Carling Cup 2011-2012 Season

Post by **BobHelm** » September 21, 2011, 7:35 pm

The prelim rounds are over & those Premiership clubs that were getting 'byes' because of European games are now also included.
First set of matches last night, the remainder tonight. One thing about the early rounds of the CC is that you always get a result, extra time & then the dreaded penalties if necessary.

Tuesday, 20 September 2011 Carling Cup
Aldershot 2-1 Rochdale
Arsenal 3-1 Shrewsbury
Aston Villa 0-2 Bolton
Blackburn 3-2 Leyton Orient
Burnley 2-1 MK Dons
Crystal Palace 2-1 Middlesbrough
Leeds 0-3 Man Utd
Nott'm Forest 3-4 Newcastle (After Extra Time)
Stoke 0-0 Tottenham (Stoke win 7-6 on penalties)
Wolverhampton 5-0 Millwall

The Leeds v United were shown live on Sky, Liverpool v Brighton will be shown tonight.
Sir A has always used the CC to give some of his fringe players & youngsters a run out to impress. That left rather a query this season as some of those players that he had earmarked just for this sort of game are currently playing in his first squad on a weekly basis. There were, however, 11 changes to the starting 11 who started against Chelsea. A very strange side started for United with an even stranger line up ending it, because of substitutions & an injury United played the last 10 minutes with only 10 men on the pitch & the back four consisting of - Valencia, Carrick, Berbatov & Owen...

United won it on the back of 3 first half goals but were always firmly in charge of the game. Owen scored a pair, the first of which was rather a scuffed affair that just trickled over the line but the second was as good a goal as he has ever scored. The only player who really disappointing was Berbatov who started as a striker. He impresses with his touches & skills BUT continually slows down the attack to the detriment of the opportunity & his team mates. I can understand that Sir A wanted to keep a 'big lad' for the day that a change in tactics is required up front. With Welbeck returning from injury for a 20 minute showing in this game though I feel that he may well be let go in the January window unless anything dramatic happens between then & now. Over all though I am sure that everybody concerned with United were delighted at the showing that some of the younger players made - 3 never having stared in the first team before.

Elsewhere....
Arsenal looked like having an even worse start to the season as the Shrews scored first. Normal service was resumed though as they ran out 3-1 winners.
Stoke recovered from their weekend, after Europe, upset & will be delighted with conceding none even after extra time even if it was finally a penalty shoot win. Tony Pulis really needs to cap his success at Stoke by winning something & this cup gives him a realistic chance of doing that.
Newcastle took extra time to finally subdue Forest in Nottingham. After their good start to the season even elimination from a competition that I am sure is not to the forefront of their thoughts is important.
Some Villa fans are starting to question the sensibility of employing manager Alex McLeish after an initial good start at the club. I can only say that I did warn you that it was not a marriage made in heaven & that worse is probably yet to come. Bolton will be happy to get back to winning ways after starting to look like a side on the slide.

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 21, 2011, 10:35 pm

Biggest plus from the "toon" win was Ben Arfa playing 70 mins after a year out.
There's a tip for anyone looking for a cheap midfielder for thir fantasy team.

Post by **Zidane** » September 22, 2011, 9:51 am

Owen Hargreaves scored a cracker for Citeh in their 2-0 win over holders Birmingham last night.
He played for 57 minutes and was,apparently,man of the match for the time he was on.
Sorry to see him leave United but he had not played for 3 years due to injury,so what can you do ?
Hope he can resurrect his previously excellent career......good luck to the lad !

Post by **BobHelm** » September 22, 2011, 2:34 pm

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 Carling Cup
Brighton 1-2 Liverpool
Cardiff 2-2 Leicester (Cardiff win 7-6 on penalties)
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham (Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties)
Everton 2-1 West Brom (After Extra Time)
Man City 2-0 Birmingham
Southampton 2-1 Preston

I watched the Brighton v Pool match live on Sky. Quite a good game to watch but Pool always too much in control to make it a too interesting about the outcome. Brighton did not score until a penalty into added on time so the result was never really in doubt. Pool started with bad boy Bellamy partnering Suarez in attack in a ploy that seemed to work well. If they develop a good understanding then they could become a formidable pairing - both have pace & like to pass & run for the return, which is a hard attack to legally stop when the pairing are on identical wavelengths. Nothing positive for the unused, on the bench Carroll household to clap about there.

Gerrard came on for 15 minutes at the end after nearly 6 months out of football for a welcomed cameo. It is the first sight that I have had of the new Brighton stadium & it certainly is a thing of beauty, with a great playing surface. The team like to keep the ball on the ground & were certainly not fazed by their opponents. However, like Leeds the night before, Premiership teams do not mind you passing the ball until you get in the last third & then it becomes a much harder task not to lose the ball. Brighton are on Sky view again on Friday when they are home to Leeds in a Championship clash. I think that will show better just what position both teams are in rather than the CC clashes.

I, too, was glad to see that Hargreaves managed an impressive hour at Citi. Just the chance that he needs to return to the top flight I think as he will be unlikely to play a huge number of matches but will be playing with quality players when he does. He had just a horrific time at United, through no ones' fault, & it will be good if he can get back to playing regularly.

Post by **goodison** » September 23, 2011, 6:47 am

Toffees had a good win against The Baggies albeit after extra time. Phil Neville getting the winner in the 105th. minute.The Baggies did the double over Everton which included a 4-1 win at Goodison, so pleased the boys in blue got through this tricky tie and now await with baited breath for Saturday's draw for the next round, though I have a felling in my water that it could be against those mongrels from across Stanley Park, either that or a long trip to the south coast to play "The Saints." Just hope that the extra time didn't knacker the boys too much prior to their trip to The Etihad Stadium this weekend, got a good record against "City" though they're a different team this season. I.M.W.T.

Post by **BobHelm** » September 24, 2011, 7:55 pm

Carling Cup fourth round draw:
Wolves v Manchester City
Cardiff v Burnley
Blackburn v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Bolton
Stoke v Liverpool
Aldershot v Manchester United
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Everton v Chelsea

United will be the only Premiership club happy with this draw I imagine...

Lot of tough ties that it is hard to predict the outcome of....

Post by **BobHelm** » November 29, 2011, 9:54 am

Quarter Finals start tonight..

Cardiff v Blackburn, QF, 19:45
Chelsea v Liverpool, QF, 19:45
Arsenal v Man City, QF, 20:00

With the last one on Wednesday night.

Man Utd v Crystal Palace, QF, 19:45

Unusual for the Carling Cup still to have so many of the 'big' clubs in the competition as they often treat it with a bit of distain as far as team selection goes.
Maybe with it becoming more & more difficult (& expensive) to win the top prizes the lesser ones take on more significance.

Cracking early chance for Chelsea to get one back on Pool for their last minute victory in the Premiership. Or for Pool to show it was not a fluke.
Huge contest between the Gunners & Citi. If it was at Citi then I would take them to rather stroll it. At the Emirates though anything is possible. It would be good to see how Citi react to a side attacking them.
Cardiff have a great chance of going through. Blackburn are playing poorly, but it is a chance for the manager to put some shine on his reign, so who knows.
Most seasons it would be a walk in the park for United. However they are not playing well & I wonder just how much Sir A will risk his stars to win the lowest of the competitions he will play for this season. Maybe a real chance for Palace if they can snatch a goal...

Post by **BobHelm** » November 30, 2011, 9:24 am

Tuesday, 29 November 2011 Carling Cup
Arsenal 0-1 Man City
Cardiff 2-0 Blackburn
Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool

Interesting game at the Emirates but there was only ever going to be one winner once the squads were announced. The Gunners without van Persie ...no chance this season of winning.. So it proved, although the Arsenal team gave a spirited performance & kept Citi very subdued for most of the match.
The winner came from an Arsenal corner as Dzeko broke away & provided a good ball for Johnson to centre for Aguero to score... This was Citi's first win at Arsenal for 30 odd years, which would have delighted their fans at least. Not sure what it said about either side, except that Citi have a far better squad of players than Arsenal & I was well aware of that before the kick off...

As tributes continued to be paid to the tragedy of the loss of Garry Speed before the game, this match rather started in the same manner as the Sunday game at Swansea. It gradually warmed up into a contest though where Cardiff looked the better side & got their reward for that. I am not sure that even winning the Carling Cup (& that is a pretty huge task seeing the sides who remain in it) would have saved Blackburn manager Kean if the Premiership life continues to look doomed. As it is they are even out of that, thanks to a Championship club. I think his days must now be numbered.
Despite all the player & managerial changes after last seasons' failure to enter the Premiership, Cardiff are still one of the better Championship sides. They are 3rd. in that table & showed just how small the gap is between the top of the Championship & the bottom of the Premiership.
Distraction from the main event of Premiership football is something that they have to guard against though!!

Chelsea's up & down form continues...or is it rather individual Kenny's amazing personal managerial record against Chelea continues unabated?? This was his 13th. match as Liverpool manager against Chelsea & he has yet to be beaten.
This was even easier than the last minute 'nick a winner' against Chelsea in the Premiership. Two, early second half goals clinched it easily. All that was achieved while resting Luis Suarez (Pools best player this year by a mile) & while Andy Carroll did his personal ego continued damage since his Newcastle move by missing a first half penalty. They did have another striker who made man of the match though by the name of Craig Bellamy. He has settled nicely on his return to Pool & has shown that he has lost little of his pace while seeming to have gained an appreciation of those playing with him. That lack had meant that he has failed all too often in the past & it is good to see that it appears to have finally been corrected by him.
Chelsea just couldn't seem to get into gear & Torres had yet another game where he may as well not have been on the pitch at all, such was his contribution. Villas-Boas has far larger fish to worry about than winning the Carling Cup & I doubt if he was gutted at the thought of not progressing in the competition. However, it will be the manner of the defeat that will cause him concern. The Chelsea side just don't seem to 'get' what he wants them to do on a regular basis. When they do they seem to play well & win, when they don't they seem a bit lost for ideas, like this match. Having a £50M striker who can't find the net is a huge handicap, especially when Drogba seems to have slipped off the boil as well & is more interested in his last big money move before retirement than day to day football..

Tonight Palace have their chance in the sun & to heap even more worries on Sir A's shoulders...

Post by **BobHelm** » December 1, 2011, 8:18 am

Carling Cup
Man Utd 1-2 Crystal Palace (After Extra Time)

Well have the wheels finally come off the Old Trafford wagon for this season?? This is the mickey mouse competition to win, but it is still a Cup. The Premiership already looks beyond anyone but Citi. United are even more poorly equipped to beat Barcelona in Europe than last season - & then they got wupped. The FA Cup is a lottery of who you draw, where & in what weather conditions. Season over for United & it is only the 1st. December!!
OK it was largely a second string United team, but they should have been more than enough to beat Palace. Palace had some desperate defending to do at times & certainly won against the run of play...but that should just make the win sweeter for them.
However maybe the management at Palace need to look at what they are doing on a weekly basis after the win. Palace have been going through a terrible spell, not scoring in their last 5 games. Someone, maybe needs to be looking at motivation & or, tactics...

Post by **Brian Davis** » December 1, 2011, 2:12 pm

Accepting our different allegiances, Bob, I cannot but feel you’ve been rather less than generous to Palace here.
Yes, Palace had their backs to the wall at times, particularly later in the game and rode their luck (e.g. on another day, Gibson might have scored three), but I think in highlighting the failure of United’s players to steamroller Palace, you’re overlooking a truly gutsy effort by the underdogs. Palace refused to roll over. But it wasn’t all just determination. Palace got tactics right, were organized and composed and demonstrated a fair amount of skill. Zaha was a pain the rear to United throughout and Ambrose’s goal was worthy of any game. Palace didn’t ‘kick’ and they gave United enough to worry about too.
Forgive my romanticism, but it’s nice to know that with all the money in the game, the Big Boys domination, there’s still scope for the occasional upset and the armoured wagon can get robbed! Credit to Sir Alec for his honesty – on this occasion.
Incidentally, 5000+ Palace fans travelled and I’m delighted for them. Only £42 ! an adult ticket.
And, I did see the game, although in Thailand. Fortunate to find a free TV online website.

Extracts from Sir Alec interview and BBC Sport match summary.
"I don't know where to start to be honest," said Ferguson. "My apologies are to the fans because that was not a Manchester United performance.
"I don't want to take anything away from Crystal Palace," he added. "I am just very disappointed."
Ferguson went on: "I wish them every success and hope they get to the final because it was a fantastic, mammoth effort from them tonight.
"Every one of their players worked their socks off to try to get to the semi-final."
"We are not getting any luck from linesmen just now but I can't take that away from Crystal Palace. They fought hard to get the result and they deserve it."
United will point to the fact that Murray was marginally offside when the free-kick was taken, but the win was little more than the Championship club deserved after they refused to be overawed by their illustrious opponents.
Palace's (first)goal came totally against the run of play but was stunning in quality and execution. Picking up the ball just inside the United half, Ambrose surged forward before unleashing an unstoppable shot which swerved dramatically as it flew into the net.
The (second) goal was the cue for a United onslaught, with both Macheda and Valencia going close, but some heroic defending saw Palace into the last four for the first time in 10 years.

Post by **red67** » December 1, 2011, 10:47 pm

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Post by **BobHelm** » January 11, 2012, 7:57 am

Tuesday, 10 January 2012 Carling League Cup
Crystal Palace 1-0 Cardiff

The visitors probably had more of the game in the first half but then seemed rather content to settle for the 1 nil loss once Palace went ahead.
Cardiff have been strong at home this season but they may still live to regret not pushing for an equaliser that would have given them a real edge in the second leg. That is in a fortnight & both sides are still well in the game to make the finals.

Who they will face may be a little clearer tonight.

Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Man City v Liverpool, SF, L1, 19:45

It does depend how much Citi still want to win what is the fourth most important prize they are after this season. After being dumped out of the FA by United you have to feel that this game has suddenly become more important to them, if only to stop the rot setting in. With both sides already missing players it will be interesting to see just what sort of teams are fielded.
Pool must fancy that as long as they can keep Citi at bay tonight then the odds are in the favour in the return leg.
Before the Christmas period Citi looked like they would sweep all before them in England, if not in Europe, They are looking a bit more vulnerable of late but still can field some of the best players in the EPL...

Post by **BobHelm** » January 12, 2012, 9:13 am

Carling League Cup
Man City 0-1 Liverpool

OK the winner came from the penalty spot but this was very much a result that counts for Pool.
For Kenny to win anything is important for the club I think & they must fancy their chances highly if they can get through to the final.
Not game over, but with the second tie at Anfield they must be feeling quietly confident.
Pool had rather set themselves up not to lose the first leg, with Jamie Carragher playing in midfield so it was not really a surprise that Citi couldn't find the net. They have some great players but Mancini rarely sends out an attacking side, which should make the do or die second leg very interesting..

Post by **BobHelm** » January 24, 2012, 8:43 am

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 Carling League Cup
Cardiff v Crystal Palace, (agg 0-1), SF, L2, 19:45

The chance for the Wembley final tonight.
Have Palace done enough or will home advantage be worth more than a 1 goal deficit for Cardiff.
I can see a real edgy semi-final here. If Cardiff do not level the tie early on then I expect the home fans to start getting nervous.
Cardiff's home form has been good in the league while the Palace away form has been pretty poor, losing more than winning & not drawing at all. A draw would be very pleasing for the travellers tonight though!!

Post by **Brian Davis** » January 25, 2012, 6:21 am

Much as it hurts me to say it, well done Cardiff. The better team over the two legs, particularly in the second. With a bit of luck (and greater accuracy) Cardiff might have been well clear of Palace in normal time and crazy really they could only count an own goal to their benefit. Disappointing for Palace losing their captain and mainstay, a good professional and hardly a dirty player, which put Palace on the back foot just as they were improving.
Still, Palace can take something from a ‘never say die’ performance. And the fans appeared to support the team loudly throughout the game. Shame they’ll miss a big day out and moneyspinner for the Club. I was disappointed with Dougie Freedman’s pre-match comments, which seemed out of character for him, although not sure it actually fired up Cardiff any more on the pitch.

