we are away to reading for our first game: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156867070901-1230.htm Third round draw in full: Blackburn v Birmingham Reading v Liverpool Manchester United v Coventry Tottenham v Middlesbrough Hull v Chelsea Blackpool v Southend West Ham v Plymouth Arsenal v Newcastle Luton v Charlton Manchester City v Norwich Sheffield United v Morecambe Sheffield Wednesday v Everton Fulham v Bolton Burnley v Portsmouth Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest or Leicester West Brom v Cardiff
I doubt we will see many youngsters even in the Carling Cup this season. We have enough first team players that need the game action. That should make us one of the favorites to win it.
Not the best draw but I can't help but feel that Reading are a lot shakier this season and we've got quality depth on our side. It is the Carling Cup though, don't really care much about it.
Could've been a better draw. Reading away doesn't sound as fun as, say, Southend, Morecambe or Plymouth home. I wonder tho, will it be youngsters or first team players in the starting XI for that game. In past years Rafa's been fielding loads of youngsters in the Mickey Mouse Cup, not sure that'll happen against Reading, unless we really don't care about it at all..
It would suck to go out this early but I honestly wouldn't be bothered if we got eliminated as long as we keep our league form up till the end.
This is a good test of what Rafa plans this season. In my "Humble" opinion, Rafa with the spread of players availible to him now will take every match on it's merits and play each to win, even if he does try some young blood in with the experienced. Somebody said in another thread that he expects Rafa to tank the CL early so we can concentrate on the league. If he plays with that attitude then we don't deserve anything. I'm not saying we'll win them all but I can't see Rafa sending a team out on the pitch with a don't care if we win or lose attitude. He'll pick his team, if it's not working after the first half, I'd expect him to bolster that team up for the second half. If he loses then, well, I think he'd be disappointed.
My own humble view, too. I think there finally is enough depth to send out a strong team every we take to the field. A mixture of youth and experience will do for this cup but with the express intention to win.
I agree we won't get many academy kids in, but I fully expect to see Leto, Lucas, Hobbs, and Itandje in these games, i.e first-team youngsters. And while we could have gotten an easier draw, Reading is looking more like a relegation candidate this year than the quality team that challenged for Europe last year. The loss of Sidwell has been brutal for that team.
I agree. Rafa should be, and now CAN, go after all four trophies. Everyone will get playing time now barring injury.
Like us, Reading's focus will be on the league and they certainly don't have the quality of backups as we do. I agree about Lucas and Leto seeing action, but I consider them to be first team players. Its also likely that guys like Sissoko, Crouch, Benyaoun, Hyypia, and Riise will play in the Carling Cup games if they had been left out of the squad in the league. These games could be a good time to give Kewell and Aurelio a run out to get them back to match fitness. I don't know why everyone always mentions Hobbs. Everytime I've seen him play he proves that he isn't ready for first team action. But maybe he will play since we are slightly thin on central defenders. Can't see any of the academy players get a chance. Maybe thats why many of them are out on loan right now.
Agree with most of you, we've been crowing about our bigger squad this year, so I cant see a lot of the reserves/youth players out there. I'd say you'd get at least 70% first team squad members playing, but they will be the ones seeing less action like Leiva, Itjende, Leto. The funny thing is, when Voronin first got signed, people were already saying these would be the types of games he'd be getting. Hasn't he worked his way into our hearts quickly!
It's not that I think Hobbs is ready for first-team action - from what I've seen of him he's not. But every game I've seen him play, he's been put in at holding midfielder, which is not his natural position. I just think that in another season with 70+ games, we need to take a look at some of the better academy prospects, particularly at a position we're very thin at. Paletta got in some Careless Cup games last year, right? He wasn't ready for the first team either but we had to know that before selling him.