**WBA V City Official Match Thread**

[Mike J]

So that will be Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs all out in 1 week.

Got a good chance of us winning the Carling Cup this year then havnt we?

Oh wait...

fucking exactly. what a chance we would of had at this trophy!! im absolutely gutted.

[OliverHardy]

I remember us winning this trophy when it actually meant something! When we break our duck we want to do it in style not by winning the mickey mouse cup - far lesser sides than us have fielded their reserves too this week. Some have faired ok - others have lost such as Everton and Bolton (as indeed have Chelsea). Even West Brom had their reserves out tonight. Get over it.

mug. 34 years.

personally don't think we are in a position to be saying certain cups are below us

its not about saying cups are beneath us mate, its about not risking injury for matches that are vitally important. we already have a massive injury list and mancini has a 4th spot to get if he doesnt want the sack! If swp, barry, tevez, de jong etc would have played tonight and got injured, the weekend (and other games) would suffer. would i prefer to get beat tonight and not risk losing key players? in a word yes.

[paulmclaren]

guys guys, go to bed and sleep on it.
we are out after fielding a weak team, its not the end of the world!
spurs are out, chelsea are out, everton are out, we aint alone, just chill
those slating mancini, well its just typical city fans really, over reactions.
just calm down, its 4th spot, the FA Cup or Europe league we are really after isnt it?
everyone moans about the youngsters not being given a run out, well they were tonight

I agree with Oliver.
You lot should take a chill pill.
Was only the poxy cc anyway.
We've the fa cup, euro cup and prem to worry about.
Feel sorry for the travelling army though.
Isn't a cheap night out no more.

[citytilidie]

what's more important - 3 points in the league or the chance of winning a cup?

[paulmclaren]

what's more important - 3 points in the league or the chance of winning a cup?

Depends what cup it is.
Carling cup, no, fa cup.
Yes.
But 3 points is more important then the cups.
Chumps league is the aim.

[london blue 2]

I remember us winning this trophy when it actually meant something! When we break our duck we want to do it in style not by winning the mickey mouse cup - far lesser sides than us have fielded their reserves too this week. Some have faired ok - others have lost such as Everton and Bolton (as indeed have Chelsea). Even West Brom had their reserves out tonight. Get over it.

mug. 34 years.

personally don't think we are in a position to be saying certain cups are below us

its not about saying cups are beneath us mate, its about not risking injury for matches that are vitally important. we already have a massive injury list and mancini has a 4th spot to get if he doesnt want the sack! If swp, barry, tevez, de jong etc would have played tonight and got injured, the weekend (and other games) would suffer. would i prefer to get beat tonight and not risk losing key players? in a word yes.

Vitally important is trying to win something when we have not done so in 30 odd years. we will not win the fucking premier league this year. AND NOT ONE PERSON HAS SAID WE NEEDED TO PLAY A FULL STRENGTH TEAM TONIGHT!

[Nige]

I'm trying to rationalise this.

Last year we played our strongest 11 and got beat paying £45 per ticket for a 2 legged semi.

In recent years we've played a decent 11 and lost to lower division sides in cups (brighton, doncaster etc) so WBA aint too bad, lets get real.

All the money spent on our first 11-15 seems reasonable but we do need to fuck off those hangers-on like RSC.

mancini's tactics sound (via key 103) strange, 1-0 defensive set-up using a back four with very little experience is risky business. Is this stupid behaviour or saving what we have left of a defence for Saturday, remember we're down to our 5th strength left back already and he played tonight!

So, let's chill out and get behind the boys on Saturday. I can't wait for the YaYa v Essien show.

[carl_feedthegoat]

ALREADY HAD 4 TEXTS FROM IDIOTS.........I COULD SMACK MANCINI IN THE NADS FOR DOING THIS TO US.

[Goaters 103]

As the priority appears to be finishing fourth above all things, and is used by the apologists for justification for the nonsensical team selection tonight, can somebody remind me what the trophy looks like that you get for finishing fourth in the Prem so that I know what it looks like when we parade it?

[bluej]

As the priority appears to be finishing fourth above all things, and is used by the apologists for justification for the nonsensical team selection tonight, can somebody remind me what the trophy looks like that you get for finishing fourth in the Prem so that I know what it looks like when we parade it?

