CHOULO19

You're comparing Oscar to Baker?! You're detached from reality! I rest my case...

Of course Solanke was not going to start as the lone striker! He's 17! He's not anywhere near ready and won't be for at least another 2-3 seasons. The U21 team needed him because we were taking Brown with us so he stayed. And no, we obviously can't play more than two youth players against Shrewsburry without seriously risking losing the game, especially when you consider that we have some fringe players we need to start in the game as well such as Salah, Mikel and Zouma. Even league 2 is miles above youth level. Not sure what you are complaining about in those Mourinho quotes since the exact same is happening! They're training regularly with the first team and coming on in occasions in the league cup and FA cup.

Stop it!

You two are on your own!

You know as well as I do that you can't challenge for titles while giving considerably more time for youth players than we already have. Very harsh not to give Jose credit for Christensen. JT is more than capable of playing and we had a 36 (or is he 37 now?) play 2 matches in 3 days up front. It was clearly to give Christensen a chance. Plus, you're forgetting that only last week Solanke was give his debut and became the youngest ever player to play for us in the CL when we didn't really need him to come on. Then there is the debut for Baker himself last month.

You two are saying the same thing in different ways!

Well, what exactly do you base your expectations on? What is the frame of reference? Past seasons? This season has already exceeded any of the past few seasons, bar maybe 2012-13, in terms of time for youth players and we're still in October. Other title contenders? How many youth players have city give debuts to this season? We've give for 3 while a 4th was on the bench for the first time for us yesterday. I really don't see any realistic expectations of youth development that we have fallen short of in any way this season.

The point was that, had the game panned out in a way that we could have brought on more youngsters, he would have gotten some valuable experience playing with the first team. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but just being on the bench should be a great boost for his confidence because it is a message that the management thinks you're going in the right direction, and a great motivation for him and the rest of the youth team to keep working hard to be able to play with the first team. Honestly, the moaning on here is hilarious! The boy would have been delighted to even be considered for the match and yet you're all upset about it on his behalf!

You never know. They played well against Villa and they're oozing of confidence after that win. Though you can't really tell how well they played because Villa were just dreadful! We could have someone sent off early on or concede a 90 mins equalizer. November works in mysterious ways...

And they did. This season alone, Jose has given debuts to all of Solanke, Baker himself and yesterday Christensen and Brown was on the bench for the first time yesterday as well. That is more than any previous manager has done in a single season and beyond any of our dreams even 3 months ago. About yesterday, the starting XI needs a certain balance. You can't put out your U21 team out because they'd get battered. Jose actually went one better than what I had expected and started Christensen who I thought would be on the bench. He could of course had started Baker instead of Christensen and played Ake at LB, but obviously Jose thinks the young Dane is more ready. Unfortunately, the game didn't pan out in a way where we could bring on more youth players and still ensure going through to the next round. Point is, be grateful for the youth involvement yesterday and in this season in general because it has already exceeded expectations. There's just no pleasing some people...

Wtf, I moved this from the Announcement section to the Mathew Harding and now it appears in both, only just from the main page!

I agree. But that type of players is an endangered species nowadays. Not many JTs, Drogbas and Cechs left in football.

Weird, I read some saying he was our best player tonight. Even weirder those were the same people moaning about him during the match!

1. No worries. Gives me something to do! 2. Didn't mean you in particular, but our fans in general and even the way other fans and the media are portraying us as this favorites in every match. I don't like that. I like us being the underdogs. I think we will lose and it will most likely be against a team that we are well favorites to beat.

I can say I really really like your new avatar. You look absolutely gorgeous

Like I said, I genuinely really like the League Cup and I want us to win it every year. I think the fact that you can win it in February can really give you a much needed boost for the rest of the season. But the general consensus does not seem to agree with me and so the players always seem to be lacking motivation and concentration in it, especially against lower league teams. That has always been the case for us in this competition, at least for the past few years.

No, don't think it has any significance at all, unless a bit psychologically maybe. Baker is not in the same group as Salah, Shurrle and Oscar and he won't be regardless of whether or how he plays tonight. I understand that you are probably upset by tonight's performance of those players (can't understand why, though, it's the league cup!) but you need to put this into perspective.

I will. I will stop you from posting this in the completely wrong section Moved. On topic, I don't like at all when we get arrogant, because that is usually when we fall.

Not surprising. In a league cup match against Shrewsburry, the senior players are either completely nonchalant or very selfish because they are desperate to score to get into the starting XI in the games that matter. Whereas the youngsters see this as one of their biggest games of the season! I like the league cup, and I really hope we win it, but it's just not important for the players.

No, no, I just found the notion of "new hair" funny I know you'll kill me for this but probably wouldn't have seen any difference if you have not pointed it out. As a guy, I feel I'm allowed to just not notice those kind of things!

Meh, It's just the league cup. It's basically just a chance to give a couple of youngsters false hope that they could make it here! Very hard to motivate players for these kind of games and keep them concentrated.

Won't relax until I actually see him on the field. Must not tempt the curse of the November slump!

Cheers. Damn those are some scruffy goals! I guess anything will do in the cups.

Are you on your period? As if making an appearance off the bench against Shrewsburry would have affected his future! He still has a looong long way to go if he wants to make it here which has nothing to do with tonight's game. He'll need to go out on a couple pf loans, do exceptionally well and then hope that the circumstances are right for him to be given a chance and that we don't already have several top-class players in his position. And that goes for all the youngsters.

First game in November, against a team that we are supposed to beat, and a derby as well. I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried!