Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 15/16

54and56

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You are playing against second 11's in many cases. Even teams that are finishing in the bottom half, of the league, put out their second 11 in the league cup.

Sure even Man City put out a bunch of kids in the FA cup against Chelsea at the weekend. So what? That's what squads are for. Our squad vs everyone else's squad and we're in a final at Wembly which I'm sure City will want to win just as much as we do. That is enough for me to get excited about and I don't understand any LFC fan who doesn't feel the same.

Kerrigooney

If you're not excited about being in a final then I don't know what's the point...

Je_suis_Jean

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Sure even Man City put out a bunch of kids in the FA cup against Chelsea at the weekend. So what? That's what squads are for. Our squad vs everyone else's squad and we're in a final at Wembly which I'm sure City will want to win just as much as we do. That is enough for me to get excited about and I don't understand any LFC fan who doesn't feel the same.

My points being - the fact that professional premier league teams in mid table,or at the bottom, put out their second 11 tells us where that competition stands. It's not about squads. It's about achievements.

And you're also saying you don't have the ability to understand somebody who feels differently to you so I don't know how to help you there.

Kerrigooney

Kerrigooney wrote: »

If you're not excited about being in a final then I don't know what's the point...

I'll hopefully enjoy the final but it'll be in context to what winning that final actually means.

Edit - or what losing that final actually means.

MD1990

Deleted User wrote: »

I agree with you BlackBull that we are all allowed our own opinions and desires.

I was simply agreeing with Magico re the League cup.

Some supporters get very opinionated and question the support of some fans,based on their own desires, and I think that's unfair. It has to go both ways.

I don't care a jot about the League cup but any supporter that gets a thrill from winning it is more than entitled to do so.

Too many opinions are expressed as matter of fact.

I find this opinion very very strange considering we have won 1 trophy in the last 10 years.

MD1990

MD1990 wrote: »

I find this opinion very very strange considering we have won 1 trophy in the last 10 years.

What is strange about it ?

It's not an important cup and it's not really where I want to see LFC competing for 'success'.

bur

All about context, right now The League Cup is a huge competition for all involved with the club. For Klopp to win something so soon and for this group of players to get into the habit of winning big games and trophies.

mosstin

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What is strange about it ?

It's not an important cup and it's not really where I want to see LFC competing for 'success'.

Point made, no? You don't rate the Capital One Cup. You've spent the past 4 hours replying to anyone who does.
The vast majority of fans want their clubs to win a trophy, as do most on here. You don't. You have my sympathy. Enjoy your Sunday, whatever it is you find yourself doing.

Jesus Wept

had 2 donuts for breakfast and a chocolate muffin for tea

mosstin

mosstin wrote: »

Point made, no? You don't rate the Capital One Cup. You've spent the past 4 hours replying to anyone who does.
The vast majority of fans want their clubs to win a trophy, as do most on here. You don't. You have my sympathy. Enjoy your Sunday, whatever it is you find yourself doing.

Point not made obviously as I didn't say I don't want us to win on Sunday. Dramatic comments like yours (above) are tabloid to me. Is that where you are at in terms of discussions ?

You're sympathy would be better served where it might be needed.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Je suis Mario wrote: »

had 2 donuts for breakfast and a chocolate muffin for tea

Thin we can put a lid on the mysterious disappearance of all the pies...

J Mysterio

garra wrote: »

True that. The only time we have looked remotely in control is when playing vastly inferior opposition. Kloppo is the antithesis of Rafa in terms of style it seems, although that can't be confirmed until he has brought in more of his own players.

I think Liverpool have always performed well against the big teams and slip up against those they are expected to beat. I'm optimistic of our chances!

If you can't get excited about your team being in a final you aren't really a supporter tbh. Probably more of a sunshine supporter.

Trophies are what it's all about

monkey9

A few mid life crisis' in this thread i see.

magma69

RoboKlopp wrote: »

If you can't get excited about your team being in a final you aren't really a supporter tbh. Probably more of a sunshine supporter.

