The EFL Cup 2016/17

[StephenH]

He's lonely apparently

Looked depressed

 

[parklane1]

Mourinho took the game seriously - played near his first eleven. He won. This is a guy who's won so much silverware he could melt it down and pave his estate with it.Poch hasn't yet won anything at all, not a single cup or title - it would have been nice to see him treat it like Mourinho did.

And, in case anyone points out that United-City was a derby while our game wasn't - last year, we played Arsenal at the Lane, and still put out a dreadfully weak side with Poch looking hardly bothered as Flamini (!) put two past us.

Could not agree more.

 

[DubaiSpur]

he's scrabbling to prove he hasn't lost his magic touch, they are not in the CL and are off the pace in the league

we are in a wholly different situation

domestic cups are an inconvenience to us

Winning something is an inconvenience to us? I don't see what's so different between Mou 'scrambling to prove he hasn't lost his magic touch' and Poch's need to prove that he has the winning mentality to actually pull a team across the finishing line - because, let's be honest, his history when it comes to trophies has ranged from a near miss (CC final in 2015) to a possible disastrous collapse (title 'race'), with nary a piece of silverware to show for it.

Plus, if them not being in the CL is supposed to be the reason for them being able to put out a strong side against Liverpool...why did we not put out a strong side against Arsenal last year, when *we* were in the EL ourselves and wayyy before we started convincing ourselves that a title challenge or a top four place was possible?

Our circumstances do not justify throwing away our best chances at trophies, imo. The simple explanation seems to be that Poch doesn't give a single solitary damn about winning either domestic cup, and that's a shame - I genuinely think they represent at present our best chance to win something, and he's only needlessly sullying his time here by pointlessly throwing cup games in this manner.

 

[Baleforce]

Winning something is an inconvenience to us? I don't see what's so different between Mou 'scrambling to prove he hasn't lost his magic touch' and Poch's need to prove that he has the winning mentality to actually pull a team across the finishing line - because, let's be honest, his history when it comes to trophies has ranged from a near miss (CC final in 2015) to a possible disastrous collapse (title 'race'), with nary a piece of silverware to show for it.

Plus, if them not being in the CL is supposed to be the reason for them being able to put out a strong side against Liverpool...why did we not put out a strong side against Arsenal last year, when *we* were in the EL ourselves and wayyy before we started convincing ourselves that a title challenge or a top four place was possible?

Our circumstances do not justify throwing away our best chances at trophies, imo. The simple explanation seems to be that Poch doesn't give a single solitary damn about winning either domestic cup, and that's a shame - I genuinely think they represent at present our best chance to win something, and he's only needlessly sullying his time here by pointlessly throwing cup games in this manner.

they are on a par with the peace cup and the ICC, perhaps we should waste our summers chasing those too?

last season I believe Poch thought we could win the league from the start and that top 4 was likely, that was always his priority

I don't give a single solitary separate individual unbonded lone particular sole specific unique or indeed isolated damn about the domestic cups either, he has my full support with that

 

[StephenH]

they are on a par with the peace cup and the ICC, perhaps we should waste our summers chasing those too?

last season I believe Poch thought we could win the league from the start and that top 4 was likely, that was always his priority

I don't give a single solitary separate individual unbonded lone particular sole specific unique or indeed isolated damn about the domestic cups either, he has my full support with that

I think you have a point but I dont think we needed to truly just 'roll over' like we did at anfield. They were there for the taking and a small part of me thinks it was a missed opportunity to just beat Liverpool who are one of our biggest competitors.

 

[Jordinho]

they are on a par with the peace cup and the ICC, perhaps we should waste our summers chasing those too?

last season I believe Poch thought we could win the league from the start and that top 4 was likely, that was always his priority

I don't give a single solitary separate individual unbonded lone particular sole specific unique or indeed isolated damn about the domestic cups either, he has my full support with that

I've just arrived at this thought as well. They've gone from a bother that you might take seriously at the QF stage to completely worthless. There is no need for two cups and allowing the top two divisions to enter their U23s in the EFL trophy makes that pretty much the same as the EFL cup anyway.

 

[Baleforce]

I think you have a point but I dont think we needed to truly just 'roll over' like we did at anfield. They were there for the taking and a small part of me thinks it was a missed opportunity to just beat Liverpool who are one of our biggest competitors.

