ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Carling Cunning

There are a few positives to the Carling Cup; it?s a backdoor into Europe ? you have to win fewer rounds to claim it, and you inevitably come up against teams who field weaker sides. If you make the final, fans get a trip to Wembley. That?s it.

When Liverpool won the mickey mouse cup as part of their so called ?treble?, I?m sure a lot of Everton fans laughed at the cheek to proclaim this cup as a worthy trophy to win. But look at us now. We have fielded our strongest sides during each round and have thrown away a run in the FA Cup by resting players for the Carling semi. Why?

Let me ask you which cup you?d rather still be involved in? Arsene Wenger has the right idea about playing his youngsters in the Carling Cup because that?s what it?s for. We don?t have that kind of talent, but we could blend a good team from our youngsters, fringe first team players and first team regulars players coming back from injury. If we get knocked out early, would anyone truly care later in a successful season?

We wouldn?t have had this situation where Moyes rests some his first choice players for an FA Cup tie in favour of a Carling Cup Semi. ToffeeWeb wouldn?t get bombarded by deluded Everton fans who expect us to win all our home games despite 3 first choice midfielders being injured or suspended. If the FA cup kicked off for Premier League teams prior to the Carling Cup starting, we could gladly put a fit first eleven out on the park for each round and give the Carling Cup the respect it deserves. None.

Please note the last time I wrote in was when the club released a DVD to commemorate one of the few home derby victories we?ve had in the last decade. What a joke.
Jerome Esterhazy, Adelaide, Australia Posted 07/01/2008 at 02:06:36

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Steve Pugh
1 Posted 07/01/2008 at 07:05:15

What Jerome says is true, to a point. Most true Evertonians would prefer the Blues to put out a full strength team in the FA Cup and a weaker team in the Carling, eapecially if it allows players like Bjarni to get a run out.

Jerome, you make some good points and I for one long for the day when our young stars are allowed to run in the Carling Cup.

Daniel Lim
2 Posted 07/01/2008 at 07:28:18

Jerome, you might have a valid point there. But what your last paragraph has to do with this subject?

Craig Ashford
3 Posted 07/01/2008 at 08:45:53

I never though of it like that, i was just looking forward to the oppertunity of some silverware, but you’re right i’d MUCH prefer the FA cup in our cabinet than the Carling cup.

Dave Southword
4 Posted 07/01/2008 at 08:50:28

We need a trophy, any trophy. We need something to get us started like in the 80s. We are not in a position like Arsenal to be dismissive of any competition.

The team we put out was good enough to win on Saturday, but they didn’t. At this current point in time I would pick a win against Chelsea over a win against Oldham simply because we are closer to the final.

Trevor Clarke
5 Posted 07/01/2008 at 09:02:34

Everton need European football to progress and try and catch the 4 teams that have dominated things for a good few years now, so getting into Europe either through the league, FA Cup or the Carling Cup is a priority. Loosing to Oldham was a big shock but the club and fans need to move on and look to the rest of the season and tomorrow night with the aim of beating Chelsea to the final, also trying to claim that 4th spot from Liverpool, which i believe we are more than capable of this season if we can stay mainly injury free and perhaps a good couple of signings this month.

I also believe that we do have a realistic chance to win the Uefa Cup; I don't see any side that's left in the competion that we cannot beat on our current form in any cup game.

I think you seem to have lost the plot with your comments its a Mickey Mouse Cup ? you still have to beat the best to win it!!!!

Steve Templeton
6 Posted 07/01/2008 at 09:04:09

I can remember being at Highbury in 1988 (i think) when Arsenal beat us in the second leg of the league cup semi-final and I vividly remember how their supporters invaded the pitch at the end of the match because it meant so much to them to reach a final.

That win was the launch pad for their succesful title challenges in following seasons.

I would rather win the FA cup than the Carling Cup but as someone else has already stated, we need a cup, any cup.

It’s well recorded the effect of running Liverpool close in the 1984 league cup final had on galvanising that team into believing that they could compete with the best around and fingers crossed, if we can go one step further this year then it may be the launching pad for bigger and brighter things.

The defeat on Saturday was gutting but we simply do not have the squad to compete in four competitions throughout the length of the season. We have been playing two games a week for over a month now and it is beginning to take its toll on the squad.

Let’s hope we can keep it tight tomorrow night and make the return leg a night to remember.

