Carling Cup, Third Round!
It's Carling Cup time again, lads, and the big boys enter the competition today, slumming with the minnows such as Leeds. Speaking of Leeds, our battle with Southend will be Dennis Wise's first game as Leeds manager. Needless to say I'm quaking in my boots over this one. It's really our last realistic chance at some honors this year given that the big clubs cynically stick their third string side out for these matches. I'll be following the matches until my class time at 4 p.m. Join me, won't you?
posted by gatorbob @ 2:10 PM
44 Comments:
Here are the match-ups today:
Chesterfield v West Ham
Everton v Luton
Leeds v Southend
Leicester v Aston Villa
Notts County v Southampton
Port Vale v Norwich
Sheff Utd v Birmingham
Watford v Hull
West Brom v Arsenal
Wycombe v Doncaster
Some really tasty matches there. Alan Pardew will be desperate for a win today, but Chesterfield may scent blood in the water and a giant killing possibility. I reckon West Brom could give Arsenal a game if the Gunners don't take the Carling Cup seriously and run out the kids. Birmingham will almost certainly beat Premiership scrubs Sheff. Utd. Should be an interesting afternoon.
Some interesting interviews on Five Live: angry Swindon fans accusing Leeds of robbing them of Wise and Gus Poyet, along with angry Leeds fans who don't want Dennis and Gus! What have you done, Captain Birdsye?!
No surprises for the Hammers - neither of the Argies has made the trip (Tevez because he can't be arsed and Mascherano because he's still recovering from that dog bite attack by Jermaine Defoe.)
As predicted the Arsenal are cynically tossing out the young lads and scrubs for the Carling Cup. Thanks, Arsene! Always nice to have the feeling that the big boys have no respect for English footballing tradition reinforced.
Here's the Arsenal team:
24. Manuel Almunia
33. Matthew Connolly
6. Philippe Senderos
20. Johan Djourou
22. Gael Clichy
16. Mathieu Flamini
17. Alexandre Song Billong
15. Neves Denilson
32. Theo Walcott
25. Emmanuel Adebayor
30. Jeremie Aliadiere
Ten changes from Saturday with only Johan Djorou surviving from the side that demolished Reading. First chance to see the new 18 year Brazilian Denilson (no, not the step-over king from Betis), Theo's in the side and we've got the dynamic front duo of Adebayor and Aliadiere.
Meanwhile Villa are putting their first team out against Leicester away, with Angel and Baros up front. Good old Martin O'Neill. At least someone understands the role of the League Cup.
Chesterfield are really having a go at West Ham right from the start, with Hammers backup keeper Rob Green keeping them alive.
Ashley Young has been Watford 1-0 up against hapless Hull.
Unbelievable. A long hoof from Rob Green is nodded on and Marlon Harewood has launched a volley into the Chesterfield net. West Ham's first goal in many many moons. They're one up!
Football 365 comments: "Dennis Wise's presence at Elland Road has fired up Leeds, who have just gone close in the early stages with Eddie Lewis just firing wide after cutting inside from the wing."
I like the sound of that!
Martin O'Neill has been rewarded for his honest approach to tonight's match - his side is 1-0 up against Leicester on his homecoming.
Notts County are 1-0 up against Southhampton. That would be a shock.
I'm really surprised to see Sheffield United 1-0 up against Birmingham.
Adebayor has limped off the field against WBA to be replaced by what seems like Jimmy Traore's brother.
Bugger! Not the best start for Wisey. We've suffered a penalty and Southend are 1-0 up at Elland Road.
Another penalty - this time for the Arse after Aladiere was brought down. They're 1-0 up now.
And now we're 2-0 down. This is not going to the Roy of the Rovers script. Dennis will have to pull something extraordinary at half time for us to salvage this disaster.
Everton are now 1-0 up.
Yes! Good old Ian Moore has pulled one back for us - we're in this one. It's the first goal we've scored in three matches.
Notts County have extended their lead while Birmingham have leveled it against Sheffield United.
Leicester have pegged back the Villans - it's 1-1 at Walker Stadium.
Everton have extended their lead and Villa have retaken their lead against Leicester - again through a penalty.
Still no score between Port Vale and Norwich and Wycombe and Doncaster - two of the weakest matchups left in the competition. Coming up on half time now.
What's with the Little Englander BS? You've gone all Warnock for a disturbing opening there.
Get stuffed Sheepshagger. You try competing on 4 fronts without making the hard choices about squad rotation.
It's UEFA's fault anyway for devaluing the Carling by taking away the automatic entry into the UEFA cup.
I don't want to see Rigobert's nephew at any point in the season, but if it has to be, the Carling's the place.
Traore is not Bambi Traore's brother. This is Armand Traore, up and coming 17-18 year old who we nicked off Monaco in the summer.
I am popping in before my class starts. Leeds are up to it again. Sorry, Bob... I am sorry, Way to go Southend.
