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Middlesbrough - League Cup Quarter final


MikeO

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good questions. honestly i would put the backups in the premier league match and have our starters full strength for the cup. man city is the only scary team, the rest are winnable on our day. i think RM should make this match the priority.

Just for the sake of argument, if RM were in fact to prioritize Middlesbrough over Bournemouth, what might two totally different starting lineups look like? Let's assume Robles is keeper for Cup. Also assume all but Jagielka are healthy by late November.

 

Bournemouth --

 

................................... Howard ...............................

Browning ........ Gibson ...... Galloway ........ Baines

....................... Cleverley ............. Besic ................

Lennon ................... Naismith ................... Pienaar

.................................... Kone ..................................

 

Subs: Osman, Lukaku, Deulofeu, Mirallas, Barkley

 

Middlesbrough --

 

.................................. Robles ...................................

Coleman ....... Stones ........ Funes Mori ...... Oviedo

................... McCarthy ............ Barry .......................

Deulofeu .................. Barkley ..................... Mirallas

................................ Lukaku ....................................

 

Subs: Cleverley, Kone, Naismith, Osman, Lennon, Galloway

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But it's a Mickey Mouse Cup. Few take is seriously. That's why so many lower league teams remain in it. Full strength should be for the FA Cup.

When you haven't won a trophy in over 20 years then there's no such thing as a Micky Mouse cup. Ask any Evertonian and they'd say they want to win it.
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You're even more optmistic than I am, I fully expect the reserves all the way through :(

Probably right, but qualifying for Europe in February and a trophy in the cabinet with only four matches (cheers Mike) to get there. We wont get a better chance than this. Surely RM can see that ?

 

Really like the line up MJB suggested earlier in the topic, lets hope RM agrees.

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Probably right, but qualifying for Europe in February and a trophy in the cabinet with only four matches (cheers Mike) to get there. We wont get a better chance than this. Surely RM can see that ?

 

Really like the line up MJB suggested earlier in the topic, lets hope RM agrees.

 

exactly. heres the other thing too, if you go all in for the league cup and get knocked out, there's always the FA cup in the new year. win some prem games and stay top 10 and then go full boar at the FA cup. i think both competitions should be priority till we get a trophy. then use those accolades to land some nice players and lock down others to long term deals and then go for CL spots.

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Probably right, but qualifying for Europe in February and a trophy in the cabinet with only four matches (cheers Mike) to get there. We wont get a better chance than this. Surely RM can see that ?

 

Really like the line up MJB suggested earlier in the topic, lets hope RM agrees.

He's seen that we need a number 10 for 2 years, and not addressed it. He sees the defence being shambolic, does nothing. Howard comes in after Robles plays well....

 

RM lives in his own little world. It's really important for him but treats it as a reserve exercise. 4 games or not, I don't expect him to take it seriously. Unfortunately...

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That would imply I'd bothered to read your post ;).

 

lol well played.

 

to matt's point. you are right. RM is living in a fantasy land thinking this is the magic of wigan where no one expects you to do well so david upends goliath. everyone expects everton to give it a go and so they give it a go. hence all the extra time we've faced. boro will be no different

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We're not consistent enough to do anything of any note in the league (in my opinion, of course), so we should be going all out in the cups.

 

Disagree. To win over and retain top players needs a higher position in the league. To generate more revenue needs a higher position in the league. To generate more advertising revenue needs a higher position in the league. To gain more name recognition around the world needs a higher position in the league. To build a lasting dynasty based on a core of good young players needs a higher position in the league and is the way to get there. Winning a cup, especially the league cup, means very little. Bradford City almost won it in recent years, for goodness' sake.

Edited by Cornish Steve
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Disagree. To win over and retain top players needs a higher position in the league. To generate more revenue needs a higher position in the league. To generate more advertising revenue needs a higher position in the league. To gain more name recognition around the world needs a higher position in the league. To build a lasting dynasty based on a core of good young players needs a higher position in the league and is the way to get there. Winning a cup, especially the league cup, means very little. Bradford City almost won it in recent years, for goodness' sake.

I'll say it again; we're not consistent enough to do anything in the league. So you can say all that but it means nothing if the team can't achieve it.

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So have City, United, Arsenal. We've never won it, that's the first reason. Second, European football. Third, winning something might lead to a winning mentality, giving the players a taste of success.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but I want us to win everything. All the time. That starts with the next match, so put your strongest out and go to win. It's that simple for me

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Sorry to digress, but I can never see the word Middlesbrough without thinking of the episode of Auf Wiedersehen pet where the scouse lad is in Middlesbrough and phones home. His mother asks what Middlesbrough is like, he says 'I always though we were working class but now I've been to Middlesbrough I know we're middle class.' :rofl:

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So have City, United, Arsenal. We've never won it, that's the first reason. Second, European football. Third, winning something might lead to a winning mentality, giving the players a taste of success.

 

I understand where you're coming from, but I want us to win everything. All the time. That starts with the next match, so put your strongest out and go to win. It's that simple for me

 

My point is that position in the league table must always be #1. Yes, it would be nice to win the League Cup, but not if it costs us in the league.

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