Trophies are what it's all about

That's a contradictory statement. How can you be a sunshine supporter if you're losing interest at a time when the club are on the brink of the first silverwear in donkeys years?

RoboKlopp

RoboKlopp wrote: »

If you can't get excited about your team being in a final you aren't really a supporter tbh. Probably more of a sunshine supporter.

Trophies are what it's all about

Well I've held a season ticket for a season (not at club prices) and regularly paid top dollar for tickets to matches over the years with the opening home match, of the season, being a regular event for about 7 of the 10 years I lived in the UK.

I've also spent many mornings arising at silly hours, for example from 1am-6am, depending on what time zone I was living in at that time. Always difficult traveling to matches in randomn venues (in cities or towns I barely knew at times) over the years at abnormal times to watch game on a tv I didn't have.

I could go on and on and on and on.

I know how much I've supported my club, for over 37 years now (including first visit to Anfield at the age of 12), and I can go in to greater detail if I wasn't on my Bàstard phone.

In short, if people don't understand that I have very little interest in winning that irrelevant trophy then that's hardly my fault. Again, I could go into detail, which I thought would be fairly obvious, as to why but there seems to be no point.

ERG89

MD1990 wrote: »

I find this opinion very very strange considering we have won 1 trophy in the last 10 years.

Tbf I don't look at it or the FA Cup as making of a good season if you win either. Domestic cups are all much of a muchness as a football fan. When we get replays in the FA Cup I'd prefer to be knocked out tbh.
But a trophy is a start under Klopp but if we lose it this season is looking grim as we're well off the pace in a poor standard league & the Europa league we didn't play very well in once yet this season.

54and56

Deleted User wrote: »

It's not an important cup and it's not really where I want to see LFC competing for 'success'.

If we were regularly winning the PL and CL then I'd agree with you but when you're starting from the point we are then a win in a less important cup is still, relative to where we actually are, important.

Do you really think this squad are going to barnstorm the PL and CL without cutting our teeth on the least prestigious but still important cup first?

Je_suis_Jean

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

If we were regularly winning the PL and CL then I'd agree with you but when you're starting from the point we are then a win in a less important cup is still, relative to where we actually are, important.

Do you really think this squad are going to barnstorm the PL and CL without cutting our teeth on the least prestigious but still important cup first?

My current expectations are not for us to barnstorm anything really. I think there is a lot of building ahead but I'm excited at the prospect of barnstorming something, under Klopp, in hopefully the not too distant future. Would hope that at some stage, maybe within 5-7 years, we could be a regular fixture in the top 4-5 and maybe have a few title challenges.

We don't have the financial resources of our competitors but hopefully Klopp can bridge that gap somewhat. That is a very big ask though.

Agent Coulson

Well I for one can't wait for the final on Sunday and I'll be totally gutted if we don't win it.

Success breeds success and builds a winning mentality and inspires players and fans alike

MD1990

ERG89 wrote: »

Tbf I don't look at it or the FA Cup as making of a good season if you win either. Domestic cups are all much of a muchness as a football fan. When we get replays in the FA Cup I'd prefer to be knocked out tbh.
But a trophy is a start under Klopp but if we lose it this season is looking grim as we're well off the pace in a poor standard league & the Europa league we didn't play very well in once yet this season.

Really hope nobody on the Liverpool squad or staff has this attitude though.

rob316

Trophy is a trophy. Yes its the league cup but the name of the club goes into the history books when it is won. It's Wembley, its a final how could you not be excited and not care if we win or lose?

It wont be a successful season by winning it but it could give the team a real boost towards European glory. A league cup and Europa cup would be a damn fine season.

Benimar

Isn't it amazing that between 1981-84 when Liverpool won 3 leagues back to back and also won 2 European Cups, that we still won (and wanted to win) 4 League Cups in a row. It was never regarded as an afterthought.

