*Official* English Football Season 2016-17

[Furball]

Fair point.

Also just realised that 2004 and the Invincibles were 13 years ago. So could well be plausible.

 

[Nate]

One thing Klopp needs to start doing - playing with two defensive mids and one centre mid, instead of the other way around.
One thing Klopp needs to stop doing - playing with more than one striker.
And another thing - if Firmino plays, he starts as the sole striker, not on the wing frbs.

 

[Uppercut]

First win at Southampton for 13 years. I'll take it.

The two lineups were insanely weak even by modern standards. I think Wenger knows better than most how little anyone cares about the cup. Won it twice in a row and it barely shifted perceptions of Arsenal's performance at all. Same with LVG winning it last year. Nobody cares.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The two lineups were insanely weak even by modern standards. I think Wenger knows better than most how little anyone cares about the cup. Won it twice in a row and it barely shifted perceptions of Arsenal's performance at all. Same with LVG winning it last year. Nobody cares.

Yeah, that's the real politik.

Those of us of a certain age still think fondly of the cup and it still serves a real purpose as the most effective way to redistribute wealth to those lower and non league clubs who have a decent run and get drawn against one of the big boys that makes telly want to show it, but as a measure of a club or manager's success it's barely regarded at all.

As shown by the line ups at St Mary's.

It's a shame, but its decline looks inexorable.

 

[Furball]

Cup weekends are just an annoyance, second only to international weekends for disrupting the flow of a season.

 

[GIMH]

I basically agree, when we are out it's a little annoying that there's no footy I really want to watch on tv, not that I watch much Prem tbf, nonetheless the FA Cup absolutely must stay at the weekend.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, I felt pleased when Arsenal won the FA cup on the last few occasions, as it's always better to win things rather than not win, and I think it was probably useful in terms of a "stop the rot" type thing, but yeah, these days I honestly don't really care much about the domestic cups. In fact, I think I actually find the league cup more interesting, because it's fun to see the younger and reserve players get a run out in it. Whilst this happens in the FA cup more and more as well, plenty of managers still seem to play strongish teams for political reasons I guess. In any event, FA cup weekends are only slightly better than international weekends so far as I am concerned.

 

[Pothas]

When teams in the Championship are resting players as well you know it is in trouble.

They are way better than international breaks for me though because you still have European league games.

 

[sledger]

Yes, that's fair, I hadn't thought of the European games.

I think nearly everyone agrees that the FA Cup needs a shake up somehow, but without a massive injection of prize money into it I don't really see what can be done to improve it. The priority of pretty much every team is either get into the Champions League/get into the Premiership/don't get relegated from the Premiership, because that is where all the money is.

Most of the teams that win it these days tend to be the ones that sort of accidentally end up in the final after ghosting through easy draws whilst all (or at least most/many) of their serious competitors go out. Very rarely, it seems do you ever get two well-matched teams in the final. This is often compounded by the fact that the final itself is usually horrible.

 

[Pothas]

I would get rid of the League cup, making it the only cup competition would not fix the issues by any means but they could maybe do something with the schedule.

 

[GIMH]

Didn't Platini suggest a CL place for cup winners rather than 4th (or 3rd, 2nd depending on country)?

Actually thought that was a goer. Am sure there are good points against it, but I could only see that as being enough incentive for the top clubs these days.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well done Sutton, hope they get Lincoln in the next round.

 

[sledger]

I would get rid of the League cup, making it the only cup competition would not fix the issues by any means but they could maybe do something with the schedule.

Yeah, I was just thinking how it might appeal to me as a viewer a bit more if all the cup games, including the final, were played mid-week actually. Doubt there is any prospect of that whatsoever though.

 

[Furball]

When teams in the Championship are resting players as well you know it is in trouble.

They are way better than international breaks for me though because you still have European league games.

In a 46 game season (increasing to 48 or 49 for teams who make the playoffs) it's natural.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, I was just thinking how it might appeal to me as a viewer a bit more if all the cup games, including the final, were played mid-week actually. Doubt there is any prospect of that whatsoever though.

I'd keep the 3rd round as it is, but there's absolutely no reason for the 4th round onwards to take up weekends.

 

[sledger]

I'd keep the 3rd round as it is, but there's absolutely no reason for the 4th round onwards to take up weekends.

Yeah, agreed actually. For cultural/traditional reasons I can see why the 3rd round should stay as is. In many ways that's the high point of the competition, and there's a buzz around because of the turn of the year and this that and the other. But like you say, from then on, it becomes fairly ergh.

My football watching attitude tends to change quite heavily depending on whether it's a weekday or a weekend. During the week I am much more open to watching anything, especially in winter, when it's dark, there's not a lot else to do, and you come home from work just looking for something to vaguely entertain you for a few hours. Football fits the bill well, as even if a game is awful I won't mind, because I'd probably have only spend that time messing around online or watching Pawn Stars or some other crap.

At the weekend, however, my attitude changes. I like to actually spend that time doing something worthwhile. So, in other words, if I'm to set aside time to watch football I'm expecting it to be worth me doing so. When it's a big Prem game that's fine, and I will do so, but when it's the FA Cup I just cbf. It's just not enough of a hook for me at all.

Another thing I hate is the FA Cup final kicking off at 5pm or whatever it is these days. Just terrible. Mind you, I still wish the Champions League final was held on a Wednesday like it used to be, so what do I know.

 

[Tangles]

Average first half from the B team but Fellaini to the rescue. We will try to bore out the 2nd half. Only give us a 50-50 shot at doing it though.

 

[GIMH]

How's Max Power playing?

 

[Tangles]

How's Max Power playing?

Ok but not much apart from his shot that I can remember. Guy with the headband first half, Morrissey iirc, was really good first half.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Great draw for Sutton, hopefully Arsenal do the decent thing and waive their share of tv money and gate receipts to help the small club.