We have to play our strongest team against Bury tomorrow (1 Viewer)

[Ned]

This is the issue that has made me most angry about Coventry City in the last couple of years. I remember this time last year we played a weakened team against Morecambe, got beaten, everyone was saying about how it was important that we concentrate on getting in the playoffs. Total and utter nonsense.

By the far the most fun I've had as a Coventry fan in the last few years has been in the cups. Beating Manchester United away a few years ago was literally a dream come true, one of those moments you never forget, and that is what being a football fan is all about.

The biggest misnomer on this subject is that people think that you have a choice of either doing well in the League or doing well in the cups. It's just not true. Burnley got promoted three years ago while trying their hardest in both cups - they got to a League Cup semi-final and an FA Cup quarter-final.

This season, it's the other end of the table that's likely to be more relevant to us. But if we're going to be giving up in cups in August in order to give ourselves a very slightly bigger chance of avoiding relegation to League One in eight months' time... well, I can't be bothered to support a club with such a dour, miserable outlook.

Football is about romance, not finishing 16th in the League as opposed to 20th. There is no reason whatsoever why we shouldn't be putting out our very best eleven against Bury tomorrow. The cups will give us by far our best chance this year of really giving our fans something to cheer, and after the decade we've had I think it's pretty essential we do our best to take that opportunity.

 

---

[TheFACTs]

Well it's not as if Thorn has much to choose from anyway is it?

 

[Il Pirata]

Play the kids! Oh, wait...

 

[sky blue john]

I know its frustrating Ned but if we go for the cups the current squad will not get us through the league. Thats just the way it is and we have no control over it what so ever.

 

[Ned]

I know its frustrating Ned but if we go for the cups the current squad will not get us through the league. Thats just the way it is and we have no control over it what so ever.

stupid to make predictions like that. 'if this happens, this will definitely happen'. football doesn't work like that, the future isn't black or white. You could definitely argue that a cup run would lift morale of the fans and players and help our league campaign. The club is on a huge downer at the moment, if we beat a Premiership team in a high profile match in a cup it could make a big difference.

Also, even though I'm loathe to mention it because it's dour, unromantic and not really the point I'm trying to make, doing well in the cups could lead to big games, big gate receipts, TV revenues and could help our finances.

 

[Theging1987]

Completely agree with ya mate, u cant plan ure season on what ifs, what's the point of giving up before we've even started. Players are just as likely to get injured in the next league game, the whole club needs a big lift and I was also there that night at old Trafford And we need more nights like that, those games are why I love football and Ccfc.

 

[shmmeee]

Ned, what about players that could do with a rest? I'd imagine Gael will need one after 90mins, and there's probably a few others blowing out their arse right now. Would you risk those?

Personally I'd play the best team, taking into account the fitness. I'd like to see this side:

Murphy
Christie McPake Wood Hussey
Clingan
Thomas Bell
Ruffles
Platt O'Donovan

That's a strong enough side, but gives Gael, Cranie, Juke, Sheff and Keogh a rest. Ideally I'd rest Clingan too but I can't see who else would play there, even if Bell tried his best to play that position on Saturday!

 

[Ned]

Ned, what about players that could do with a rest? I'd imagine Gael will need one after 90mins, and there's probably a few others blowing out their arse right now. Would you risk those?

Personally I'd play the best team, taking into account the fitness. I'd like to see this side:

Murphy
Christie McPake Wood Hussey
Clingan
Thomas Bell
Ruffles
Platt O'Donovan

That's a strong enough side, but gives Gael, Cranie, Juke, Sheff and Keogh a rest. Ideally I'd rest Clingan too but I can't see who else would play there, even if Bell tried his best to play that position on Saturday!

The season has just started, I don't see why people like McSheffrey and Keogh would need a rest at this stage even if they played 90 minutes against Leicester.

We should be treating this like any other league game, i.e. putting out our strongest possible side given the players we've got available and their fitness, if someone's far too tired to play then fine, but we shouldn't be resting people just because it's a cup game.

 

[shmmeee]

The season has just started, I don't see why people like McSheffrey and Keogh would need a rest at this stage even if they played 90 minutes against Leicester.