Yet now when we have one trophy in 10 years, the League Cup is an 'irrelevant trophy'

For those happy to see us go out of the FA Cup due to fixture congestion, will you be happy next week if Augsburg knock us out of the Europa League and all we have to 'concentrate on' is finishing 7th in the League?? Won't that be an exciting end to the season :rolleyes:

Maybe I'm old school but I'd rather a replay over being knocked out of a cup any day.

Domo1982

Deleted User wrote: »

Well I've held a season ticket for a season (not at club prices) and regularly paid top dollar for tickets to matches over the years with the opening home match, of the season, being a regular event for about 7 of the 10 years I lived in the UK.

I've also spent many mornings arising at silly hours, for example from 1am-6am, depending on what time zone I was living in at that time. Always difficult traveling to matches in randomn venues (in cities or towns I barely knew at times) over the years at abnormal times to watch game on a tv I didn't have.

I could go on and on and on and on.

I know how much I've supported my club, for over 37 years now (including first visit to Anfield at the age of 12), and I can go in to greater detail if I wasn't on my Bàstard phone.

In short, if people don't understand that I have very little interest in winning that irrelevant trophy then that's hardly my fault. Again, I could go into detail, which I thought would be fairly obvious, as to why but there seems to be no point.

I think this is an terrible attitude to have quite frankly. A win can only be a positive for the club,more so that ever actually. You seem to be a bona fide supporter as well which is even more mind boggling.

I think you need to have a good hard chat with yourself to be honest pal

D

citytillidie

the main aim of a football club is to win things, anything else it is just a business

oh and that Arsenal V Barca thread lol

Buford T. Justice XIX

One of the many reasons I love our club.

https://twitter.com/RedsfansLFC/status/702221913532317696

LFC send condolences to a lady whose Leicester supporting husband died in Anfield while supporting Leicester on Boxing(sic) day.

ush

Augsburg game is more important for the club than the league cup final. The league game after that, or any league game for that matter, is more important. A nice day out. But the competition should be done away with.

SuperTortoise

Let me ask a question, if it was a call between having a good run in the league cup OR having players fresher for league games over the course of a full season which would you pick?

We don't have the quality never mind the quality and depth to compete on all fronts, yes a trophy would be nice and i'd love it if we beat city on Sunday but if i asked myself that same question last September i'd choose the league as priority.
The domestic cups are not what they once were and success in them should be seen as a bonus not a priority.

Bandana boy

ush wrote: »

Augsburg game is more important for the club than the league cup final. The league game after that, or any league game for that matter, is more important. A nice day out. But the competition should be done away with.

Would it be moe important than a league game on the last day of the season when we are 4 points behind the team in front of us and 4 ahead of the team behind us ?

No of course not , This season at this time in the season the legue cup final is more important than any league game.
1 its silver ware
2 It starts a winning mentality, it battle hardens a squad.
3 It is one point of brightness in his season of muck
4 Nearly all the really good coaches started winning leagues by at first winning cups

ush

The squad needs a major overhaul. A league cup title with this group of players won't have much impact on a more successful future LFC. Nice day out. A possible trophy.

Harry Palmr

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Let me ask a question, if it was a call between having a good run in the league cup OR having players fresher for league games over the course of a full season which would you pick?

We don't have the quality never mind the quality and depth to compete on all fronts, yes a trophy would be nice and i'd love it if we beat city on Sunday but if i asked myself that same question last September i'd choose the league as priority.
The domestic cups are not what they once were and success in them should be seen as a bonus not a priority.

We're not having this discussion in September, when there is sod all left to play for then win what you can. Its the final, after that if Liverpool beat Augsberg then the EL is the only thing that matters. Mind you someone will probably pipe up suggesting its important to try and finish 6th and not 7th or 8th. Its not.

Victory in the EL might be a long shot but it's the only shot worth pursuing

ush

Wake me up when September ends.

8-10

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Let me ask a question, if it was a call between having a good run in the league cup OR having players fresher for league games over the course of a full season which would you pick?