I put a comment in the trivia window.
Good to see Warnock's Goblin horde getting stuffed by Brum too. That's them out of the Carling and the money they'd earn from it at first go with only the prospect of relegation to go. Couldn't happen to a crapper bloke.
And while I'm at it, chief among the goblin-slayers, ex-gooners Bendtner and Larsson.
It's not nativistic to complain about how cynical the big clubs are these days about the traditional competitions such as the Carling and FA Cups that don't bring in the revenue of the Champions' League. Do you honestly think this is a matter of squad rotation? Well, answer me this - would Arsene ever rotate the squad toward this kind of line-up against a big European club in the Champions' League? And if - as I suspect - this is a laughable suggestion, then the question is why not? If the answer isn't money, then what is it?
Here's another question that goes to the root of how big money has perverted the ideas of the fans of big teams:
Would you rather that your team won the FA Cup and came fifth in the Premiership or were knocked out in the Third Round of the FA and came fourth in the Premiership?
Be honest now, because I've heard many Arsenal, Chelski, ManYoo and Liverpool fans argue openly that there preference is the latter. And that's a travesty.
A miserable start to the Wise era. 1-3 Southend. Something will have to change soon.
I'm with you on Sheffield United. Nice to see the Blades dumped out at this stage. Now they can focus on achieving relegation in record time.
What about West Ham, eh? I had a feeling that Chesterfield might be a banana skin for them. Is it time for Pardew to part company with WHU, Trev?
Definitely the latter. Forgoing that last CL place is the difference between being able to buy a Rosicky to fill in the gaps, or having to forage around and settle for Jimmy Bullard or worse.
Of course the Carling is a devalued contest. I just think it's boring to read once again that a squad that has exciting talent like Aliadiere, Wolcott, Denilson, Adebayore, Clichy, Flamini, Djourou, and Sendaros isn't good enough for Bob Dahlgren or some other rattle- waving-rosette wearing-pie-eating relic of a hack. 4 of those guys were in the World Cup, though Theo didn't play. Aliadiere and Clichy are young enough that they could have figured in the under 21 WC if they hadn't been knobbled. For all I know, Denilson did.
For the record, any of the above would walk straight into most Premiership sides and if at Leeds would be lifting you out of the s**t so you wouldn't be saddled with another gee-up-the-lads merchant like the cheeky chappie.
And as for Sheffield, nothing would please me quite as much as Warnock being forced to walk the plank at the end of November and them bringing in Bryan Robson to try and salvage things before the inevitable mathematics sink the harpoon fully into the Goblins.
And despite your rattle waiving, rosette wearing, pie eating attitude to the young gunners today, I'm sorry that you Sheepshaggers won't be taking any further part in this competition. I hope for the best for you.
Bob's been arguing that Pardew's lost the vote of confidence from his players and that Chesterfield result would seem to add to his argument. Bad luck Johnno. Hope you right the ship...but after our visti on 11.05.
You dodged my initial question quite smoothly, Gooner. That is - despite the fine qualifications you cite for the likes of Aliadiere and co. to lead the charge for the Gunners in the Champions' League? I suspect the answer is "no."
As for the Carling and FA Cups being devalued, who's made it so? Do you really want to support a footballing world which FIFA dreams up a new competition every few years - let's say the Sepp Blatter trophy - that suddenly becomes the "valued" competition de jour because of the dosh involved, while the F.A. Cup drops off the map? Hey, I'll choose to be a rosette-wearing pie-eater (although not sheep-shagger, thank you) over being a corporate money-grubbing smoothy any day, mate.
You were up one nil and then when I buggered off to class it all fell apart for you and me both. Commiserations, mate.
Flippin' de Stefano, Best, Beckenbauer, and Cruyff played in the European Cup, the precursor to the CL and you think this is a johnny-come-lately competition?
Even in the 70's the League Cup took a solid back seat to the League and the 1st Division championship. It's just that there was no money to support the size of the squads that you have now in the Prem. If there had been, the likes of Tommy Smith could walk across a room without a cane. I saw footage of Trevor Francis recently walking and it's not a pretty sight. Ask him if he'd have preferred to give the League Cup a miss. All those guys were worked to beyond their limits.
I fully expect players like Aliadiere, Denilson, Sendaros, Djourou, and Wolcott to lead the team to further glory. Henry, Ljungberg, to name just two won't be under 30 for ever.
It's only because Aliadiere has had such awful luck with his fitness that we went searching around and found Van Persie. Remember that we keep nursing him back to fitness when we let a player of the calibre Bentley, and Bendtner go. Even Aliadiere went to Celtic last year and promptly crocked himself. That Clichy was returning to fitness gave the club confidence to let Cashley go--albeit after a struggle to wrest the best deal from the rouble-rich Chelski mob.
