Cup or 4th?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 8:26AM Plenty of discussion about whether we should take tonight's Carling Cup quarter-final seriously. It's a quarter-final, of course we bloody should. Yes, fighting tooth and nail for 4th spot is (should be) the priority, but we are but one game from yet another semi-final. Why on earth should we sacrifice it when we have plenty in reserve? If Harry does want to rest some of the more important members of the first team, that's fine. Although I'd probably just play a full strength team and instruct the players to go out there and tonk them. Need to score at least two goals to cancel out the penalty Utd will no doubt be given at a pinnacle moment in the game. Clattenberg is the referee. Happy happy joy joy.
One thing is for certainty, Utd will not be at full strength - but they do have great depth, so this won’t be an easy evening either way. We've not beaten them at Old Trafford for nearly 20 years. Utd are also unbeaten since being knocked out of the competition the year we won it.
The Prem can wait. The players will have time to 'recover' in time for the weekend. Just stick Defoe up front and keep Niko (edit: he's cup tied...oh hum) in the side. I'd even give Pav a run-out. We owe the Mancs for the 5-2 and the disappointing final last season. In fact the players owe us (the fans) for caving in and collapsing practically every time we are faced with Fergie's team up there.
I can't believe for a second that Redknapp would give up the chance of another Wembley appearance, so pinch of salt with any of the dramatics you've read in the press in the past day or so. I want silverware. And 4th. Four more sets of 90 mins isn't going to ruin our chances in the league.
2-1 Spurs.
Reader Comments (31)
Niko is cup tied unfortunately, Pav is sorting out a move with Roma so might not even be included. We should be able to give them a good game though and maybe we can end that 20 year run! The comment about the penalty made me chuckle but if it happens later would any of us be surprised?
COYS keep up the good form lads!
Silverware or 4th place? I'm gettng worried we are starting to sound like our less than reveered myopic, blinkered, delusional red cousins.
Cup please, I still don't think we'll finish 4th even if we try, liverpool are slowly being allowed to work their way up to the sanctuary of 'top 4' and the balance of order will soon be achieved.
It's just as well as Andy Gray's script writers have been working overtime, just to work in his well worn soundbites into the current league standings, and so they haven't seen their families since 19th September.
And Alan Hansen has to spend mon-fri in a padded cell, just rocking back and forwards, mutting " that's schockin' defendin' " to himself. Expect to see his eyebrows but in a cameo performance as lawrenson's moustache next week.
Maybe the restoration of the balance of power will bring some christmas cheer for those that have to suffer the indignity of trying to explain to lawro, hansen et al, that sometimes 'teams just lose, because they're not very good'.
On the other hand, nuts to them, I want 3rd, villains 4th and the goons and the bindippers fighting it out for a europa spot. Now there's some seasonal cheer for all!
Let's show that Bugarian idiot why he should not have left
On the other hand, nuts to them, I want 3rd, villains 4th and the goons and the bindippers fighting it out for a europa spot. Now there's some seasonal cheer for all!
They should lock me up with Hansen if dat happens , i ll go completely bonkers
i feel our squad is big enough to push for 4th as well as cups!!
so we need to go for everything we can!!!
I've got a really good feeling about tonights game. Of course even if we were to get a win it would "only be against ManUres youngsters", which given the average age of the 2 sides will probably be a load of bollox just as it was last season at Wembley when their average age was higher than ours but the press continued to go on about losing to their "youngster".
It's about time we beat them up there, no matter what team they put out.
We'll still have a pretty strong side on paper, with Hutton and Bale coming in, both internationals, Keane and Pav up front, Bentley on the right and probably Jenas on the left which kinda messes everything up but that's how I see 'arry playing it. COYS
Not sure Harry is playing mind games on this. I honestly don't think he's that fussed with the Carling Cup.
I hate all this 'not fussed with the Carling Cup' bollocks that Arsenal started. look at the teams in the quarter finals. look at the teams who have been in the semi-finals and finals the last however many years. It's a major cup, and there's only 3 (4 if you're in europe) that you can possibly win in a season. we support football clubs to see them win stuff dont we?!!! of course we want to win the cup!! why would anybody want to play to lose?!!
Can't disagree Mike. Mid-table to lower Prem sides fielding under strength sides and getting knocked out to lower league opposition always makes me laugh. Survival is (it seems) more important than silverware.
The whole 4th or cup is born out of a reality. It's a percentage game, the more games your 'big game players' need to win to play in order to win a cup, the greater the percentage chance of picking up an injury (and yes I know you can't predict these things hence, it's down to percentages and probabilities).
The goons focus on 4th as oppossed to cup runs in recent years has been born out of financial necessity (regardless of what the fans will tell you).
Our scenario is different, there is s slim chance that come may we could be in 4th position. Now Harry could increase the probability of that happening by reducing the number of non-league games that lennon, defoe and a few others play in.
