Blackburn Rovers (H) - The EFL Cup, Wednesday 9th November, 19:45

OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
in Match Threads
With such a big game next weekend, this one almost feels like an inconvenience; a game we should win, probably will win, but not one I think will be too eagerly anticipated.

I would expect to see a Conference League line up, which should be enough to get past a Championship team with more than half an eye on the league.

Areola
Coufal Ogbonna Aguerd Emerson
Downes Lanzini Coventry
Bowen Antonio Fornals

With European qualification via the league unlikely, this Cup represents another chance to qualify, and it's a pretty kind start.
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Comments

  • LukerzLukerz
    Areola
    Johnson - Aguerd - Ogbonna
    Coufal - Downes - Lanzini - Emerson
    Fornals - Benrahma
    Scamacca
  • stevesteve
    Same team as today ,They need to figure it out
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    I think this cup is a waste of time for us at present and should only be used to give non first eleven players game time. As a route into Europe, it's very unlikely as is most often won by City or Liverpool in recent seasons, we will not meet anything like the quality of them in the Conference league which offers the most viable route this season. In my view we need our first eleven fresh for the Conference and Premiership.

    It's also surprisingly worth only 100k to the winner as opposed to £2m for the FA Cup, which although not what it once was still retains stature within the season.

    I would play the side who went to Romania last week.

  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Blackburn are currently 2nd in the Championship, played 20, won 12, lost 8 and drawn none. Home form is good, won 8, lost 2 and scored in every game except one but away from home they've won 4, lost 6 and failed to score in all 6 losses.

    We're being linked with a January move for Ben Brereton Diaz, currently top scorer with 9 out of Blackburn's 24 goals, he's the only outfield player who has started all 20 league games and scored against Huddersfield at the weekend.

    At least Moyes will be able to see how he does against us
  • HamstewHamstew
    I'd say this game will be hard to call as I don't think either team will be that bothered about progressing into the next round.
  • Ravel49Ravel49
    Ah it’s been a while - The Big Bad Benni McCarthy Derby 🍔
  • alderzalderz
    Ravel49 said:

    Ah it’s been a while - The Big Bad Benni McCarthy Derby 🍔

    Can't believe I'm saying this and not you but... The David Bentley Derby
  • Ravel49Ravel49
    Arrrgh how could I forget 😩 🤦‍♂️
  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    #DB8hype
  • Ravel49Ravel49
    Ah to be young and slim again 😩🤣


  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    I give it in an hour before that's clown-faced
  • HamstewHamstew

  • Ravel49Ravel49
    🙌🏻🙌🏻 big improvement
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Hamstew said:

    I'd say this game will be hard to call as I don't think either team will be that bothered about progressing into the next round.

    Blackburn's gaffer Jon Dahl Tomasson hinting that he'll put out the B team and rest players for Sunday's 1st v 2nd clash against bitter rivals Burnley

    https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-rovers-approach-west-ham-25464214
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    So far Blackburn have beaten Hartlepool and Bradford, both times they fielded a team of back-ups

    Brereton Diaz wasn't on the bench for Hartlepool and had 15 minutes at the end of the Bradford game when they were 2-1 up

    Even Championship clubs aren't taking the Carabao Cup seriously!
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    If they wanted to make a more interesting league cup perhaps make it a competition for championship and league one and two sides. Make it interesting with the incentive of a possible promotion for the winning side. Whoever wins the League cup will enter a play-off with the 4th bottom placed team in the league above them at the end of the season (unless already securing promotion). I doubt you would get reserve teams being put out and would generate genuine interest for teams and fans.

    I doubt many Premiership teams, managers or fans would miss the competition.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    claretandbluesky said:

    Whoever wins the League cup will enter a play-off with the 4th bottom placed team in the league above them at the end of the season

    Any change to Premier League relegation/promotion would have to be agreed by 13 of the 20 Premier League clubs and they aren't going to vote for a possible 4th club being relegated

    A completely redundant competition, invented when midweek games were rare

    Just scrap it
  • Ravel49Ravel49
    Yes time for it to go for me

    The other big leagues only have one cup competition, and because of that there seems to be more pride in winning their countries version of the super cup.

