The English Football Thread

[ZAPHOD2319 4,582]

Man City is gone!!!

[NikkiCFC 8,112]

City out finally in Carabao!!! 

Sextuple here we go! 

[Tomo 21,741]

Unless Liverpool suddenly decide to roll out the first team we really should be winning this.

[Mário César 1,062]

when his the draw?

[NikkiCFC 8,112]

4 minutes ago, Mário César said:

when his the draw?

Apparently Saturday. 

[Jase 43,479]

Incredible that David Moyes has really rediscovered his mojo from his Everton days.

4 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Unless Liverpool suddenly decide to roll out the first team we really should be winning this.

Also depends on what we do really. I mean we'll likely rotate again and the two games so far has been, as you said, a clusterfuck. 

And the QF is in between games against Spurs and Leeds. Don't think Klopp will play his first team at all, unless he gets us or Spurs or Arsenal. 

[Laylabelle 9,440]

12 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Man City is gone!!!

Tbf they've won it 4 times in a row. Someone else's turn

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Laylabelle said:

Tbf they've won it 4 times in a row. Someone else's turn

Yes, it might get interesting now at the very least. 

[Tomo 21,741]

6 minutes ago, Jase said:

Also depends on what we do really. I mean we'll likely rotate again and the two games so far has been, as you said, a clusterfuck. 

And the QF is in between games against Spurs and Leeds. Don't think Klopp will play his first team at all, unless he gets us or Spurs or Arsenal. 

Would Klopp play his first team anyway? He didn't away to us in the FA Cup.

But yes the quarter final is probably our big banana skin (so hopefully we get Sunderland) given our schedule but if we make the semi we should be able to play the first team from that moment on.

[Jase 43,479]

3 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Would Klopp play his first team anyway? He didn't away to us in the FA Cup.

He didn't play the full first team but he did play some of them, IIRC. Off the top of my head, I remember Van Dijk played in that one. Got bullied by Giroud.

3 minutes ago, Tomo said:

But yes the quarter final is probably our big banana skin (so hopefully we get Sunderland) given our schedule but if we make the semi we should be able to play the first team from that moment on.

The two-legged semi final is in between our league games against Liverpool and City. So, I don't know about starting our first team there. Plus, there's also an FA Cup tie in that period and we don't know when exactly the CWC is gonna happen. 

[Tomo 21,741]

1 minute ago, Jase said:

He didn't play the full first team but he did play some of them, IIRC. Off the top of my head, I remember Van Dijk played in that one. Got bullied by Giroud.

The two-legged semi final is in between our league games against Liverpool and City. So, I don't know about starting our first team there. Plus, there's also an FA Cup tie in that period and we don't know when exactly the CWC is gonna happen. 

I think of the top of my head VVD, Robertson, Fabinho and Mane from his usual starters.

BIB: It is but isn't the FA Cup game a few days before the potential semi first leg? I imagine we will play the scratch side there and if so I think it will be better to play the first Xl for the semi to keep up match sharpness, don't fancy a week and a half without the first Xl playing.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Tomo said:

I think of the top of my head VVD, Robertson, Fabinho and Mane from his usual starters.

BIB: It is but isn't the FA Cup game a few days before the potential semi first leg? I imagine we will play the scratch side there and if so I think it will be better to play the first Xl for the semi to keep up match sharpness, don't fancy a week and a half without the first Xl playing.

Potential schedule:

Jan 2 - Liverpool (h)
Jan 5 - League Cup SF 1st Leg
Jan 8/9 - FA Cup 3rd Round
Jan 11/12  - League Cup SF 2nd Leg
Jan 15 - Man City (a)

[Tomo 21,741]

1 minute ago, Jase said:

Potential schedule:

Jan 2 - Liverpool (h)
Jan 5 - League Cup SF 1st Leg
Jan 8/9 - FA Cup 3rd Round
Jan 11/12  - League Cup SF 2nd Leg
Jan 15 - Man City (a)

That's even worse then we can't go two weeks without playing the first Xl. Even Klopp went strong in a cup game against Villa's kids last season to avoid that. A weeks rest while sticking the scratch side in for the FA Cup is more than adequate (if we get knocked out then go full strength in the FA).

On a slightly related note given Kepa will be first choice for that period I wonder if we will see Bettinelli for the third round if it does turn out to be in the middle of two semi's.

[Jase 43,479]

8 minutes ago, Tomo said:

That's even worse then we can't go two weeks without playing the first Xl. Even Klopp went strong in a cup game against Villa's kids last season to avoid that. A weeks rest while sticking the scratch side in for the FA Cup is more than adequate (if we get knocked out then go full strength in the FA).

On a slightly related note given Kepa will be first choice for that period I wonder if we will see Bettinelli for the third round if it does turn out to be in the middle of two semi's.

Guessing we might see a 50-50 side in the cup games. Just pray we don't have any injury crisis then. 

[NikkiCFC 8,112]

15 minutes ago, Jase said:

Potential schedule:

Jan 2 - Liverpool (h)
Jan 5 - League Cup SF 1st Leg
Jan 8/9 - FA Cup 3rd Round
Jan 11/12  - League Cup SF 2nd Leg
Jan 15 - Man City (a)

Potentially 4 games in a row can be against Liverpool. 

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, NikkiCFC said:

Potentially 4 games in a row can be against Liverpool. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,322]

Would remind me of that time Barca and Real faced each other 4 times in a month. 

[Magic Lamps 11,677]

50 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Potentially 4 games in a row can be against Liverpool. 

Fa cup third round can be against an opponent from the same division? I thought they had modified the draw so that can’t happen…