draw, some battling and team work could make us winners.thats a disucssion for another day though.

[Ginja 26]

[quote user="jas the barclay king"]the league is number 1 priority, if we go up then next season work on staying up.. in the snd prem season then why not go for a cup. Either League cup or FA Cup, neither is beyond us, luck of the draw, some battling and team work could make us winners.thats a disucssion for another day though.[/quote]Spot on! as the Leyton Orient chairman has said I would field the youth team and a couple of people from the old age pensioners home!

[William Darby 0]

If we were ticking over mid-table I''d say might as well go for a good run.  As we''re in this position, rest as many players as we dare, and give the fringe players a challenge of winning a game.

[Norfolk Mustard 94]

Boy - we must have come a long way in a short space of time! Talking of the FA Cup as something potentially undesirable seems quite incredible.

Personally I''d hate to see a Leeds-like distraction occur - but a potential £1m earnings that could be deployed on a quality loan player at the end of the season might be rather useful?

[Joanna Grey 0]

A lot of talk about playing the youths but we have enough "on the bench" players who hardly get a full 90 minutes yet are capable of turning over a team from the bottom of League One. There are some difficuilt positions to fill, right back perhaps the worst, but it''s not as though we are really that short of experienced players in all of the other positions.

[pete_norw 0]

[quote user="kdncfc"]I''d say we do need it if only for the money, get through a couple of rounds and draw a big prem side and we could quite easily make a million quid especially if it''s on tv. I grew up through an era where the FA cup was a competition that every single club took seriously from the outset and find it really annoying that the competition is not taken seriously anymore. I for one hope Lambert picks the strongest eleven avaliable to him, Orient are in decent form and are not to be taken lightly.
[/quote]

My thoughts too, but the thing is this, does Lambert face a heafty fine if he fields a weakend side? remembering Wolves and Blackpool went under investigation over the same thing, but I think I would like a couple of decent rounds, (At home)  with a good chance of killing off a big gun

[smooth 114]

Do City need it? No!

Quite simply, I expect a weakened team. We can put out a perfectly strong second string who have league 1 experience, but also who are knocking on the door of the first team or are coming back from injury.

With the big squad we have league 1 experienced players throughout. Apart from R. Martin we have people for every position.

Rudd, Whitbread, Gill, McNamee, Jackson and Wilby could all start allowing some current first teamers a breather and more importantly more time to prepare for Cardiff. I expect a very good performance against Cardiff as a number of players should not be involved at all this weekend and only be preparing for that game.

[smooth 114]

Let me just add, I love the cup for the minnows, but as a Norwich fan it matters very differently this season. A long competition, potential cluttering of fixtures, injuries at a crucial time of the season and more importantly unless you are a prem team it is very unlikely you can cope with this.

However we have a strong squad with players coming back from injury, out of form and also with no reserve games this is helpful. Hence I expect us to win with a weakened team on Saturday and any subsequent games use it as game time for those in recovery but also knocking on the door.

Again the question was do we need a cup run? No, I believe we can use it as preparation for players returning from injury and those knocking on first team places and squad places and I see nothing wrong with that.

[ncfc4life 0]

Personally I wouldnt lose too much sleep if we went out. Maybe its different for me as im only 19 years old so my memories of the fa cup are mostly things like losing at places like dagenham, bury etc and maybe the occasional day out at Chelsea. I think as others mentioned half of it depends on your league position. If your in mid table I guess a cup run can keep your season interesting and bring in money. But when your in the position we are I think it could go against you if you have too many extra games. If we get to the fifth round we have to start postponing our scheduled league games and play them midweek and if you get replays it can all add up. I would be happy enough to maybe get past this lot get a glamour tie in the next round and go out then. Last season we went out in the second round to carlisle I think and I think this really ended up working in our favour. The 3rd round weekend was when we beat Wycombe and went second. Now if we were in the cup that weekend we wouldnt have gone second and things could have turned out differently to how they did. But because we were out of the cup we built momentum won all our games and went above Leeds while they were too busy beating and gloating about how they beat man u.

[alysha 0]

At first I thought, I wouldn''t mind if we had a bit of a cup run but wouldn''t be dissapointed if we didn''t win Saturday because we can concentrate on the league etc. After some more thought, I would actually really want us to lose Saturday..we are joint second, and in this league have a shot at automatic promotion and play offs...with our club, this doesn''t come around often and whilst we are in this position and with a great manager such as Paul Lambert, we need to make the most of it. We wont the FA Cup and sure it might bring a bit of money in if we get a big tie but none of this comapares to promotion and I don''t think the risk of the FA cup dream is worth jepordising our promotion chances. The FA Cup comes round every year, chances to get promoted the Premier League doesn''t.