Match Thread EFL Cup Round 2 - Sheffield United v. Lincoln City - 30th August 2023

vs.

EFL Cup 2nd Round - Wednesday 30th August 2023 - 19:45 - Bramall Lane
Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.


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Officials:

Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistants: Neil Davies, Scott Ledger
Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse

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[Roygbiv]

But the FA Cup is almost the same. Only Leicester have broken in recently.

You're right but Hull, Watford and Palace have all got to the final in recent years. I think the two legged semi in the League Cup makes it so hard for a smaller club to overcome a big one to get to a final. At the least the FA Cup is a series of one off games.

 

[Roygbiv]

While ever there are two cups it's obviously more likely that someone outside the top 6 can win one.

What is the perceived benefit to scrapping it though? If you think it's crap you don't have to watch it. At the very worst it's an opportunity to give fringe players a run out.

You have a good point in terms of the benefits of scrapping it to be fair. The whole debate started with how seriously we should take yesterdays game. My argument was United don't take this competition seriously which is why last night we took off all our senior forward players. If we were seeing last night as anything other than an extra pre-season game, I don't see why we'd make the changes we did.

 

[Grappler]

I can see both sides of the argument; don't care because we won't win the final and it just means extra games, and, we should have beaten Lincoln.

The most disappointing thing for me was that, even if we don't really care (as a club) and aren't going to put 100% effort in (to avoid any unwanted injuries), I would like to think we had enough in us to create some chances and shots on target.

If we are treating it as a training match, or pre-season friendly, then we should still have enough about us to bag a couple against a League One side.

 

[Roygbiv]

I can see both sides of the argument; don't care because we won't win the final and it just means extra games, and, we should have beaten Lincoln.

The most disappointing thing for me was that, even if we don't really care (as a club) and aren't going to put 100% effort in (to avoid any unwanted injuries), I would like to think we had enough in us to create some chances and shots on target.

If we are treating it as a training match, or pre-season friendly, then we should still have enough about us to bag a couple against a League One side.

I think that's a fair analysis. I doubt anyone will have been happy with yesterday's performance whether they were bothered about the result or not.

 

[gaffablade]

We drew the game 0-0. But Because it was a knockout cup competition one team had to go through to the next round. This was decided by a penalty shoot out. We lost the penalty shoot out. Hope that clears it up for you

so in your words, we lost.

Thanks for clearing this super important matter up

 

[Working Class Hero]

You have a good point in terms of the benefits of scrapping it to be fair. The whole debate started with how seriously we should take yesterdays game. My argument was United don't take this competition seriously which is why last night we took off all our senior forward players. If we were seeing last night as anything other than an extra pre-season game, I don't see why we'd make the changes we did.

Exactly, I don't disagree that it's pants the first few rounds and that almost every team doesn't take it seriously until the quarter final. I just don't see what scrapping it improves. At the end of the day it gives the squad game time, with a very slim chance that we might actually achieve something. It does actually get exciting further in the competition as well, which is fairly likely to happen as a Premier League club. I don't see a downside to it existing.

 

[Roygbiv]

Exactly, I don't disagree that it's pants the first few rounds and that almost every team doesn't take it seriously until the quarter final. I just don't see what scrapping it improves. At the end of the day it gives the squad game time, with a very slim chance that we might actually achieve something. It does a actually get exciting further in the competition as well, which is fairly likely to happen as a Premier League club. I don't see a downside to it existing.

Yeah, I agree with you actually. There's no benefit to scrapping it. Other than so we don't have these sort of arguments about our mandatory early exit every year!

 

[Working Class Hero]

Yeah, I agree with you actually. There's no benefit to scrapping it. Other than so we don't have these sort of arguments about our mandatory early exit every year!

Sadly I think if it was put to a fans referendum, it would actually get scrapped. The Premier League big boys and the likes of Jürgen Klopp have a lot of people brainwashed in to thinking it's a somehow detrimental competition for everyone.