I don't think we rolled over, it just didn't click on the night, we've got a big game against a physical side on the weekend who we should be able to beat tactically, a full weeks worth of prep on that for the "first 11" is worth the selection imo

 

[StephenH]

I don't think we rolled over, it just didn't click on the night, we've got a big game against a physical side on the weekend who we should be able to beat tactically, a full weeks worth of prep on that for the "first 11" is worth the selection imo

Lets hope so.........I dont want another WBA/Bournemouth. My heart won't take it.

 

[Baleforce]

I've just arrived at this thought as well. They've gone from a bother that you might take seriously at the QF stage to completely worthless. There is no need for two cups and allowing the top two divisions to enter their U23s in the EFL trophy makes that pretty much the same as the EFL cup anyway.

what could we possibly get out of them, a chance to go to wembley? think we have that covered, a place in the EL? very much second prize, plenty of prize money? no, there isn't any

 

[Jordinho]

what could we possibly get out of them, a chance to go to wembley? think we have that covered, a place in the EL? very much second prize, plenty of prize money? no, there isn't any

Beyond the occasion of being in a final? Nothing. A league cup final means postponed games and potentially a drop in form afterwards. Having 100% focus on the league is more important.

 

[Rorschach]

they are on a par with the peace cup and the ICC, perhaps we should waste our summers chasing those too?

last season I believe Poch thought we could win the league from the start and that top 4 was likely, that was always his priority

I don't give a single solitary separate individual unbonded lone particular sole specific unique or indeed isolated damn about the domestic cups either, he has my full support with that

Nah that is an exaggeration. Don't tell me you wouldn't have like to beat Chelsea in the final the season before last.

Of the four competitions we are in this may have represented a better chance of success than any. If we ditch the domestic cups then we are almost ditching our chances to win anything really.

 

[DubaiSpur]

they are on a par with the peace cup and the ICC, perhaps we should waste our summers chasing those too?

last season I believe Poch thought we could win the league from the start and that top 4 was likely, that was always his priority

I don't give a single solitary separate individual unbonded lone particular sole specific unique or indeed isolated damn about the domestic cups either, he has my full support with that

Once again, Poch has won absolutely nothing, nothing at all, in his career so far. He is at a club which has won an absolutely puny amount of league titles, and no CL trophies whatsoever (which seem like the only two pieces of silverware you seem to give a damn about) - furthermore, the last 'relevant' piece of silverware the club has in this strange estimation of trophies dates back to 1961, before the Beatles, colour TV and the moon landings. These are harsh facts, but given the viewpoint you seem to hold about the relevancy of various trophies, they have to be pointed out.

What the club does have is a rich and illustrious history of cup wins (from the domestic FA and League Cups to the UEFA Cup) - indeed, it is quintessentially known as a 'cup side' due to the disparity. You're entitled to your opinion that these cups don't count and are on par with the ICC and the Peace Cup, however strange that opinion may seem to me. However, the way I see it, Poch is at a club where those very same cups have provided much-needed silverware and achievements to bolster Tottenham Hotspur's long history of daring attacking play - they remain places where success provides both happiness to the majority of fans (at least imv, although we could hold a poll about were the questions to be framed correctly) and a way to prove that he can drag a team over the line, get it to the final of a competition and overcome the odds while avoiding a last-minute choke or a limp capitulation at the finish line, as has (very) arguably occurred with his previous shots at glory.

Thus, the way I see it, he himself has no excuse to treat the domestic cup competitions as shabbily as he's been doing, if someone like Mou, who has probably won more than our club has won in its entire history going by your estimation of the relative worth of certain trophies..if even Mou takes the cup seriously enough to put out a strong side. And he does a disservice to our history by doing so, which absolutely remains a dark black mark on his record for me that exists alongside his positive moments and achievements here.

The cups matter - they provide happiness to the fans, add to our long history of success in those competitions and help teams like ours (and presently trophyless young managers like Poch) develop a real winning mentality. By playing teams full of reserves and kids whenever possible, Poch is throwing away those opportunities. And I don't think that shows great judgement on the matter from the man - suffice it to say, he absolutely does *not* have my support on that.