We don't have the quality never mind the quality and depth to compete on all fronts, yes a trophy would be nice and i'd love it if we beat city on Sunday but if i asked myself that same question last September i'd choose the league as priority.
The domestic cups are not what they once were and success in them should be seen as a bonus not a priority.

It's relative to the way the season is going.

Early rounds of both cups we are no different to other teams in the PL: play a mixture of experienced players, young up and coming players, and squad players who need the games - e.g. Joe Allen, Ibe, Lucas etc who have been rotated most of the year.

I have no problem with us doing this and it shows what people seem to have an issue about - that we are not taking it as a priority. People want us to prioritise the league over the League cup and that's what we did in those early rounds:

v Carlisle: likes of Bogdan, Ings, Ibe, Allen etc (still Rodgers at this stage)
v Bournemouth: likes of Bogdan, Toure, Teixeira, Origi, Brannagan, Randall
v Southampton: likes of Bogdan, Randall, Allen, Sturridge returning from injury to get a game

So I don't think we were sacrificing the first team completely in these games at all - priority was the league with the form players rested in these games

Then we get to the semi-final. Now it's a 2 leg game that you can still look to rest players for if you're doing well in the league (for us this season it would be top-4 contending that we would all like to see prioritised)

However, the time of the first leg of the semi we are 8th in the league. Added to that, it is over a week until the next league game. So I have no problem that we played a stronger team for the semi-final 1st leg. We could then rest players v Exeter City in the FA Cup which we did subsequently that weekend and still have a rest for the first teamers. For the 2nd leg v Stoke we were 7th in the league but even further from top 4 and in reality we all know that was a very long shot at the time of the 2nd leg.

So I understand people saying like in the above quote that we should prioritise the league and if you go back to September now that's what we'd all say. But based on the approach we had for the League Cup this season - I think that all the way up to the semi-final 2nd leg, we did prioritise the league. The issue we have is - we kept on winning the ties that we rested players for!

This to me is the ideal situation - rest players right up to the end and then, when there's actually something to play for - we play a stronger team. And we are only doing that at a time when the main league objective seems to have slipped away. If we were in any position from 1-5 in the league right now I'd expect we'd still be gung ho for the league and saying screw the cup. But there's little left to play for there and our League Cup semi-reserve team have gotten us this far so why not go for the win on Sunday? What league goals are we going to screw up by doing so?

Harry Palmr

A lot of chatter about Ignacio Camacho who plays as a DM for Malaga, scouted last month and talk of a summer move for £7 million which presumably is €10m

gafferino

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marko-grujic-lazar-markovic-gave-10941493

Liverpool new boy Marko Grujic has revealed that a ringing endorsement from fellow Serbian Lazar Markovic helped convince him to move to Anfield.

The 19-year-old midfielder signed for the Reds in a £5.1million deal last month but was loaned back to Red Star Belgrade until the end of the season.

Grujic sought guidance from Liverpool winger Markovic, who is currently on loan at Fenerbahce, before putting pen to paper on a four-year contract.

“I spoke with Lazar Markovic and he told me good things about the club,” he said.

“He told me that Liverpool is a great club, that the pressure and expectations are enormous, and that the first two to three months are the most important.

“I will have to prove myself during that period and show my qualities. I will have to show what I am made of. I am very confident.”

Grujic became the first signing of Jurgen Klopp’s reign and the manager played a key role in ensuring Liverpool beat off competition from across Europe to secure his signature.

During a phone call to the youngster back in December Klopp spelt out exactly why he wanted to take him to Anfield.

“Everything started with the now famous phone call from Klopp,” he told Serbian publication Blic.

“No-one told me that he was going to call. I was just sitting around when my phone started ringing and I saw a number on the screen starting with +44… England!

New signing Marko Grujic of Liverpool is unveiled at Melwood Training Ground.New signing Marko Grujic of Liverpool is unveiled at Melwood Training Ground.
“When I answered I immediately recognised that German accent and that voice.

“He did most of the talking and told me about the plans that he had for me.

