Cup run or Table run?

[paulbefc]

I'd just fume if say, Mirallas and Gibson picked up their customary month-long knocks in a fourth round tie away to Villa or something. That'd be fourth completely out of the question with the FA cup still very difficult to win. For a squad like ours with players like ours who seem to have leg muscles made from blu-tack, we can't have the injuries we've just had again or we can forget it.

It's time we won a cup, but with the current state of the club, we can't afford to go all out for it until at least the quarters, for me. Gamble with it decreasingly through the rounds. Play the youth v Cheltenham, add a couple more first teamers in the fourth and then the fifth. The thing is, while we're in the hunt for fourth, going out in early rounds isn't the end of the world as chances of tiredness and injuries is decreased and the players won't exactly be crushed as they'll still have something big to go for, plus, the extra rest may give us an advantage on future opponents who've played.

 

[bluelegend]

It has to be Champions League as priority. If for nothing else to keep our top players here. An FA cup win and 6th place won't keep Felli here and Baines would likely be gone also whereas CL would.

 

[Christiffa25]

CL all day long over an FA cup run/win.

 

[TheFinnFan]

I think our squad is capable of challenging on both fronts, tbh.

I like your optimism and you might be right...personally I feel that this window should bring atleast two new fellas to Goodison, that would give us better chances to challenge in both fronts.

 

[Jimboefc97]

Whats good about the FA Cup is that at first it completely replaces the Premier League on weekends so there really is no difference in the amount of games players play, just another match.

Both. And there is no reason why we cant.

I'm with you on this one, for the majority of games in the FA cup you have a week between games, someone tell me the difference it will make, they have plenty rest time to be ready for the next game

 

[paulbefc]

I'm with you on this one, for the majority of games in the FA cup you have a week between games, someone tell me the difference it will make, they have plenty rest time to be ready for the next game

Later in the season, having two weeks' break is better than one. Injuries are always a possibility too.

 

[dixie7]

So, we're half way down the season, and the "notorious slow starters" did not show up this time.

At the moment I write this, we are 2 (virtually 3 points - Chelsea has a game in hand) points behind a top-4 spot.

I believe Moyes will have to make choices soon, starting this Monday against Cheltenham. I don't think our squad is wide enough to withstand both cup and competition, so what do you prefer? A decent cup run, or trying to get the hands on "The Holy Grail" of 4th place?

I still lean towards cup run.

Cup run, Irts been too long.

4th doesent guarantee you anything we got 4th in 2005 and never qualified for uefa cup or champions league, even then theres no guarantee of 4th, we could end up 6th and have no european football what so ever if other teams win the domestic cups.

 

[JamesEFC]

Draw is key for the cup, i fancy us to beat anyone at home, but an away draw at any of the top 4 would see us out in my opinion. Saying that wouldn't surpirse me if we fell away at lower league teams either.

 

[BigDunc'sFod]

League run for me, so long as it results in CL Qualification and us getting through to the CL Proper.

Long term it should (!) benefit the club more. I would love to see us smash in a cup though.

 

[Deco]

CL over anything.

 

[toffeejack]

depends what the end result will be. I'd settle for 6th in the league if it meant getting to the FA Cup final because that'd be almost certain Europa. However, if it were 4th and the 5th/6th round, you'd have to take 4th because of the extra revenue. would obviously take FA Cup Winners over 4th place though - winning is what counts

 

[Bigmaclad]

Let's just win everything

 

[Seamus Colemole]

We might as well lose on Monday so we can have that little bit extra fitness that allows us to turn a couple of draws in to wins giving us the points to finish 4th not 5th. Maybe.
But even if it doesn't happen like that we might as well lose because we won't win the fa cup anyway, how are we supposed to beat gash lower league teams when the top teams who always win it that we beat in the league have spent more money than us.

 

[chrismanduk]

Go for it, wins breed confidence.
If we are still in contention for fourth tiredness won't be a factor cos of the desire to win,maybe bottle but not fitness.

 

[Shaun4658]

So, we're half way down the season, and the "notorious slow starters" did not show up this time.

At the moment I write this, we are 2 (virtually 3 points - Chelsea has a game in hand) points behind a top-4 spot.

I believe Moyes will have to make choices soon, starting this Monday against Cheltenham. I don't think our squad is wide enough to withstand both cup and competition, so what do you prefer? A decent cup run, or trying to get the hands on "The Holy Grail" of 4th place?

I still lean towards cup run.

Like all of us mate, I ache for some silverware. But the more I think about it, the more I lean to logical progression. Without the money the CL brings, we will never be able to compete financially, and in he same breath, on the pitch. The team are playing some of the best football I can remember. However, the squads paper thin and we continue to struggle to hold onto our best players. So the realist/pessimist in me is thinking it can't last.

With the extra revenue the CL would bring, we could improve the club both on and off the pitch. Which would in turn improve the chances and likelihood of us winning a cup.

So my heart says go b*lls deep for the cup, but my head says forget it this year and go all out for that 4th. It'll be better for the club in the long run.