 

[Rorschach]

Looked depressed

There was an article at the start of the week which I skimmed about him being stuck on his own in a hotel while his family is in London and he was sad. Obviously it was meant to deflect the attention away from the thrashing they had just received at the hands of Chelsea.

 

[Baleforce]

Nah that is an exaggeration. Don't tell me you wouldn't have like to beat Chelsea in the final the season before last.

Of the four competitions we are in this may have represented a better chance of success than any. If we ditch the domestic cups then we are almost ditching our chances to win anything really.

i want us to win every game

i think winning a domestic cup is hollow success and our ambition should be higher than that

 

[Baleforce]

Once again, Poch has won absolutely nothing, nothing at all, in his career so far. He is at a club which has won an absolutely puny amount of league titles, and no CL trophies whatsoever (which seem like the only two pieces of silverware you seem to give a damn about) - furthermore, the last 'relevant' piece of silverware the club has in this strange estimation of trophies dates back to 1961, before the Beatles, colour TV and the moon landings. These are harsh facts, but given the viewpoint you seem to hold about the relevancy of various trophies, they have to be pointed out.

What the club does have is a rich and illustrious history of cup wins (from the domestic FA and League Cups to the UEFA Cup) - indeed, it is quintessentially known as a 'cup side' due to the disparity. You're entitled to your opinion that these cups don't count and are on par with the ICC and the Peace Cup, however strange that opinion may seem to me. However, the way I see it, Poch is at a club where those very same cups have provided much-needed silverware and achievements to bolster Tottenham Hotspur's long history of daring attacking play - they remain places where success provides both happiness to the majority of fans (at least imv, although we could hold a poll about were the questions to be framed correctly) and a way to prove that he can drag a team over the line, get it to the final of a competition and overcome the odds while avoiding a last-minute choke or a limp capitulation at the finish line, as has (very) arguably occurred with his previous shots at glory.

Thus, the way I see it, he himself has no excuse to treat the domestic cup competitions as shabbily as he's been doing, if someone like Mou, who has probably won more than our club has won in its entire history going by your estimation of the relative worth of certain trophies..if even Mou takes the cup seriously enough to put out a strong side. And he does a disservice to our history by doing so, which absolutely remains a dark black mark on his record for me that exists alongside his positive moments and achievements here.

The cups matter - they provide happiness to the fans, add to our long history of success in those competitions and help teams like ours (and presently trophyless young managers like Poch) develop a real winning mentality. By playing teams full of reserves and kids whenever possible, Poch is throwing away those opportunities. And I don't think that shows great judgement on the matter from the man - suffice it to say, he absolutely does *not* have my support on that.

yep, but there are very few managers who have won a CL, i'm aware of how long its been, although the FA Cup and UEFA cup were rightly held in much higher regard at the time we last won them

it's the relevance of the domestics cup's that have decreased, not our history in them, the FA Cup is not what it was 25 years ago, we can be proud of that part of our past without needing to repeat it

he has every excuse, ENIC want CL football, that's his job

would I rather we had won on Tuesday? yes, am I upset that we lost? not at all, the domestic cup's do not matter to me

 

[paxtonwolf]

You make that sound like a bad thing.

I'm just disappointed that Liverpool don't have to play at the cultural cesspool of Elland Rd. Do they allow replays at this stage? Arsenal-Southampton has replay written all over it.

For me, Arsenal winning it, is, and working in Liverpool so is them winning it as well

No replays by the way. The only bonus is extra games the further they progress, but as most of them dont play full teams it renders that almost pointless

 

[parklane1]

I wonder how many of those fans who insist the cups mean nothing to them will be chasing final tickets when/if we get to one.

 

[the dza]

I think it'd e great to win a domestic cup, but frankly we should be able to rely on our reserves to give Liverpool reserves a better game. It was good enough for Klopp to rotate, it should have been good enough for Poch if they didn't all (bar Vorm) play like utter qunts.

 

[Baleforce]

I wonder how many of those fans who insist the cups mean nothing to them will be chasing final tickets when/if we get to one.

i've reached an age where i'm not fussed about attending games that much at all, i prefer watching on the telly whilst chatting on here

it also means i'm only engrossed for 90 mins rather than game time plus an hour each way commute, which is fairer on my kids

 

[Denmark Spur]

https://twitter.com/x/status/794494807020306433