Post by **BobHelm** » January 25, 2012, 8:00 am

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 Carling League Cup
Cardiff 1-0 Crystal Palace (agg 1-1) (Cardiff win 3-1 on penalties)

As you say Brian, I tough one to lose, but Palace have not been great away from home this year.
Cardiff just about edged it during open play but as Palace were down a man for all of extra time that was not really surprising.
For Cardiff goalkeeper to pull off two saves just when the game had been re-evened up by a penalty shoot out must have been a real blow.
Certainly little for Palace fans not to be proud of- One of those semi-finals where the order of the games (Palace at home first) also probably had quite an impact on the final result.

Tonight Cardiff find out who their opponents for Wembley will be. They will be major underdogs whichever side it is...

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 Carling League Cup
Liverpool v Man City, (agg 1-0), SF, L2, 19:45

Post by **BobHelm** » January 26, 2012, 8:03 am

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 Carling League Cup
Liverpool 2-2 Man City (agg 3-2)

Well just as with the previous day's semi final a cracking, well contested semi final.
One can only hope that the final at Wembley is anything like as good & competitive as the games that got the two finalists there.
The game was 'nip & tuck' all night with Citi twice bringing it back to level terms before a rather doubtful Gerrard penalty & a late strike from Bellamy finally put Pool through.

You have to think that the result matters an awful lot more to Pool than Citi.
The job of Mancini is never going to come or go on winning the Carling Cup. He had his 'minor prize' last year with the FA Cup. This time either the Premier League or the Europa Cup will be the owner's measuring block. If he doesn't win one of those & so they decide to part company winning the CC was never going to be enough to save him.
Rather different for Pool. It is another sign to the fans that individual Kenny is turning the side around & challenging for success is just around the corner....Maybe, but I think that their is a huge amount of work to do at the club, still, before that is true.
Citi will challenge for everything again next year & with an even better squad.
Maybe 2 of the current Pool squad would be considered as possible buys by the Manchurians...
That is a huge difference in class.....

Post by **Brian Davis** » January 26, 2012, 3:20 pm

BobHelm wrote:
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 Carling League Cup
Liverpool 2-2 Man City (agg 3-2)
before a rather doubtful Gerrard penalty .

You said it Bob!
Whilst I've, so far, only seen the incident/goals briefly on Thai tv (getting up at 0230 hrs I only manage for the Palace), I thought this an awful refereeing decision.
Whilst appreciating there's more, let's call it 'professionalism' , in the game these days and referees are particularly on the look out for players seeking to gain an unfair advantage, my understanding of a free kick/penalty for handball, is that the player is deemed to deliberately put hand to ball. Here, the ball flew off the defender's boot to hand with him prone/committed to his block and how Dowd managed to think he moved his hand intentionally is beyond me.
Is it me? - but there seem to be more free kicks given these days if the ball comes in contact with a hand, but overlooking the intent aspect.

Post by **BobHelm** » January 26, 2012, 4:08 pm

This starts off after the penalty has been given but then goes back at about 0.25 to show couple of views of the incident.

Harsh it is. Sadly the authorities seem to want to take all the tackling & (legally) throwing yourself at the ball out of the game. They are the things that help make English football worth watching (unlike its' Italian equivalent).
To punish a player trying to make a genuine attempt at blocking the ball with his body for handball is not a good decision I think...

Post by **Brian Davis** » January 26, 2012, 5:38 pm

At the risk of boring the pants off everyone, seeing the video again, Dowd is clearly suggesting the defender raised his arms to block the shot. But the ball only contacted the arm after a ricochet off the foot. In any case, the arms were not stretched out, raised above the head etc. but, in my opinion, in a natural position for a player throwing himself into a block. It's unrealistic to think a player will keep his arms straight against his body, a little in the same way a player will raise arms when jumping for the ball.
I am fully understanding of the difficult job referees have and mistakes are inevitable. But it would be nice if referees had the freedom to explain their decisions - and say they got it wrong, if necessary.