Disrepecting The League Cup

Thats what really really urks me about these players that are on hundreds of thousands o quid a week, liek I said they are as fit as fiddles and if I was paid as much as them id play every bloody day coz I love football and thats supposted to be the reason why they became footballers, to win tournaments and gain medals and also Managers like Colin that wont take it seriously, Id say only let Championship teams and L1 & L2 teams enter

"Id say only let Championship teams and L1 & L2 teams enter"

Doesn't that just devalue it even further though!?

I've absolutely no problem with the Prem teams playing 'reserve players'. Surely that just makes it more competitive & it gives lower league clubs further opportunity to play at big grounds (Hereford @ Villa Park last night for example).

I think the issue, as most have said, is completely disrespecting it as Warnock has done rather then clubs taking it less seriously than other comps.

And before someone says it, it's not just because it's Warnock. Up 'til before he 'retired' the first time I'd always thought if he wasn't a blade I'd love to have Warnock as our manager, because he's honest, passionate and sticks up for his team.

Not since he came back though and particularly not after last night. It made me wonder whether he was just milking the QPR cash cow until he inevitable sacking by an over-expectant unrealistic board (probably sometime in January.)

I agree top point with poite_the_owl footballer are soft as shoite but you can't compare it to ice hockey they 3 15min half with an extra overtime 15min period if they are drawing also they have 4 lines of 5 player who inter change throughout the game meaning one player (best player usually) will only play prob 15 - 20 mins per game.

Premiership pays more money that all the cups put together & football is more about money than owt else nowadays sad but true.

"Id say only let Championship teams and L1 & L2 teams enter"

Doesn't that just devalue it even further though!?

I've absolutely no problem with the Prem teams playing 'reserve players'. Surely that just makes it more competitive & it gives lower league clubs further opportunity to play at big grounds (Hereford @ Villa Park last night for example).
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Thats a fair point actually Monsty , didnt think of that coz playing at grounds like that and other big grounds are money spinners for lower division clubs like hereford and financially it see's them through for a good month or two (no expert but just a rough idea). But I still think Premiership clubs should play stronger teams, esp if they played on a Saturday but if they played on a Sunday then have to play on a Tues then, yeah rest one or two players but not an entire team, although we did that v B'pool but we had an excuse as we had a long round trip to make the day after and back again after the game

If anything I would say make the PL teams join in at the start! Gives smaller teams who will get knocked out earlier to earn a pay day too plus if they hate playing it so much it means they can be out sooner and stop moaning about it.

I would suggest that it's all gone a bit too far, now. Arsenal managed to get away with it cos their kids are good. QPR don't have the strength in depth to get away with it and effectively throw the tie away.

For me, sides like QPR could do with the confidence boost that winning gives, even if you make a few minor changes to give fringe (bench?) players some time on the park you should still be looking to win the game and losing to a side two divisions below you should still be a source of disappointment. The low attendences Warnock quotes don't necessarily reflect lack of interest (would they still only get 4000 if they played ManU in the QF?), but do reflect that most fans know they'll be watching a reserve team.
I hope we put out an almost full strength side tonight (although not risking players with niggles that they may carry into a league game) cos if we get a result it's kudos and cash for the club, and a boost in confidence for the players, while if our (almost) 1st team loses to Blackburn reserves so what - we've lost to a Premier league club. It's win-win.

Agree with you Rich, I think the low attendances come from the fact that fans know teams don't take the competitions seriously as much as anything else. That argument is a cyclical one that will end in the death of the competition, lower attendance so you put out a worse team which gets thrashed so next season the attendance gets even lower.

Winning is a habit and good form and confidence do make a difference. I hope, like you do, that we put out a good strength side and give it a real go against Blackburn tonight for the increase in confidence it would give the team.

Qudos to Kenny Dalgleish for the way he approached this competition.

Trotters Fan Here In Peace.

For clubs like ours the League Cup is the place to test out fringe players while generally playing the nucleus of our strongest squad.

Last night we gave Tuncay his debut and also played Adam Bogdan in goal. In total we had four debutants, the rest have all played for the first team before and six of the starting eleven played against Man City.

I personally would LOVE to win this trophy but with a squad as thin as ours and the stakes being so high in terms of lost revenue if you drop out of the prem Owen has to prioritise just as Megson did in his time with us.

QPR have an even thinner first team squad than we do so I can sympathise with Warnock playing kids etc. HOWEVER

His comments about not being motivated and not expecting his players to be either were disgraceful. There is no way he should be feeling that way about ANY competition let alone one with the long and frankly glorious history as this competition. In the past the likes of Liverpool under Bob Paisley won it and it's thrown up some of the most thrilling matches I've ever seen in my thirty six years as a Bolton fan.

I still remember the joy when we as a second tier club gave spurs a 6-1 kicking and the agony of losing 2-1 in the final to the scouse reds.

Warnock should hang his head in shame. His players, especially those who were getting a rare first team shot should be appalled both with him and themselves if they truly couldn't be bothered.

I suspect Warnock may have been saying it to cover his disappointment at losing so poorly and that he is in fact furious but even if that's true his comments were ill judged, did nothing to enhance his or his club's reputation and frankly served the whole game badly. I hope that the League comes down hard on him for those comments or that someone at QPR itself hauls him over the coals and makes him publicly apologise for his inexcusable comduct.

Hopefully this morning he's looked at what he said an will apologise himself. If not he should get his backside kicked hard.