This cup run is going to ruin us

[jalfie69]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

 

[Bladesman]

We rested half the squad, so not sure it will do.

Hardly slowing Burnley down is it?

 

[jalfie69]

Burnley are a different animal this year, nothing seems to bother them. When they are losing at 90 mins they always come up with a goal

 

[Blade58]

I get why fans want a cup run

For me though, when promotion is at stake no matter which season (even more so this) I always want us out out of it

I just find it a distraction and can diminish focus as well as increasing the risk of injuries and let’s be reyt, when it comes to injuries we’ve had our fair share of bad luck

Heckys made his decision though so we have to get on with it.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

We rested half the squad, so not sure it will do.

Hardly slowing Burnley down is it?

Hardly slowing Blackburn down either

 

[Katzenjammer]

Yes, because we and only we are too delicate and precious to compete in two competitions, as has been the arrangement for about 150 years.

Jesus fucking wept.

 

[Big Hitter]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

IF they cant play two games in 4 days then they shouldn't be in the squad.
The Cup Run of Blackburn and Burnley ain't slowed them down.

 

[Roygbiv]

Blackburn played on Tuesday with the same 11 and have just outplayed us. 8 we had on the pitch today have been sat down all week and turned up like they'd played 90 minutes at 10am

 

[LS16Blade]

The serious challenge that cup progress will now cause is that a home match (WBA) has been taken out of the fixture schedule, meaning that including today, we are now in a run of 4 away fixtures out of 5.

Given how brittle we have become away from home - 2 draws and 2 defeats in the last 4 fixtures - we could very well find ourselves out of the top 2 and under pressure to win a glut of home games at the end of the season to get back in.

Notwithstanding today’s result, I don’t actually think that Blackburn are up to much and there’s a very good chance we’ll bury them in the Cup match. If that comes to pass, semi-final weekend will take the Huddersfield match out of the current schedule, leaving us with 4 consecutive home games against Cardiff, Bristol City, WBA, and PNE in the space of 14 days in April.

In the 2018/19 promotion, and even in the run-in last season, the players invariably turned up for the big matches and got the job done. Elements of the performances against Middlesbrough, against Millwall and again today suggest that this year we’re lacking that same mentality.

 

[LS16Blade]

Blackburn played on Tuesday with the same 11 and have just outplayed us. 8 we had on the pitch today have been sat down all week and turned up like they'd played 90 minutes at 10am

Agreed. Having watched Blackburn on Tuesday, it was sensible management for them to put the same side out again because they will have been flying after what they did at Leicester.

The question for our management has to be why did we completely change a side that will have been on a similar high?

For many of the players that we “rested” on Wednesday, ‘rest’ is almost irrelevant. Norwood, Fleck and Berge for instance play every game at one pace anyway and that is ’slow’. Rest would have made absolutely no difference to their performance today. It’s not as if they ever bust a gut to get around the pitch.

 

[Champagneblade]

Blackburn played on Tuesday with the same 11 and have just outplayed us. 8 we had on the pitch today have been sat down all week and turned up like they'd played 90 minutes at 10am

Exactly. We basically rested 8 out of 11 and disappeared in the second half.

This could be a valid point at some stage. But not this week.

 

[AnstonBlade1]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

We looked a better team on Wednesday than we did today, with all supposed rested players playing.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

It hasn't quite ruined us yet but it probably will

Oh well, another decade outside the PL is worth it if means we get to lose at Wembley again

 

[Stretch]

The cup has got fuck all to do with it.

 

[ZLB]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

Go away and fear the worst on your own.

 

[ATL Recs]

IF they cant play two games in 4 days then they shouldn't be in the squad.
The Cup Run of Blackburn and Burnley ain't slowed them down.

Two games in less than 3 days for us we didn’t get the extra 36 hours recovery -Only Bash Fods and Robinson everyone else got some rest or part of a game

 

[Ralph Blade]

You just go out to win your matches, if you win in the cup, you win in the cup end of.

 

[SB_90]

we cant blame the cup because bar 2 its the same Blackburn team that beat Leicester midweek & that is a very weak excuse as if anything Blackburn shouldve tired they played same side 3 times this week

 

[Houston_Blade]

If we’d have played the same team as the cup game today we’d have got at least a point. I know Anel was suspended so it wasn’t possible but dropping 3 midfielders who put a shift in and Baldock on the right was a mistake.

 

[robbiez666]

If we’d have played the same team as the cup game today we’d have got at least a point. I know Anel was suspended so it wasn’t possible but dropping 3 midfielders who put a shift in and Baldock on the right was a mistake.

You know they are humans and not robots? Players making their first professional starts against much better players can't just do it again 3 days later. Brooks and Coulibaly were arguably I worst performers as well. Baldock hasn't played a game for 6 weeks and you expect him to play two in 3 days?

We played the team we did in the cup game to allow others to rest. It wasn't a team expected to win the bloody game.

 

[SB_90]

If we’d have played the same team as the cup game today we’d have got at least a point. I know Anel was suspended so it wasn’t possible but dropping 3 midfielders who put a shift in and Baldock on the right was a mistake.

for me heckingbottom rotated his team fantastically & that team was more than good enough to win today & if they better more composed & clincial in the 1st half they shouldve. its on the players this

 

[Russtheblade]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

"We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against Spurs" Why did we have less energy if they were rested the other night? Your argument doesn't make sense

 

[Champagneblade]

for me heckingbottom rotated his team fantastically & that team was more than good enough to win today & if they better more composed & clincial in the 1st half they shouldve. its on the players this

It was basically the team that beat Watford.

Thinking they could go again with a week’s rest wasn’t unreasonable management.

We failed to take the big moments and that is what is costing us. The players need to show more composure and bottle.

We’re becoming like the bad things associated with Arsenal under Wenger. We want to walk the ball into the goal and we’re crying out for that defensive midfielder we needed 3 years ago.

 

[JJBlade]

Here we go, blaming a cup run again, even though we were playing shit before the FA Cup even started.
In November and December many said that when we come up against the better teams in this division we'll get found out.

Their problem is lack of fitness and conditioning, they're slow moving, and even slower in thought and ideas.
Blackburn and Burnley are also still in the Cup in case you hadn't noticed, and they have sufficient fitness and conditioning to play an extra game now and then.

 

[Charlieblade]

Too many people wanting to kick the TV at the final whistle. I only listened on the Radio, and I was still angry. That’s why I didn’t post.

Much more relaxed this morning. We can still do both. Autos and FA Cup Semi Final.

Our performance agains Blackburn away from home was simply not good enough.

Too many ifs buts and maybes from fans. It’s still in our hands.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

As the old saying goes "Its better to have loved and lost than been a wanker all your life".

Enjoy the journey.

 

[SimmEnso]

Wish we had lost to Wrexham in that first round so we could concentrate on the league. We had less energy than Blackburn today even though we rested our first team against spurs, I fear the worst as we look knackered.

It’s ours to win (or lose) we’re still in the driving seat and with the all important game in hand.