“His vision is that I should be something between a No 6 and a No 10. What they call a box-to-box midfielder.

“My only request was that I didn’t want to be loaned out, I just want to play for Liverpool. He was very open, told me about how he sees my development.

“When a coach like that calls you on the phone personally, that’s the greatest privilege. That call really cemented my desire to join Liverpool.

“He is famous as someone who likes to work with young players. He has made Subotic, Lewandowski, Kagawa.”

Jurgen Klopp and Robert Lewandowski - could they be reunited?
Grujic admits he was overwhelmed when he met his new team-mates for the first time at Melwood after flying to Merseyside last month to undergo his medical.

“I had just finished all my examinations, and I climbed upstairs where I saw all of them having lunch,” he added.

“I almost passed out from excitement. My heart almost stopped!

“I approached everyone and greeted them. I went weak at the knees with excitement but I sat down and had lunch.

“After that I went to have some more tests. I will remember this forever.

“Dejan Lovren really cheered me up and impressed me. He is good friends with Lazar. He welcomed me with the words: ‘Is it finally over? We Balkan boys have to stick together!’.”

It was Grujic’s choice to remain at Red Star until the summer as he’s desperate to help the runaway leaders clinch the Serbian title.

But he remains in close contact with Liverpool staff and is determined to make a big impression in pre-season.

“The upcoming six months will be very important for me. I will have a lot of work to do in addition to my training and games at Red Star,” he said.

“The players in Liverpool are phenomenal so I have to work on improving my physical strength.

“I have to become strong enough because I want to be able to go into a duel with anyone.

“Liverpool players looked physically flawless. Wide shoulders and strong legs. Everything is on the highest level.

“I would choose Liverpool over Real Madrid and Barcelona. I love them! I love the Premier League because of the energy and the atmosphere.”

Sappy404

ush wrote: »

Augsburg game is more important for the club than the league cup final. The league game after that, or any league game for that matter, is more important. A nice day out. But the competition should be done away with.

You'd rather win a 2nd leg Europa League last 32 match against the 13th best team in Germany than a League Cup final? For the outside chance of qualifying for another tournament we won't win?

The way I see it, if the League Cup means that little to you, then all 8 of our previous League Cups mean the same. The achievement of winning 4 in a row means nothing. Kenny winning a trophy in his first full season back means nothing. All of the matches we've played in the competition so far mean nothing, including a 6-1 against Southampton, arguably the best Liverpool performance in years.

Next time you visit Anfield ask them if they'd consider replacing the League Cups with Champions League match pendants and see if anyone would agree with you.

Riesen_Meal

Presser, Sturridge in with Herr Klopp!

They would wanna be careful with them camera flashes or he will get injured again... :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZcvkOmpMKI

Reaffirming his future by the sounds of things and fending off questions about God!

mosstin

Deleted User wrote: »

Well I've held a season ticket for a season (not at club prices) and regularly paid top dollar for tickets to matches over the years with the opening home match, of the season, being a regular event for about 7 of the 10 years I lived in the UK.

I've also spent many mornings arising at silly hours, for example from 1am-6am, depending on what time zone I was living in at that time. Always difficult traveling to matches in randomn venues (in cities or towns I barely knew at times) over the years at abnormal times to watch game on a tv I didn't have.

I could go on and on and on and on.

I know how much I've supported my club, for over 37 years now (including first visit to Anfield at the age of 12), and I can go in to greater detail if I wasn't on my Bàstard phone.

In short, if people don't understand that I have very little interest in winning that irrelevant trophy then that's hardly my fault. Again, I could go into detail, which I thought would be fairly obvious, as to why but there seems to be no point.

Happens a lot, eh?

mosstin

gafferino wrote: »

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marko-grujic-lazar-markovic-gave-10941493

Liverpool new boy Marko Grujic has revealed that a ringing endorsement from fellow Serbian Lazar Markovic helped convince him to move to Anfield.

