Watford FC 3-3 Tranmere Rovers - 04/01/2020 & 1-2 AET 23/01/2020

Yes, even if we'd won the Football League Trophy during our short stint in the third tier I'd still want us to win the League Cup, or at least get further than we usually do.

I think a lot of Watford fans dislike the LC because the early rounds are so boring and we don't often get far, but that's because we usually perform badly and/or play fringe sides in it, if we took it seriously more than once in a blue moon (like we probably did in 2018/19 but we were unlucky with the draw) we'd stand a better chance of winning a major trophy, which is what I consider a LC win to be.

Just look at the teams that have reached the finals, and in the majority of cases, actually won the thing - Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn, Wigan and Swansea. True the bigger teams don't take it as seriously as they do the FA Cup, but I think it's only Arsenal and Man Utd who regularly put out reserve sides. Bradford's run to the final in 2013 proves the competition has some magic, and while Swansea were practically handed the trophy on a silver plate by facing them at Wembley, them getting there was certainly impressive, with them beating Liverpool and Chelsea on their own turfs.

It's about time we had a good run in this competition starting next season, provided we stay up and are confident we can play the extra games without them jeopardizing our Premier League status (I think it would be too much in a 46-game league season where we would be looking to get back up at the first attempt).

 

I did enjoy the run to semis in 2004/05, with those memorable wins over Portsmouth and Southampton.

 

Helguson at his peak.

 

Tranmere have the right idea:

https://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/2020/january/fa-cup-ticket-update/

 

But we played ManUtd last month, it won't sell out if we get through.

 

Probably still need to manage the sell through of well over 10,000 tickets in 2 days though.

If you already pre-sell 8,000 of those then it eases the pressure on the rest.

 

Just seen an email in my inbox from 9am yesterday morning selling 4th round tickets so we're also already preparing for the possible eventuality of getting through.

 

In the past five years, there has only been one single instance of a team from outside the 'Top 6' reaching the final of the League Cup (Southampton in 2017) and, surprise, surprise, they lost.

Once upon a time it was more true that it was an opportunity for a have-a-go-hero attempt at a trophy, but in these days of utterly dominant super-clubs and an increasingly stratified Premier League with a recognisable elite desperate for any silverware they can parade to their fans who are all screeching for it, demanding it, they can and do play their reserve teams of a second group of elite Premier League players and not give a **** until it gets busy, and then suddenly look who turns up on finals day? Oh, yes, it's their entire first XI strolling to victory.

 

I was going to say, Watford were a day ahead of this.

 

It will happen again this year. So, that will make two years in the past four.

 

Fairplay, although it may well be Leicester who appear to be gatecrashing that Top 6 legitimately, and on top of that, saying 'two years in four' gives it a far more generous aura than it should really have.

In reality, that could be saying that half the teams were outside the top 6 clubs, when in reality it would mean 2 in 8, rather than 1 in 8, and make the overall figure of mine into 2 from 12, rather than 1 from 12. It's a slightly pedantic view, I'll give you that, but I just don't see much worth in targeting anything like that, nor a huge likelihood that it could be successful.

Do we have any doubt that, if Villa do manage to make it through, their reward will be to get utterly banged by City?

 

Maybe Villa wont play a 4222 system in the final?

 

That formation always reminds me of the rowboat disco song from that bygone era - sitting on a beer swilling dirty floor with people walking past, so similar in many ways!

 

Well it’s not surprising. They did just play the tractor boys.

 

Rashford out for 4th round after we smash the trannies

 

I think everyone cares about it. No Watford supporter wants Watford to lose on Thursday. But the question is, how upset would you be if we lost. I think most fans would get over it pretty quickly and would be pragmatic about it.

 

Out for three months according to Henry 'Edgar and Johnny' Winter.

 

Fa cup only comes alive if the big guns go out
Run to the final last year was exciting but facing the might of city in the final took the excitement out of it for me.

Wouldnt want another thumping by city or liverpool

 

Give me Edgar and Johnny over Henry any day ...

 

Play anyone who doesn't get minutes on Tuesday with some U23s thrown in. If we win then great, if not then we get a weekend off.

 

Can we just play a wfcforums.com eleven for this one? I'll put my name in the hat for left wing back.

Who's in?

 

I can play the Chalobah role

 

Bagsy the Holebas nutter role ...

 

I'm the new Sietes, so you won't see me

 

I’m injured, so I’ll play the Welbeck role.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

They were playing him with a single stress fracture and a floating bone in his ankle. Now he's got a double fracture. Cautionary tale!

 

And we moan at our medics!

 

If we were comfortable in mid-table like last season I would like us to go for it. As we have a bigger battle to win this season, the cup is somewhat in the way, but as HB1 said I doubt there would be any tears if we were out of the cup by this time next week.

 

Especially as Will Hughes is their nephew.

 

Unavailable, muscle imbalance.