Onwards and upwards my blue friends.

Rob Jones
7 Posted 07/01/2008 at 09:10:36

Steve: ??Most true Evertonians would prefer the Blues to put out a full strength team in the FA Cup and a weaker team in the Carling??

Whoa! wait a second before I go off on a rant... just clarify those words please ? are you saying me and other fans aren?t true Evertonians because we think that we need a better side vs Chelsea in a semi than against Oldham in the 3rd round?

IMO we just need any trophy now so if it means going out of the FA Cup at an early stage to give us a much bigger chance of getting to the CC final then so be it. It could also help our league run in the long run although obviously I?d rather we hadn?t gone out.

John Lloyd
8 Posted 07/01/2008 at 11:02:39

We have an opportunity to get to a final at wembley, win a trophy & qualify for Europe in this competition & your not happy cos its not the one you wanted?? Wind your neck in, I wanna win the Premier League but its not happening this year, I wanna win the FA Cup again but unfortunately that's not happening, we have a chance to win the Carling Cup & are in the latter stages of a European competition...... how can you moan about that?? Unbelievable!!! The Carling Cup is also the one domestic competition that we have never won, so we could also add to our fantastic clubs history.

I for one was gutted (and angry) on saturday but you sometimes have to give credit to our opposition & maybe it was a competition too many, but that is not an excuse as we still should of won. But dont use that to belittle our massive, MASSIVE games coming up starting with our first semi final in 13 years!!!

Let's hope we do a job on Chelsea & stop these daft arse posts.....

Dave Trudgeon
9 Posted 07/01/2008 at 11:59:05

Um, we fielded full strength teams against Luton and Sheff Wed?... did we?

John Jones
10 Posted 07/01/2008 at 12:01:18

A valid point, but the team fielded should have been good enough to beat Oldham, whilst we have a much harder task tomorrow playing Chelsea away so he was right to save the likes of Lescott - if we’d have beaten Oldham with Lescott getting injured - people would be complaining.

Obviously, the FA Cup is considered a lot more worthy than the Carling Cup, but Moyes was right to prioritise a semi final against a better team than ours, over a early FA Cup tie against lowly oposition we should have had no problem routinely beating. It was a freak result, we had no midfield, and admittedly the tactics were poor.

The FA Cup is more important than the Carling Cup, but a Carling Cup semi final is more important than an early FA Cup tie... realistically, due to the stranglehold the ’big 4’ has on the FA Cup (we were the last team to win it other than one of them...way back in 95) we would have had no real chance of winning it, as these teams take it more seriously and field strong sides, however, we have a good chance of winning the Carling Cup or at least having a day out at Wembley... and that’s what every Evertonian wants this season, and Moyes wants it aswell....

Kieran Fitzgerald
11 Posted 07/01/2008 at 11:57:28

Steve Templeton, I agree with what you?ve said. The defeat on Saturday was gutting but if we want this season to finish on a high note then I think something had to give now. We cannot afford to keep playing the amount of games that we are. Even with a good transfer window we won?t have the squad to cope with everything.

As we get into February and March I would hope to still be in the Uefa Cup and in the top six of the Premier League. At that stage of the season I would rather have a free weekend to rest players while the likes of Portsmouth and Man City play in the FA Cup. Easter weekend is early this year too, late March, so there will be extra games at this stage too.

Allan Hobbs
12 Posted 07/01/2008 at 12:14:51

It could end up being a blessing in disguise. You win some you lose some, thats just football sometimes; we’re in a semi final for the first time since ’95, we’re 6th in the PL and in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup - things are looking bloody good from where I’m sitting!

Lee Spargo
13 Posted 07/01/2008 at 12:39:49

This is bollocks.

Who would you rather beat - Oldham in the FA cup 3rd round, or Chelsea in the league cup semi-final?

Chelsea every time.

Marc Dale
14 Posted 07/01/2008 at 12:51:42

Just heard that Peanut WILL PLAY tomorrow. Everton have invoked the FIFA 14 day rule. Hurraaaayy

Steve Pugh
15 Posted 07/01/2008 at 18:31:25

Rob, not at all, thats why I said most Evertonians. I wholly appreciate some Evertonians have different opinions and they are entitled to them. I would even go as far as to say life would be dull if we were all the same.

If my comments caused any anger I apologise.