Not having it. We have a large squad rich in potential but very young. It would be sheer madness to run an all junior group out against CSKA away when you could instead take Theo and Flamini and Clichy along to be on the bench to spell RVP, TH14, Rosicky, Hleb, and Gallas.
But it would be just as mad to limit the playing time of these young talents to where they're just practise dummys in the reserves for the first team regulars who are coming back from injury. The Carling is how it's done if you've got a squad of players that you're nurturing to their full potential. You run them out against WBA in a situation where if things come undone, it's neither financial or footballing disaster.
Where did you and I first see Fabregas start to show that he had first team capability? Ummm... oh yes, the Carling, two years ago. And now, he plays in the League and the CL. He's under 20 and you'd have him struggling through a consistent two games a week.
Is that how it's done in Leeds?
Denilson? Under-19s Brazilian Captain. Veteran of Sao Paulo's Copa Lib campaign last year and in the 11 that humbled Liverpool in the ridiculous Toyota Cup.
Wouldn't want to see that sort of talent mature, now would you?
I'm fine with seeing him, but then I don't pick the Arsenal team. The question you've got to ask yourself is "if he's so good, why doesn't he play on Saturday in the Premiership or next Wednesday in the Champions' League?"
The message that Arsene sends to English football when he puts a side out like he did yesterday is, "I don't really give a toss about your Carling Cup because it doesn't have a lot of money attached to it and I reckon that my third string side might just beat WBA's first team." Unfortunately his cynicism and disrespect was rewarded yesterday.
Believe me, Gooner, this is not just an Arsenal-bashing thing. I'd imagine that when you see the team sheets for Chelski, ManYoo and Liverpool today, they'll be similar to yours yesterday. Skippy fancies a dank Wednesday night trip to Crewe about as much as TH-14 would.
No, this is about how money is perverting the nature of the game. In the end, if you accept that money should determine who wins and loses, why not just pay the refs and be done with it?
All of these boys will figure this year at one time or another in the League with the possible exception of the real kids like Denilson who we'll keep under wraps if history is any judge. Aliadiere is very highly thought of and will partner Henry once it's determined that he's fit. Djourou and Sendaros will vye for the same spot in the middle, Djourou will spell Toure when he's on African Nations or WC qualifying. Flamini will occasionally play in Gilbo's role or at the back on the left if Gallas is unavailable. Clichy too. Wolcott's development is a toss-up. He might partner Henry for 20 minutes from time to time, he may come on for Hleb on that side to terrorize on the wing for some useful minutes.
There are few makeweights in yesterday's squad. You're just dead wrong.
You're having a laugh. The Champions League bears as much resemblance to the European Cup as the Premiership bears to the old First Division. They're both "Johnny Come Lately" competitions and you know it.
As for Arsenal's side yesterday, look again at how 365 described it today:
"... a team of reserves as Arsenal did at West Brom on Tuesday night."
Are they wrong in this evaluation? You said it yourself - the Carling Cup has been devalued; devalued by the money men in the game who think it makes more sense, for example, for ManYoo to send a team to compete in the World Club Championship rather than defend their FA Cup title. You really want that kind of football landscape in the future?
And it's not me that's most affected. Spare a thought for those West Brom fans who thought they were shelling out good money last night to see Henry and co. and got the scrubs instead - and saw their team lose them to boot!
Well, I guess that every bleedin' word on 365 has been engraved on a flippin' tablet and handed down from Mt. Sinai. Or are they filling up a webpage with the same brain dead observation from not last year, not the year before that, no keep dialing back the years....
You're having a laugh conjuring up the image of that wee Baggie boy full of Bovril, dressed in his Granpa's Jeff Astile shirt crying his eyes out because we're not going to trot out TH14 like a feckin' Budweiser Draughthorse for every match. Cue the Hovis music.
No, the Baggies lost because they're not good enough to beat an Arsenal of any quality. Or a Man Utd, or I suspect even a bunch of tryers like Reading or Charlton.
And any opportunity to avoid lower league opposition whose sole instruction is to "get up 'em" and thereby avoid the needless kind of callous injury dished out to Diaby in a nothing encounter? You bet I like that landscape. That's progress.
You're right about one thing - the frightening reality of the widening gulf between the superrich teams and everyone else is that your third stringers can beat a side currently third in the Coke.
Forget Hovis - cue "Sweet Georgia Brown!"
Buh-duh, buh-duh...buh-duh, buh-duh...
Just read that Sven's had a slap-up feast in Tel Aviv's finest restaurant as a guest of West Ham. Stand by Bobby Zamora, your dream of playing as the lone striker may be realized.
Speaking of wining and dining. I heard that Klinsmann had a meal and a chat at Spagos in LA recently. Definitely a good sign for U.S. soccer.
Given McLaren's reign of error and the limited prospect of righting the ship, I'd be happier if Barwick and co. were wining and dining Herr Klinsmann.
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