    The community shield seems like a bit of a non event to me. However you see the teams and fans celebrating the Italian version or German and it’s a big deal that’s means something.
  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    Yeah, I think I'm there too. In the last 10 years it's been won by the Big Six 9 times, so the chances of anyone else (who may actually appreciate it) winning it seem to be decreasing.

    And it means little to the Big Six because all they're interested in is PL and CL honours .

    It has so little prestige nowadays it's basically become an U23 competition anyway, because of how big an inconvenience it is to most clubs.
  • Expat_HammerExpat_Hammer
    But it still remains an entry into Europe on the odd occasion that a non top side win it.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    OCS, It's an Under 23 competition until about the Semi Finals when the any of the Big 6 then decide to flex their squad strength & bring in the cavalry. Anyway there is the EFL Trophy specifically for the Premier League sides to use their Academy players. If one of the "regulars" wins it the knock on effect is there is an additional place from the league for the likes of us to qualify for Europe?
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    OldCastleSwift said:

    Yeah, I think I'm there too. In the last 10 years it's been won by the Big Six 9 times, so the chances of anyone else (who may actually appreciate it) winning it seem to be decreasing.

    And it means little to the Big Six because all they're interested in is PL and CL honours .

    It has so little prestige nowadays it's basically become an U23 competition anyway, because of how big an inconvenience it is to most clubs.

    But on that basis we scrap the Prem and FA Cup. We rarely put out U21 teams and I don't think Leicester did past night.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    Teams who qualified for Europe can’t compete in the cup?? Is this unfair or just kind to them reducing the amount of games needed to play and give other “lesser “ teams a chance, probably a crazy thought….COYI ⚒️
  • SlackerSlacker
    Just a reminder that we haven’t won a trophy since 1980………
  • Ravel49Ravel49
    jay_in_cpt said:

    Teams who qualified for Europe can’t compete in the cup?? Is this unfair or just kind to them reducing the amount of games needed to play and give other “lesser “ teams a chance, probably a crazy thought….COYI ⚒️

    That’s not a bad shout tbf 👍🏻
  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    edited November 2022
    Fortuneseeker said:

    If one of the "regulars" wins it the knock on effect is there is an additional place from the league for the likes of us to qualify for Europe?

    Yes, there is that, but why not just make 6th a European place in it's own right? It's got to the point whereby I believe teams are targeting 6th and 7th finishes as European qualifying positions because it's almost accepted that one of the top four will win the cup competitions.
    IronHerb said:

    But on that basis we scrap the Prem and FA Cup. We rarely put out U21 teams and I don't think Leicester did past night.

    But they're the staples of the domestic game. They're the prestige competitions that the fans are truly invested in.

    The League Cup was introduced in the 60s, as ASLEF says, as a revenue generator and I honestly don't think too many clubs, or fans, would be disappointed if it was removed from the calendar.
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    Expat_Hammer said:

    But it still remains an entry into Europe on the odd occasion that a non top side win it.

    Didn't that stop, or is going to stop?

    ( Can't keep up with all the changes.)
  • alderzalderz
    MrsGrey said:

    Expat_Hammer said:

    But it still remains an entry into Europe on the odd occasion that a non top side win it.

    Didn't that stop, or is going to stop?

    ( Can't keep up with all the changes.)
    It's still the case, it just never really happens as the winners usually qualify for Europe by other means.
  • alderzalderz
    I personally like the idea of it being a cup for non-European qualified side - if you qualify for Europe you can opt out of the League Cup, perhaps. I would also not mind it being that the winner qualifies for an end of season playoff against the side finishing 7th for a Conference League place, or something like that.

    That said, when you have a lot of Championship sides not even playing full sides, it does sort of feel like it isn't benefiting many people.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited November 2022
    UEFA only award Europa League places to cup competitions that include all top flight clubs, if teams already in Europe were excluded UEFA would give the extra place to whoever finished 7th and the Conference place to 8th

    Since France got rid of their league cup in 2020 only England and Scotland have a second cup competition and only England awards a Europa League place to the winner

    It's gone past it's "sell by" date
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