The Batman Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 The last two seasons have produced good league football finishes / positions where we also had good cup runs. The fa cup last year and the league Cup the season before. The additional energy, prep time, travel etc ultimately meant that we ran out of puff come the second half of each of those seasons. It looked like we'd got through it last year but results started to go against us come the end unfortunately. LJ's game plans are very high energy so unless he plans to adapt that somehow, I don't see how we can battle on more than one front considering what's happened the last two seasons. With that in mind, do we play the reserves / kids in the cup matches next year and go all guns blazing focusing on the league alone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meh Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 No - wins increase confidence - rotate the squad the Phil Neville way - 2 or 3 players every game - if we recruit 2 or 3 more we will have a big squad with cover for every position so a couple of changes per game should not weaken a good team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeh Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 No, we are building a squad, expect us to play fringe players unless it’s against a harder team, dont expect us to be to bothered about going out ether Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS4 on Tour... Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 1 hour ago, The Batman said: The last two seasons have produced good league football finishes / positions where we also had good cup runs. The fa cup last year and the league Cup the season before. The additional energy, prep time, travel etc ultimately meant that we ran out of puff come the second half of each of those seasons. It looked like we'd got through it last year but results started to go against us come the end unfortunately. LJ's game plans are very high energy so unless he plans to adapt that somehow, I don't see how we can battle on more than one front considering what's happened the last two seasons. With that in mind, do we play the reserves / kids in the cup matches next year and go all guns blazing focusing on the league alone? I’m not sure our FA Cup ‘run’ last season took much out of us - we beat two teams at home (who both got relegated) then lost another home game - and that was it ... not much to write home about and not enough to provide any excuses of the “ran out of puff” variety ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sglosbcfc Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 No, Bristol City fans surely want to see Bristol City win every match they play. The squad is big enough I really don't understand the 'let's get knocked out quickly' mentality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddogkev Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 Every season I always hope we'll win one of the cups, so no, let's go for it! Nothing better than a league and cup double! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 We try to win every match, as other posters have said we have a big squad, have confidence in it. Our cup runs have raised our profile , put some money in the coffers , given the club some rare moments of glory and shown us that we can compete with and beat Prem teams which is fantastic for the belief that we can get to that level and win some games there. We will also have gained some new supporters who came along to watch the Prem opposition and will have got the City bug . For me it’s all good . Whilst the league is the bread and butter a fun cup run is the icing on the cherry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathandao Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 Was chatting to my mate about this last night. He’s an Oxford United fan. He said that then beating Swansea in the FA cup gave them confidence to go on a good run in the league. Before that they were struggling. I’ve always thought the cup runs do nothing but good for the team, so found it strange when we choked two seasons ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudolf Hucker Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 1 hour ago, Major Isewater said: the icing on the cherry. Is that a French thing, Major? Over here we generally put cherry on the icing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar BS3 Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 1 hour ago, reddogkev said: Every season I always hope we'll win one of the cups, so no, let's go for it! Nothing better than a league and cup double! Bristol Rovers are aiming for a league & cup double this season. They can’t pinpoint exactly when between August - May yet, but their hope is to win a game in each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Oil Services Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 Yes - the clubs that we are emulating, or trying to emulate, and attempting to join, in the business-end of this division and the one above, they mostly "forgo" the cups, so so now must we. All this "wins breed confidence" is 20th century British bulldog antiquity. We are trying to be a very modern, 21st century outfit now, if you hadn't noticed. It won't hurt for one year - while we have a bigger goal in our sights - to let Plymuff or some other lower league turds have a (nother) big day out win here. We got bigger fish, etc. Buy a couple more Gilmartins and Rowes and call up some academy prospects and let them run around in the cup matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 50 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said: Is that a French thing, Major? Over here we generally put cherry on the icing. Ah thé early bird gathers no moss , Rudolph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudolf Hucker Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 4 minutes ago, Major Isewater said: Ah thé early bird gathers no moss , Rudolph. I’m gonna mix me a metaphor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 4 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said: I’m gonna mix me a metaphor. Make mine a large double (entendre) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar BS3 Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 12 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said: Yes - the clubs that we are emulating, or trying to emulate, and attempting to join, in the business-end of this division and the one above, they mostly "forgo" the cups, so so now must we. Man City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea & Arsenal, hardly limped out of the cup competitions last season..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudolf Hucker Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 1 minute ago, CyderInACan said: Make mine a large double (entendre) So you’d like a big ‘un? