Carling Cup, round 2

Home to another lower division team. We'll do better this year, right?

Full second round draw:

Leeds v Barnet
Watford v Accrington Stanley
Crewe v Wigan
Doncaster v Derby
Sheff Utd v Bury
Millwall v Southampton
West Brom v Cheltenham
Peterborough v Everton
Hereford v Leicester
Port Vale v QPR
Fulham v Wycombe
Hull v Hartlepool
Walsall v Bolton
Middlesbrough v Notts County
Charlton v Carlisle
Barnsley v M K Dons
Chesterfield v Man City
Scunthorpe v Aston Villa
Southend v Brighton
Brentford v Luton
Reading v Darlington
Birmingham v Wrexham
Rotherham v Norwich
Mansfield v Portsmouth

 

Op: It's so easy to underestimate lower division opponents. That's how we got Zakuani -- he and his League One cronies shut us down at the Cottage in the FA Cup.

 

Carling Cup, round 3

Well, round 3 of the Carling Cup is underway. A few -- while the matches are going on -- observations:

1. Tim Howard is on the bench for the hated Merseyside Blue Poo vs. the Hatters. :twisted:
2. Leeds have already gone down 0-2 in the first 40 minutes at home vs SOUTHEND!
3. West Ham have fielded their strongest 11 against Chesterfield. :shock:

Wish we were still in this competition. Might have gotten a shot at Europe that way!

 

RE: Carling Cup, round 3

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Zakauni, Bjorn, Timlin, all the greenies should have had enough to have beaten Wycombe, and we could probably have fielded them against Doncaster today [Wycombe are home] and had a decent result. I don't think Cookie picked a poor team that day; I think we just got blitzed.

A shame. [Also a shame that the Hatters are now down 0-2 at Goodison; but they're kickin' some serious butt in the CCC!]

 

RE: Carling Cup, round 3

Of the Prem sides, perhaps Blackburn, Watford or Villa.

I'd pick the Hatters but they're 3 down with 26 minutes left -- man I hate it when Everton beats Luton. I'd pick Reading but they're up against Liverpool on Merseyside tomorrow.

 

RE: Carling Cup, round 3

Losing to lower division teams today?

West Ham, Sheffield United, Leeds, Southampton.

Man, I love cup competitions!

 

RE: Carling Cup, round 3

I'm convinced that it's the two Argentines being added to the mix. I think Pardew had a crew he was comfortable with and the late addition messed up the squad's chi. It's going to be difficult to come back from this.

Speaking of the Argentines, it was interesting that neither of them were in the squad today. Pardew was evidently concerned about how they'd handle a roung-and-tumble with a lower division team. Man, that means he's unsure of their ability to play in Old Blighty in the first place.

Best news about this is that Mikey is doing cartwheels about now.

 

RE: Carling Cup, round 3

And the mighty Wycombe Wanderers claim another EPL scalp ON THE ROAD and in London!!!

As I've posted before in this thread, "man, I love cup competitions."