 

[noire]

We can hardly complain the club isn’t taking the competition seriously when there are 20,000 people who were there on Sunday and will be in attendance on Saturday who also aren’t exactly that bothered about it.

 

[Nedski]

The reason I want it scrapped is because there is little chance of anyone outside the top 6 ever winning it these days. The last 10 years show that it's much more difficult to win the League Cup than the FA Cup. It's not just the Premier League clubs that rest players either. Even Lincoln made changes last night and rotated. It's essentially a reserve team competition now and that means those with the bigger squads will continue to dominate in it.

Bring back the Anglo-Italian Cup!

 

[Revolution]

We can hardly complain the club isn’t taking the competition seriously when there are 20,000 people who were there on Sunday and will be in attendance on Saturday who also aren’t exactly that bothered about it.

It might be that a lot of people don’t bother precisely because the club isn’t taking it seriously.

 

[Working Class Hero]

It's normal to get low crowds in the early rounds of either cup against lower league opposition, whether the club take it seriously or not. That's been the case for the 30 years I've been watching and I'm sure it was the same before that. I don't think those two things are particularly linked.

 

[BettingBlade]

The reason I want it scrapped is because there is little chance of anyone outside the top 6 ever winning it these days. The last 10 years show that it's much more difficult to win the League Cup than the FA Cup. It's not just the Premier League clubs that rest players either. Even Lincoln made changes last night and rotated. It's essentially a reserve team competition now and that means those with the bigger squads will continue to dominate in it.

Might not be popular but I’d scrap the EFL Trophy and make the EFL cup just for the EFL teams. That way, Premier League teams dont have to piss about in a competition they dont want to win and it’s less games for the top 6 to fucking moan about. If Prem teams really want a cup competition then have a PL cup competition or something.

The EFL trophy was initially set up to give league 1 and 2 teams a chance to go and win a trophy but theres plenty of Championship teams that have equally as little chance of winning anything either. The prospect of a trophy for teams in all 3 divisions is likely to entice some of them to take it more seriously. Some of them probably wont bother which I still think gives league 1 and league 2 teams to go on a decent run.

If there’s no desire for a PL cup I’d also look at revamping the way the FA Cup works. Look at the possibility of bringing the PL and Championship teams in earlier and make it like a real open competition like we see in other sports. This way, the chance of playing a big team for the lower league clubs is still there and in theory it should become more competitive.

 

[Bl4desutd]

so in your words, we lost.

Thanks for clearing this super important matter up

Any time pal

 

[Beans]

It might be that a lot of people don’t bother precisely because the club isn’t taking it seriously.

Yep, fool me once, shame on United, fool me 5-6 seasons in a row, shame on me...

Also a chunk of that extra 20,000 who'll be there on Saturday will be season ticket holders so will already have paid up for it. I'd rather use the £15 I'd have spent to watch us half-arse against lower league opposition for 90 minutes to buy a few pints at the weekend.

 

[Working Class Hero]

Might not be popular but I’d scrap the EFL Trophy and make the EFL cup just for the EFL teams. That way, Premier League teams dont have to piss about in a competition they dont want to win and it’s less games for the top 6 to fucking moan about. If Prem teams really want a cup competition then have a PL cup competition or something.

The EFL trophy was initially set up to give league 1 and 2 teams a chance to go and win a trophy but theres plenty of Championship teams that have equally as little chance of winning anything either. The prospect of a trophy for teams in all 3 divisions is likely to entice some of them to take it more seriously. Some of them probably wont bother which I still think gives league 1 and league 2 teams to go on a decent run.

If there’s no desire for a PL cup I’d also look at revamping the way the FA Cup works. Look at the possibility of bringing the PL and Championship teams in earlier and make it like a real open competition like we see in other sports. This way, the chance of playing a big team for the lower league clubs is still there and in theory it should become more competitive.

The better way to do that would be to make teams who qualify for Europe exempt. It would be a much more open competition and those with the extra European games can stop moaning.

 

[Bartleby]

Yep, fool me once, shame on United, fool me 5-6 seasons in a row, shame on me...