We should be treating this like any other league game, i.e. putting out our strongest possible side given the players we've got available and their fitness, if someone's far too tired to play then fine, but we shouldn't be resting people just because it's a cup game.

It's about the long game though, fitness doesn't work like you suggest. Surely the logic is you want your best players to be well rested for the final months of the campaign, has worked well enough for Alex Ferguson over the years.

Also just realised Clingan is on international duty, so I guess you'd have to play Gael there.

 

[covcity4life]

its true,fans have started to beleive the media and the clubs when they tell us its impossible to play same 11 2 games in a row, or players can only handle 1 game a week and that players need a rest

it doesnt always work like that

if someone needs a rest sure then change the team,but dont do it incase someone gets injured due to tiredness

 

[PVA]

Dunn

Christie - McPake - Wood - hussey

Biggie

Ruffles - Thomas

Bell

Juke - ROD

 

[Ned]

It's about the long game though, fitness doesn't work like you suggest. Surely the logic is you want your best players to be well rested for the final months of the campaign, has worked well enough for Alex Ferguson over the years.

Also just realised Clingan is on international duty, so I guess you'd have to play Gael there.

Comparisons to Alex Ferguson and Man Utd? Really? He really does have bigger fish to fry than the League Cup, while we definitely don't.

Being a Coventry fan has been utterly miserable over the last twenty years. Nothing ever happens. We haven't won anything, we haven't got to the final of anything, we haven't got to a semi-final of anything, we haven't been in Europe, we haven't got promoted, we haven't got in the playoffs, we haven't even got particularly close to getting in the playoffs. Nothing. Being a football fan is about glory, and our best chance of that this season is the cups. We have to try our best to win the competitions we enter, otherwise what is the point of existing as a football club?

At this stage I don't particularly care about McSheffrey being 0.1% fitter for our relegation battle in April.

 

[shmmeee]

Comparisons to Alex Ferguson and Man Utd? Really? He really does have bigger fish to fry than the League Cup, while we definitely don't.

Being a Coventry fan has been utterly miserable over the last twenty years. Nothing ever happens. We haven't won anything, we haven't got to the final of anything, we haven't got to a semi-final of anything, we haven't been in Europe, we haven't got promoted, we haven't got in the playoffs, we haven't even got particularly close to getting in the playoffs. Nothing. Being a football fan is about glory, and our best chance of that this season is the cups. We have to try our best to win the competitions we enter, otherwise what is the point of existing as a football club?

At this stage I don't particularly care about McSheffrey being 0.1% fitter for our relegation battle in April.

Really? Staying up isn't more important that getting to the 4th or 5th round of the League Cup?? I guess I'll have to disagree with you there. Games are won and lost on 0.1% fitness as you put it.

I'll also have to disagree with you on the point of being a football fan. Jesus Christ if it's about glory you sure picked the wrong team to support!

It's about degrees of impact. You wouldn't risk a player coming back early from injury in a fairly important game, and you wouldn't risk a player getting injured in a game we SHOULD win with the team I outlined. No-one is suggesting doing a Coleman and putting a team of nothing but academy players out, but being sensible and taking the game as an opportunity to both rest some players but also give game time to the likes of Thomas, McPake and O'Donovan who have virtually not kicked a ball in anger in almost a year.

 

[covcity4life]

thats the flip side to it,id like to see dunn,thomas,platt,mcpake etc get games

we ahould be able to beat bury with some second stringers,considering they are pushing for starting berths

 

[Ned]

The whole 'a second string team should be enough to get through' is complete nonsense as well. That is just not how football works. There's a certain percentage chance of us getting through with our strongest team, and that percentage goes down absolutely loads if we rest players. It's as simple as that. Resting players in this one game will make a negligible difference on our chances of staying up, though.

Incidentally the bookies have us about 55% to go through and Bury 45%. It's not exactly a walkover is it?

 

[Ned]

Really? Staying up isn't more important that getting to the 4th or 5th round of the League Cup?? I guess I'll have to disagree with you there. Games are won and lost on 0.1% fitness as you put it.

I'll also have to disagree with you on the point of being a football fan. Jesus Christ if it's about glory you sure picked the wrong team to support!