Indeed, the open top bus with a huge laminated picture of the league table is going to be great.

[MaineRoadMemories]

what's more important - 3 points in the league or the chance of winning a cup?

The two are not mutually exclusive so this argument never makes sense. When you sent upwards of £250million on a squad it should be capable of playing twice a week.

[Florida Blue]

guys guys, go to bed and sleep on it.
we are out after fielding a weak team, its not the end of the world!
spurs are out, chelsea are out, everton are out, we aint alone, just chill
those slating mancini, well its just typical city fans really, over reactions.
just calm down, its 4th spot, the FA Cup or Europe league we are really after isnt it?
everyone moans about the youngsters not being given a run out, well they were tonight

More reason to take it seriously the path to silverware is open.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Just seen the goals on ssn don't know what the fuck the defence were doing

[Nige]

just seen the goals on Sky. Our super keeper Given may have pulled off the usual 'stuck to the line point blank saves' but he had a good chance of saving both goals I think.

[Socrates]

ALREADY HAD 4 TEXTS FROM IDIOTS.........I COULD SMACK MANCINI IN THE NADS FOR DOING THIS TO US.

Nobody will even remember if Northampton hold onto their lead against Liverpool mate.

[Bianchi on Ice]

what's more important - 3 points in the league or the chance of winning a cup?

Should try to win everything we enter, and if the second tier players and the management are worried about them not getting games then reserve team football isnt being taken seriously enough either. The Carling Cup isnt being taken seriously by our main rivals, certain games excepted, and this was a good chance to progress.

[london blue 2]

CITY VS UNITED
CARLING CUP REVENGE - the script was written till we decided we are too big for it.

Manchini - i expect nothing less than a victory vs chelsea on sat. The pressure is now on, and you have no one else to blame but yourself!

[Dubaimancityfan]

I remember us winning this trophy when it actually meant something! When we break our duck we want to do it in style not by winning the mickey mouse cup - far lesser sides than us have fielded their reserves too this week. Some have faired ok - others have lost such as Everton and Bolton (as indeed have Chelsea). Even West Brom had their reserves out tonight. Get over it.

mug. 34 years.

personally don't think we are in a position to be saying certain cups are below us

its not about saying cups are beneath us mate, its about not risking injury for matches that are vitally important. we already have a massive injury list and mancini has a 4th spot to get if he doesnt want the sack! If swp, barry, tevez, de jong etc would have played tonight and got injured, the weekend (and other games) would suffer. would i prefer to get beat tonight and not risk losing key players? in a word yes.

I don't think Mancini had the option to field a stronger defence with all the injuries we already have (Boateng, Lescott, Bridge and Koralov). If at least 2 were fit, then it would have been a different story. Zabba came on and he's our only option for left back on Saturday but we conceded 2 straight after he was introduced !!
I guess he gambled on the possibility that we will concede but we could score more with Jo, RSC and AJ in the starting line-up. But alas, it did not work.
One thing that he should have done, was putting in Silva and Milner much earlier.

[walmai]

Are you West Ham in disguise?

Thing is Walmai, when you haven't won a bloody thing for 30 odd years like us, we have absolutely no right to piss competitions up the wall like we did tonight.

One bad draw in the FA Cup and that will be it for another year. We arent going to win the league or the Europa so its the FA Cup left really, again, in bloody September.

For the sake of research, I've checked your first eleven. I'd say you were 50% 'first teamers', at the start of the match? Although did Boyata play in some important games last term?

Whatever,that writes Di Matteo's teamtalk for him...in circumstances where, frankly, everyone wants to beat you.

That said, that's still half a very good (expensive) team out there. You might not win the league - as much as I wouldn't be calling that in September - but I reckon you've got every chance of winning the Europa or the FA Cup. One thing's for sure, Mancini is either going to learn from this, or he's going to get fired before the FA Cup starts.

Its looking rosy at the moment; the field is opening up nicely... Watch us get knocked out next round by Northampton!

(ps attendance at The Hawthorns a touch on the embarrassingly low side - not that that's a dig at you lot).

[blue12]

As a club that have won jack shit for what feels like a life time we should have taken this a lot more seriously.
When did we earn the right to be playing an academy side against a premiership team,not happy at all.