Thetownend.com

does anybody really give a shit about tonights game?its a poor competition that nobody gives a damn about until the semi's.we could sustain injurys that for our league campaign we could do without.its a poor second to the fa cup and lacks the fairytale's and magic of it ect.the competition seems to get worse year by year.
a win will be good as i always want us to win and i suppose its a chance for some fringe players to get a run out,plus a few more on the gate saturday but i just couldn't give a hoot in all honesty about the worthless cup.
what do others think?

I think we need the money
I think we need the hype
I think we need games against teams like Brentford that we get publicity for if we win

Yes it is a pointless competition in many ways....but at the end of the day this club needs all the revenue and positive attention it can get!

If we had a nice little run in it, it would be ace. I think the fans and Wise would both agree that the league is far more important.

It is worthless in that we can't win it.  On the other hand the revenue and the hope of playing a "big" team later on make it worthwhile.

Of course if we get dumped out it is definitely worthless.

There was me thinking the LC had provided some of my most exciting STFC moments down the years....I should have known it was worthless...I can now stay at home and watch the Champions League like all the other sheep.

Success breeds confidence. A win tonight against a team from a league above would attract a bit of positive media coverage. We are long overdue a cup run. Chance of drawing a big club in the next round. Opportunity to give some fringe players a competitive run out and challenge more established first-teamers.

That said, our chances of winning the cup are the square root of zero, therefore is there any point in bothering? Definitely 3rd priority behind League and FA Cup.

Oh, wait a moment, didn't we win this competition once before???? Definitely worthless  :?

i think we should go out and try and win it for the second time  :D

Were going to get Chelsea in the cup at some point this year so it may be in this competion so id say yes its worth it.

It is said that when Burton Albion played Man U in the cup last year (ok it was the FA cup) they made over 2 million quid from the two games, securing the clubs financial position for the next 5 years.

Now while 2 million wouldn't exactly secure Swindons future for any length of time it certainly wouldn't hurt. Cup runs provide income and in that way are very important indeed.

no,no,no,no,yes

Somebody has overdosed on the 'Vicar of Dibley' me thinks.

This game matters so little that I'll be dissapointed with anything other than a 2-0 defeat. Anything better and it just shows that Wise is clueless and should be sacked.

but it's not the same competition reg, did arsenal field their reserves in the semi's when we played them in 72?

probably got the year wrong though!

it's a competition which any progress is very welcome in, but a defeat isn't quite as galling. the 3-1 loss to wycombe last season wasn't particularly upsetting but the 4-1 loss to wycombe in the cup a few seasons ago was, in comparison, quite distressing.

the important bit for me was to see the fringe players show that they can be relied on.wise had a good mix tonight and as you could see a few of them played like they were proving a point.im not devastated and im sure the players know they played well

 We've never played Arsenal in the LC semi finals...just Wolves ,Bolton  and Burnley.
 Personally I found last seasons defeat to Wycombe far worse than the FA Cup...insofar as it confirmed we weren't up to L2 let alone L1 status.

 At least the FA Cup game they were in our league....if heading for relegation.

 Tonight is more annoying than anything. in  the way that us England and STFC fans know the outcome, before it happens.

Reg, any chance of an early opinion on our season?  I've tried to remain cautious but the good start in the league and then to see half our reserves do so well tonight had given me a good healthy dose of optimism now.

the game i was thinking of was a q/f, not a semi. even so, did arsenal field a reserve side that night?

  There are some good signs, but its way too early to judge.....as for tonight I think Brentford put out a similar mix and match sides.  I'd say after 20 games, we'll have a decent idea of the way the season's shaping.

 No, they put out their full side.

would they do the same now?

no they wouldn't. they'd field reserves and kids. ergo the competition is of less worth because many clubs - including us - do not take it as seriously.

Brentfords side want mix and match in the same way as ours was thats the team they have been playing in the league.They put out the strongest team they could.

So Matt Heywood really is their captain then?! :o

no, that right-back o'connor was captain but he went off at half-time injured.

 The Arsenal side of kids though, would give the Arsenal side of 80 a run for their money.....they have the cream of European youth football at their disposal.   So they probably had 14 or 15 players in the 06 WC...the likes of Djourou, Walcott, Senderos,  Eboue......would all have relatively few 1st team appearances.

 Its only the 4 clubs with more or less bolted on Champions League who can afford to use the LC as a testing ground for their talent...the likes of Spurs put out a 1st eleven in getting mullered at Blundell Park last season.

Vice captain then

 :o

Well, Wolves didn't when we beat them in 2001, nor did Leeds when we took them all the way a few years back. I'm with Reg - the League Cup is boss!

Any game matters !

What would have happened to confidence if they'd won tonight ?

NMH

my comments were based on the competition as it is now.crowds are generally shit.(though ours was a decent crowd for the comp)and the teams are shuffled about by nearly all sides including ours.we played a team in a higher league and our fringe players were used.speaks volumes imo.
true, stfc have had a great history in the competition and some memorable matches but it has changed dramatically since those days and is getting worse year by year.
i just hope the efforts of last night dont have a negative effect and fatigue for saturday.

I think the team will take a lot of heart out of their performance .. an extra game might have got in the way had we made it ..

im not really bothered about the league cup tbh. its gone way downhill in recent years and its become the new LDV in a way. teams wont risk fitness of their key players and so will play their reserves. crowds have lost interest and attendances have slipped (on most occasions) even the FA cup is heading the same way slowly but surely

Matters enough for me and I8Razor to make a 300 mile round trip!Some of our best moments have been in this comp

8)  I think We will win the LDV.

well i wont be complaining about a day out in Cardiff  8)