But it is not neccesity to get 4th, it's desire. From Harry to have taken the team into the CL, from Levy to add the revenue to the bottom line (to make up for next years already disasterous annual report). And so you play the percentages, you know that Man U will field a weakened team, and so you rest a few for what will be a tough and important away game this weekend knowing that you still have a reasonable chance of progressing.
It's not meant to by disparaging or 'letting the fans' down, it's just a business decision and that's the way it is.
Business decisions have no place within the purity of football.
Shut up Ollie you hippy
In some sort of utopia maybe. But in the real world THFC is a plc, it has to run as a business first and foremost.
We may not like it, specifically we may not like the fact that it influences who we buy / sell / play, what we deem 'important to the long term aims of the club' but we would like it less if we went into administration and consequently down a league, because we chose to ignore it.
I know the real world sucks sometimes, but it's the one we live in. It also happens to be the one where United do get that 'turning point' penalty / linesman / refereeing error* (delete as applicable) every ba*d time we play them, but hey, reality bites sometimes.
Its not really an age thing its an experience thing.
Our backups who are likely to play at the moment are all Internationals, Bale,Hutton,Pavlyuchenko, Bentley.
I think we can win this without affecting our League push. because none of these players are likely to be in the side against Everton at the weekend.
We have a good squad and can fire on all fronts. The Carling Cup is the one to go for as it confers the greatest reward for the minimum effort in terms of games.
Given a choice I would prefer to finish fourth but Harry is not being offered that choice here.
Please shut up about 4th, yes we are improving but the sky top 4 will be the same at the season end just as it always is so we are just setting ourselves up for another false dawn. lets just keep going and see where it takes us, all this top 4 talk is nonsense.
Top 4 is not this big scary monster living under your bed. If you say it 5 times in front of a mirror it wont appear and slice you to bits.
Have faith.
fourth is not a dream it can be done
JIM, I get what you're saying. Possible - yes, probable - no.
We berate our players for talking a good game without dlivering. So if we (as fans) can reign in our expectations then we are less likely to be disappointed come may.
Yes, there's still a long way to go, I'm just hapy that we're in the top half after last season's chinanigans (try saying that 5 times in front of a mirror). And maybe Harry's got it rght when he said that we are in with a shout, but it will be hard as there are effectively (as things stand) five potential teams for two positions. So someone's gonna be upset by the end of the season.
Its better to fail aiming high than succeed aiming low,
I'm with Sir William Nicholson on this one.
Lets avoid Hubris but show some 'chutzpah' on this one.
Someone is going to be dissapointed,sure, but its not clear its going to be us.
Keeping quiet won't actually affect the results.
We've got bragging rights, at the moment, and I'm enjoying it.
When wl win the league Spurs fans will be muttering 'Yes but can we sustain it next season'
Some fans gloat, others stand there with smug expressions, others are too scared to do anything. There is nothing wrong with giving it some if your team is doing well. Being reserved and then telling other fans 'you are deluded' makes you a West Ham fan.
If we can't take the pressure now, we'll never be able to when it builds up at the end of the season. I think Harry's interested in who among our players will step up to the challenge, and who will bottle it. We need to play like we genuinely believe in ourselves, rather than try to sneak into the top 4 under the radar.
4th? What's all this nonsense about 4th? We're in BLEEDIN THIRD!!!! I want third!!!!!!
Cup!
4th? What's all this nonsense about 4th? We're in BLEEDIN THIRD!!!! I want third!!!!!!
Standing ovation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fuck it lets get after chelsea
We all want to beat Man Utd and have another day at Wembley, but what happens if we pick up injuries to key players such as Defoe and/ or Lennon ?
We do have a strong bench but the match at the Emirates showed our replacements for those two were not good enough on the day and our attacking threat was nil.
What chance do we have of making the top 4 without Modric (is he ever coming back) Lennon and Defoe ?
I would be gutted if Lennon and /or Defoe picked up long term injuries in a Carling cup quarter final, because without them, our chances of a top 4 finish are zero.
Suspect this is our best chance as Man City will be stronger next year and so will L'arse, if Wenger can be persuaded to spend some money.
After 45 years of watching the Spurs, this could finally be our year.
Injuries can be picked up in the next league game. Sure, the more games a player plays the higher the chance, but then you'd never play anyone in fear of them getting crocked.
Keep the big guns on the bench tonight, we might need a Defoe or a Lennon to win us the game. But then why not just start with them and sub them late on? Either way, its a football match and we should aim to win it.
Oh dear. Lets not turn up, safest way really.
We are supposed to have a good squad with strength in depth, all teams get injuries.
At least if a key player gets injured we will have a good excuse for failure.
Oh we've done that already, Luka something or other.
Its a shame our good squad with strength in depth did not turn up for the L'Arse game.
We don't have natural replacements for Lennon or Defoe.
Still they could just as easily injure themselves falling off their bar stools in Faces, China Whites or wherever else they spend their spare time so fingers crossed all round.
Good luck to the lads - COYS
Jake, sneaking back in through the back door, quietly. Brave them gooners.
"Cup or 4th?"
Neither. ROFL.