Priorities - the league or a tilt at silverware?

[LinekersLegs]

The league for me, but we should also go full strength in the FA Cup. So if there is an FA Cup match and a league game in that one off situation I’d prioritise the cup game if necessary.

Interesting, you really despise the league cup don’t you!

Fwiw I would, this season, have said the same for both league and FA cup. So for example if Moyes felt he had to make 7 changes to the starting squad to give players minutes I’d prefer to have done it vs West Ham vs Wolves.

However as a general point I also think making 7 changes to the starting line up is asking for trouble in most games unless forced by injury, especially if against premier league opponents.

 

[yarablue1994]

This forum is nuts. Imagine this thread last season... Why is there always a hyperbolic reaction whenever we put in more than one decent performance in a month? This squad is paper thin and just not good enough to be challenging for a european spot let alone a trophy. Theres literally nothing to suggest it. We beat brighton with our new stadium bounce, mansfield, and a horrible wolves side. That run of form has given everyone on here some sort of weird confidence going forward. It happens every year. We are in the league to survive and put together a starting 11 that can build chemistry for the future nothing else. There are too many clubs that are further along in the process besides the top 6; Bournemouth, Palace, Newcastle, Forest, and Fulham to a lesser degree.

We dont have a recognizable 11. We dont have a number 9, we have Seamus Coleman in 2025 filling in at left back, we have the most error prone GK in the league, we dont have any depth. We have some quality in the middle of the park but one injury to Jack, Ndiaye, or Gueye and the structure of the 11 is gone.

 

[LinekersLegs]

This forum is nuts. Imagine this thread last season... Why is there always a hyperbolic reaction whenever we put in more than one decent performance in a month? This squad is paper thin and just not good enough to be challenging for a european spot let alone a trophy. Theres literally nothing to suggest it. We beat brighton with our new stadium bounce, mansfield, and a horrible wolves side. That run of form has given everyone on here some sort of weird confidence going forward. It happens every year. We are in the league to survive and put together a starting 11 that can build chemistry for the future nothing else. There are too many clubs that are further along in the process besides the top 6; Bournemouth, Palace, Newcastle, Forest, and Fulham to a lesser degree.

We dont have a recognizable 11. We dont have a number 9, we have Seamus Coleman in 2025 filling in at left back, we have the most error prone GK in the league, we dont have any depth. We have some quality in the middle of the park but one injury to Jack, Ndiaye, or Gueye and the structure of the 11 is gone.

I take it we can safely put you down as a “league” vote mate ?

You make an eloquent case despite my view being different, especially in having confidence in Pickford.

However, looking forward, what would need to change for you to be more confident in making a cup run?

 

[Nymzee]

We only made 2 subs iirc at half time and they had already scored so had gained both encouragement and were able to sit back and just counter.

A large chunk is surely more than 50%?

I would say 50% of something, i.e. the whole second half, is a large chunk of something. If you are cutting a cake up for kids and give a whole half to one is that not a large chunk?

Because that’s what we did with KDH and Beto, 10 mins later Grealish and Ndiaye for the last 30 mins.

We will never agree on this but that starting XI should be beating this current Wolves and we would have if we had even the slightest half decent finisher in the squad.

 

[LinekersLegs]

I would say 50% of something, i.e. the whole second half, is a large chunk of something. If you are cutting a cake up for kids and give a whole half to one is that not a large chunk?

Because that’s what we did with KDH and Beto, 10 mins later Grealish and Ndiaye for the last 30 mins.

We will never agree on this but that starting XI should be beating this current Wolves and we would have if we had even the slightest half decent finisher in the squad.

The statistical pedant in me would say that having played 7 new players in the 11 (63% change) for the first 45 minutes, it cannot be balanced out by by adding 2 players after half time and then adding other players 10 minutes later. However you cut the cake it still doesn’t make it a whole half so I can’t see it as a qualifying as a large chunk.

In reality the thing that really ground my gears was that Moyes appeared to rip almost all partnerships up across the pitch with that many changes. And ran the risk that conceding a goal made it an upward battle to recover even if he’d immediately been able to swap in the “ideal 11”.

Should we have been able to beat this current Wolves with the starting 11, yes, especially since they made even more changes and were demoralized by their league form. But it was an unnecessary risk to bet on it to the extent of 7 changes without being forced by injury.

 

[PeregrineT]

Hilarious that you think they are mutually exclusive. If our history in the 80's shows anything its that having a good cup run to the final and ulitimately winning a trophy helps breed success. Even when we won the cup under Royle the good cup run helped us in the league.

Sorry, how long ago were the 80s?

Please find me examples in the past 20 years where they arent mutually exclusive.

 

[PeregrineT]

Yes and Palace did it as they have a manager who can improve players on the training ground and set the team up in an attacking manner and is not scared of the bigger teams.

Sorry, I understand that reading 5 whole sentences in your day may be too time consuming, but thank you for mentioning the very thing Id already said as if you were mentioning something new and interesting, and ignoring the entire rest of the point.

 

[Eggs]

….never understand why it has to be either/or, league AND cups should be a priority.

That option not available so not voted.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

You got the polarizing opinions

Moi? C'mon you knew what you were getting when you dangled this task under my impulsive nose?

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

….never understand why it has to be either/or, league AND cups should be a priority.

That option not available so not voted.

Nuance? Behave, lad.

 

[johnjoeefc]

Need to become relevant again. Need to build up the club in all areas. Gradually improving the first team to the point where we are challenging up the top of the table and then worry about a cup. I just fear the current rules will stop us being able to do this just like Villa

 

[Eggs]

Nuance? Behave, lad.

….not at all, I never understand why a club in our position has to prioritise one or the other. We should be doing the best we can in every competition we play in, the 3 competitions we play in are hardly a draw on resources.

 

[58 toffees]

We made the 5 subs, some as early as half time. We played a large chunk of that game with almost our best team out.

it was too late then , The cock-up was the original baffling team selection...he threw the game for no good reason , he even said it himself

 

[PhilRegan]

I'd rather win a cup and finish 12th than finish 6th with no trophy.

I can see why but I think to clearly progress in reality muscling our way into the top 6 is a lot more measured .

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

There shouldn’t be any prioritizing, you aim to compete in both.