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 3 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said: So you’d like a big ‘un? I'm a greedy bugger so I'd like a pair of big 'uns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudolf Hucker Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 2 minutes ago, CyderInACan said: I'm a greedy bugger so I'd like a pair of big 'uns I'll make big jugs for you, sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyderInACan Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 2 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said: I'll make big jugs for you, sir. The bigger the better, please, my good man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unan Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 Happy to see us to all the way but would only be disappointed if we got knocked out after the last 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Batman Posted July 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 Interesting to see that the majority would fight on a number of fronts rather than focus on the league. I was just interested in what people's thoughts on it were. For all I know, my fellow otibers were contemplating the idea but didn't want the backlash in case others disagreed. Wonder what people's views would be if we got to the fa cup quarter final against Man City but the game after was Cardiff away which was a must win to catch them for promotion and Cardiff had no game that weekend. Ultimately it is all hypotheticals at present. Here's to a good season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenred Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 6 minutes ago, The Batman said: Interesting to see that the majority would fight on a number of fronts rather than focus on the league. I was just interested in what people's thoughts on it were. For all I know, my fellow otibers were contemplating the idea but didn't want the backlash in case others disagreed. Wonder what people's views would be if we got to the fa cup quarter final against Man City but the game after was Cardiff away which was a must win to catch them for promotion and Cardiff had no game that weekend. Ultimately it is all hypotheticals at present. Here's to a good season Winning breeds confidence and provides opportunities. Look at the coverage we got for getting to the semis of the League Cup - it would’ve raised our profile with prospective players no doubt as well as all the other benefits it brought in terms of revenue, exposure and most importantly fan memories and pride! In my mind it really is as simple as that and we have a big enough squad with cover to go for it on all fronts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Batman Posted July 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 11 minutes ago, lenred said: Winning breeds confidence and provides opportunities. Look at the coverage we got for getting to the semis of the League Cup - it would’ve raised our profile with prospective players no doubt as well as all the other benefits it brought in terms of revenue, exposure and most importantly fan memories and pride! In my mind it really is as simple as that and we have a big enough squad with cover to go for it on all fronts. Slight crack in the armour there. Opportunities for fringe players so the best players would indeed be rested for it. Last year Pack & Brownhill were running on empty towards the end but they still gave their all. Yes Smith was injured, but LJ should have had more faith in Walsh or signed a loan in January. 2 sides to this. Liverpool would not have won the champions league and got 97 points in the prem if they didn't get knocked out of the league Cup and fa cup so early in their respected rounds. On the other hand, Man City won 3 trophies so would have played more games than everyone else. Course they have the wider better squad to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibor Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 Surprised nobody has asked this: Is there any evidence at all that the Wenger approach works? Does playing the young players in the cups help the first XI do better in the league? It's been tried often enough that maybe someone would have studied it even if it can't be an exact science. I have to say I think it would create a poor impression, we are not a big enough club that we can afford to take competitions like the FA Cup and League Cup less than seriously. I'd consider it if we had to play in whatever the lower league trophy is called now though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Batman Posted July 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 3 minutes ago, Nibor said: Surprised nobody has asked this: Is there any evidence at all that the Wenger approach works? Does playing the young players in the cups help the first XI do better in the league? It's been tried often enough that maybe someone would have studied it even if it can't be an exact science. I have to say I think it would create a poor impression, we are not a big enough club that we can afford to take competitions like the FA Cup and League Cup less than seriously. I'd consider it if we had to play in whatever the lower league trophy is called now though. With me it's a matter of perception and how this club has changed since Cotterill got us promoted. Back then, I was happy staying up in this league and if we got to the latter rounds of the cups, then brilliant. Now from the last few seasons of finishing just outside the playoffs, it's made me think that we can make it because of the players we have and if that means we treat the cup games differently in order to achieve that then so be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnderMB Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 I think we've had good cup runs because we've played strong squads in the cup. Since we've got a larger squad, I think that the cup should be reserved for fringe/academy players to show what they can do. Rotation should be key in this season especially, but I'd like to see us use the cup as a way to introduce talent, and to see what they can do against tough opposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Journalist Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 It depends how you define "forgoing cup competitions", because did we not forgo the Carabao Cup when we fielded a near-reserve side at Premier League Watford in the early rounds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nibor Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 1 hour ago, The Batman said: With me it's a matter of perception and how this club has changed since Cotterill got us promoted. Back then, I was happy staying up in this league and if we got to the latter rounds of the cups, then brilliant. Now from the last few seasons of finishing just outside the playoffs, it's made me think that we can make it because of the players we have and if that means we treat the cup games differently in order to achieve that then so be it. I'd be much more in favour of it if there was clear evidence of it working, but I think there are so many intangibles it's unlikely to be clearly better. I think morale, mentality, confidence all play at least as much a part as injuries, fatigue and so on. Unless there's a clear advantage I'd rather have a better chance of a few more memorable nights like the Manchester games last season, rare though those are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judda Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 7 hours ago, Rudolf Hucker said: I’m gonna mix me a metaphor. A game of 2 in the bush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
And Its Smith Posted July 2, 2019 Report Share Posted July 2, 2019 I’d rather win a cup than go up so hope we continue our sensible approach to the cups. Fringe players selected but not too many that we end up being too weak to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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