The 19-year-old midfielder signed for the Reds in a £5.1million deal last month but was loaned back to Red Star Belgrade until the end of the season.

Grujic sought guidance from Liverpool winger Markovic, who is currently on loan at Fenerbahce, before putting pen to paper on a four-year contract.

“I spoke with Lazar Markovic and he told me good things about the club,” he said.

“He told me that Liverpool is a great club, that the pressure and expectations are enormous, and that the first two to three months are the most important.

“I will have to prove myself during that period and show my qualities. I will have to show what I am made of. I am very confident.”

Grujic became the first signing of Jurgen Klopp’s reign and the manager played a key role in ensuring Liverpool beat off competition from across Europe to secure his signature.

During a phone call to the youngster back in December Klopp spelt out exactly why he wanted to take him to Anfield.

“Everything started with the now famous phone call from Klopp,” he told Serbian publication Blic.

“No-one told me that he was going to call. I was just sitting around when my phone started ringing and I saw a number on the screen starting with +44… England!

New signing Marko Grujic of Liverpool is unveiled at Melwood Training Ground.New signing Marko Grujic of Liverpool is unveiled at Melwood Training Ground.
“When I answered I immediately recognised that German accent and that voice.

“He did most of the talking and told me about the plans that he had for me.

“His vision is that I should be something between a No 6 and a No 10. What they call a box-to-box midfielder.

“My only request was that I didn’t want to be loaned out, I just want to play for Liverpool. He was very open, told me about how he sees my development.

“When a coach like that calls you on the phone personally, that’s the greatest privilege. That call really cemented my desire to join Liverpool.

“He is famous as someone who likes to work with young players. He has made Subotic, Lewandowski, Kagawa.”

Jurgen Klopp and Robert Lewandowski - could they be reunited?
Grujic admits he was overwhelmed when he met his new team-mates for the first time at Melwood after flying to Merseyside last month to undergo his medical.

“I had just finished all my examinations, and I climbed upstairs where I saw all of them having lunch,” he added.

“I almost passed out from excitement. My heart almost stopped!

“I approached everyone and greeted them. I went weak at the knees with excitement but I sat down and had lunch.

“After that I went to have some more tests. I will remember this forever.

“Dejan Lovren really cheered me up and impressed me. He is good friends with Lazar. He welcomed me with the words: ‘Is it finally over? We Balkan boys have to stick together!’.”

It was Grujic’s choice to remain at Red Star until the summer as he’s desperate to help the runaway leaders clinch the Serbian title.

But he remains in close contact with Liverpool staff and is determined to make a big impression in pre-season.

“The upcoming six months will be very important for me. I will have a lot of work to do in addition to my training and games at Red Star,” he said.

“The players in Liverpool are phenomenal so I have to work on improving my physical strength.

“I have to become strong enough because I want to be able to go into a duel with anyone.

“Liverpool players looked physically flawless. Wide shoulders and strong legs. Everything is on the highest level.

“I would choose Liverpool over Real Madrid and Barcelona. I love them! I love the Premier League because of the energy and the atmosphere.”

How did this lad pass the medical? Loic Remy will have his lawyers on the case.

Turtyturd

citytillidie wrote: »

oh and that Arsenal V Barca thread lol

I read through some of it this morning and thought I had watched the wrong match last night.

mosstin

mosstin wrote: »

How did this lad pass the medical? Loic Remy will have his lawyers on the case.

Quality. Hilarious.

MD1990

MD1990 wrote: »

Really hope nobody on the Liverpool squad or staff has this attitude though.

Do you really hope that ? Or are you just saying something wildly emotional ?

I think he was just stating his preference in those specific circumstances.

Do you understand now ?

Bandana boy

Bandana boy wrote: »

Would it be moe important than a league game on the last day of the season when we are 4 points behind the team in front of us and 4 ahead of the team behind us ?