It's about degrees of impact. You wouldn't risk a player coming back early from injury in a fairly important game, and you wouldn't risk a player getting injured in a game we SHOULD win with the team I outlined. No-one is suggesting doing a Coleman and putting a team of nothing but academy players out, but being sensible and taking the game as an opportunity to both rest some players but also give game time to the likes of Thomas, McPake and O'Donovan who have virtually not kicked a ball in anger in almost a year.

As I said in the opening post, it's not like there's a choice of staying up or doing well in the cups. Although for what it's worth I'd far rather reach the League Cup final and go down than go out against Bury and stay up.

You know very well that once you start supporting a team that's it, you can never change. I'm stuck with the sky blues. Annoyingly.

 

[Waldorf]

Do we have a weakened team we can play?

 

[rob9872]

At this stage of the season players don't need a rest and should benefit from match practice and playing together as a unit. In particular that applies to the keeper and defence. We need a balance of what can get us through the game with a morale boosting win, but also doesn't risk serious injury or suspension that we can ill-aford.

It has to be (imo) a strongish line up, but to preserve Juke and Clingan who we would be scuppered if we lost. Others can fill in as required to cover.

Incidentally does anyone know if tomorrow is the first game of Baker's ban or if that doesn't come into effect until next Saturday?

 

[Ned]

Really irritates me when managers put out an under-strength team and then after they've lost the game seem surprised about it, saying 'well, that team should have been good enough to get through'. Like there's an imaginary threshold on how many players you rest where you either go through if you don't. If we rest four players then that's a 'good enough team' and we're definitely going through, if we rest five then that's not good enough and we're going out.

Not how football works is it? We need to try our hardest in this game and give ourselves the best chance possible of going through and having a cup run.

 

[stupot07]

We have no second team, we barely have a team. Unfortunately with deegan, baker and clingan out we have no choice but to play both brigi and Thomas in midfield and rod up front bringing shef back to the tip of the diamond. I'd also give 1 of wood or McPake a run out and possibly play Dunn in goal.

 

[TheSnoz]

Maybe Crainie could move into midfield with Sammy away? Some experience beside whichever of Thomas or Biggi gets picked? Or Bell in the middle? Or it could be Gary Deegan returns?
I'm all for putting out a strong side. Especially after the Hartlepool and Morecambe debacles. This cup could bring in some modest amounts of cash. Not fortunes but it could certainly help. A full house v Villa or a trip to the Emirates. A share of a 60,000 gate would be nice.

 

[Changeyourface]

This is the issue that has made me most angry about Coventry City in the last couple of years. I remember this time last year we played a weakened team against Morecambe, got beaten, everyone was saying about how it was important that we concentrate on getting in the playoffs. Total and utter nonsense.

By the far the most fun I've had as a Coventry fan in the last few years has been in the cups. Beating Manchester United away a few years ago was literally a dream come true, one of those moments you never forget, and that is what being a football fan is all about.

The biggest misnomer on this subject is that people think that you have a choice of either doing well in the League or doing well in the cups. It's just not true. Burnley got promoted three years ago while trying their hardest in both cups - they got to a League Cup semi-final and an FA Cup quarter-final.

This season, it's the other end of the table that's likely to be more relevant to us. But if we're going to be giving up in cups in August in order to give ourselves a very slightly bigger chance of avoiding relegation to League One in eight months' time... well, I can't be bothered to support a club with such a dour, miserable outlook.

Football is about romance, not finishing 16th in the League as opposed to 20th. There is no reason whatsoever why we shouldn't be putting out our very best eleven against Bury tomorrow. The cups will give us by far our best chance this year of really giving our fans something to cheer, and after the decade we've had I think it's pretty essential we do our best to take that opportunity.

This lcub has had a dour, miserable outlook for the majority of it's history, why would think this season would be different?

 

[Disenchanted]

we only have one team and it picks its self!!! forget the cups our priority is to finish above 3 other teams in this league........I'm not confident

 

[Ned]

If the only objective is to avoid relegation from the second division to the third division, as opposed to trying to win things, then I can't be bothered to support the club anymore. Thankfully it looks like Andy Thorn's going to play his strongest possible side.