Also a chunk of that extra 20,000 who'll be there on Saturday will be season ticket holders so will already have paid up for it. I'd rather use the £15 I'd have spent to watch us half-arse against lower league opposition for 90 minutes to buy a few pints at the weekend.

That would just about get you 3 cans of Heineken in the ground

 

[Tom Bott]

I advise everyone who's pissed off to not bother going to the early rounds of this competition next year. We clearly don't take it seriously as a club. In the last 10 years we've not got past round 3 and we have gone out to clubs lower than us on every occasion.

Though when we were in the 1st division under Cloghie we would regularly embarrass PL opposition in the cups.

Then loose the following game to Kidderminster or some such because we were knackered, cup final syndrome ? or opposition not taking it too seriously..

 

[YorkBlade]

I’m one of the 7 then, but if that’s your prediction you’re in cuckoo land more than the interruptive bollocks you spout on that podcast.

That's really unfair.

The latest episode sounded much better.

 

[Lightsoot]

That's really unfair.

The latest episode sounded much better.

Sounds like a backhanded compliment. You podders can be a touchy lot.

 

[St Albans Blade]

No.

Well, we’ll know after the Everton game.

 

[St Albans Blade]

That's right,the Burscough chant..I'm the same with remembering certain things about games,sometimes it's not what went on in the game,but might be the weather,or who i went with,or a certain incident..some games can't remember anything at all.

Burscough was the first time I’d seen a non-league side against the Blades. Always stuck in my memory too. Believe it’s still Burscough’s biggest fixture ever.

 

[Cappy]

Can this thread please be burnt?

 

[Gaini Blade]

Just seen a video onyoutube called 'Lincoln Ultras Storm Sheffield' - looked like an orderly procession with someone's gran to me!

 

[DronnieBlade]

Mark these words and come back to me in a few games then.

Releasing Sharp and Enda will prove to have been a big mistake. As it was with Dids.

We are dreadfully short at the top of the pitch with virtually no outlet ball to release pressure on the defenders. It’s just gonna come back at us time after time after time.

Get used to 25% possession statistics !

UTB

Dreadfully short !

UTB

 

[Revolution]

Dreadfully short !

UTB

Enda Stevens hasn't played since 9 December 2023 because of injury.
Billy Sharp hasn't scored in 14 games, after having a good streak in a poor quality league.
We released Didzy and were promoted the season after.

I'm not sure where the self-praise is coming from.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Enda Stevens hasn't played since 9 December 2023 because of injury.
Billy Sharp hasn't scored in 14 games, after having a good streak in a poor quality league.
We released Didzy and were promoted the season after.

I'm not sure where the self-praise is coming from.

Quote

“
We are dreadfully short at the top of the pitch with virtually no outlet ball to release pressure on the defenders. It’s just gonna come back at us time after time after time.

Get used to 25% possession statistics !”

I guess I was optimistic in the final analysis with 25% !!!!!

UTB

 

[Revolution]

Quote

“
We are dreadfully short at the top of the pitch with virtually no outlet ball to release pressure on the defenders. It’s just gonna come back at us time after time after time.

Get used to 25% possession statistics !”

I guess I was optimistic in the final analysis with 25% !!!!!

UTB

Top notch analysis there. You were. I'm sure, the only one who saw that coming.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Top notch analysis there. You were. I'm sure, the only one who saw that coming.

I actually realised, at that terrible 'game', that there was a terrible struggle ahead.
McBurnie and Archer up front like two wet lettuces and no sign of any link up, Traore like a reed in a gale, etc.
Absolutely shocking. I don't think am alone though in my realisation that night.

 

[Revolution]

I actually realised, at that terrible 'game', that there was a terrible struggle ahead.
McBurnie and Archer up front like two wet lettuces and no sign of any link up, Traore like a reed in a gale, etc.
Absolutely shocking. I don't think am alone though in my realisation that night.

It was obvious from the Palace game, yet alone Lincoln.