No of course not , This season at this time in the season the legue cup final is more important than any league game.
1 its silver ware
2 It starts a winning mentality, it battle hardens a squad.
3 It is one point of brightness in his season of muck
4 Nearly all the really good coaches started winning leagues by at first winning cups

So much wrong with this post but point 4 has blown my mind. The icing on the cake, if you will.

8-10

8-10 wrote: »

It's relative to the way the season is going.

Early rounds of both cups we are no different to other teams in the PL: play a mixture of experienced players, young up and coming players, and squad players who need the games - e.g. Joe Allen, Ibe, Lucas etc who have been rotated most of the year.

I have no problem with us doing this and it shows what people seem to have an issue about - that we are not taking it as a priority. People want us to prioritise the league over the League cup and that's what we did in those early rounds:

v Carlisle: likes of Bogdan, Ings, Ibe, Allen etc (still Rodgers at this stage)
v Bournemouth: likes of Bogdan, Toure, Teixeira, Origi, Brannagan, Randall
v Southampton: likes of Bogdan, Randall, Allen, Sturridge returning from injury to get a game

So I don't think we were sacrificing the first team completely in these games at all - priority was the league with the form players rested in these games

Then we get to the semi-final. Now it's a 2 leg game that you can still look to rest players for if you're doing well in the league (for us this season it would be top-4 contending that we would all like to see prioritised)

However, the time of the first leg of the semi we are 8th in the league. Added to that, it is over a week until the next league game. So I have no problem that we played a stronger team for the semi-final 1st leg. We could then rest players v Exeter City in the FA Cup which we did subsequently that weekend and still have a rest for the first teamers. For the 2nd leg v Stoke we were 7th in the league but even further from top 4 and in reality we all know that was a very long shot at the time of the 2nd leg.

So I understand people saying like in the above quote that we should prioritise the league and if you go back to September now that's what we'd all say. But based on the approach we had for the League Cup this season - I think that all the way up to the semi-final 2nd leg, we did prioritise the league. The issue we have is - we kept on winning the ties that we rested players for!

This to me is the ideal situation - rest players right up to the end and then, when there's actually something to play for - we play a stronger team. And we are only doing that at a time when the main league objective seems to have slipped away. If we were in any position from 1-5 in the league right now I'd expect we'd still be gung ho for the league and saying screw the cup. But there's little left to play for there and our League Cup semi-reserve team have gotten us this far so why not go for the win on Sunday? What league goals are we going to screw up by doing so?

Amazing post. Full of contradictions.

Fickle indeed.

Harry Palmr

Who the **** are you anyway?! :pac:

Someone who did not think perspective would be met with such confusion.

SuperTortoise

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Let me ask a question, if it was a call between having a good run in the league cup OR having players fresher for league games over the course of a full season which would you pick?

We don't have the quality never mind the quality and depth to compete on all fronts, yes a trophy would be nice and i'd love it if we beat city on Sunday but if i asked myself that same question last September i'd choose the league as priority.
The domestic cups are not what they once were and success in them should be seen as a bonus not a priority.

I would pick having players fresh for the league campaign every time. I think you're spot on in saying the cups are only a bonus to a relatively successful league placing.

I would enjoy the league cup a lot more if they introduced some underage rule. Maybe 5-7 matchday squad players needing to be under 23 or something of that ilk.

54and56

Deleted User wrote: »

I would enjoy the league cup a lot more if they introduced some underage rule. Maybe 5-7 matchday squad players needing to be under 23 or something of that ilk.

Good idea, similar to the rules in the Olympics? That would differentiate the competition from the FA Cup and give it more of a reason to exist. Not sure the senior players picked to play with the babies would be too impressed though. Could be worth a shot though along with peno's and no replays.

~Rebel~

A bit embarrassing that Sturridge was even asked about that stupid religion rumor, but I guess still good to have on record his thoughts on it. (annoyed and disappointed that anyone would ever even suggest such a thing. insulted at the suggestion that he ever wants to do anything other than just play football, and sees no connection between religion and football). He came across quite well.

8-10

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Amazing post. Full of contradictions.

Fickle indeed.

Fickle how?