KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum The Bantam and the Swan

Just been watching the build up there for the Capital One Cup Final between Bradford City and Swansea City and I must admit I am jealous.

I was just wondering what peoples feelings are today seeing as Rodgers gambled our chances of success away so flippantly for what we have today which is our season over in February, was it worth it.

I still cant get my head around some fans on here totaly backing Rodgers Cup policy of not playing his strongest team, whats it for, whats the point of resting players so there fresh at the end of season when our season ends in January and February, theres no logic whatsoever. I think fans backing Rodgson and his weak team philosophy are the same ones who still think we are a top club and that F.A.Cups and Capital One cups are somehow beneath us and we should be looking at bigger fish to fry which is complete nonesense, part of the mess we are in today is due to fans thinking above there station with unrealistic expectation levels.

Anyway back to todays game, I cant really decide who I would like to see win it as both have good valid reasons, both deserve to be there as both have played well throughout the competition, I think there will be a few strange emotions going around the Bradford fans regarding the tradgedy of the Fire and as for Swansea I have always really like Michael Laudrup even going back to 1984 when he nearly signed, would love to see him manage us one day, lets hope it's a good game...

Every team we put out in the cups was capable of beating the other team. It's not like he put all the kids and reserves out is it.

And I'd like Bradford to win. Would be good to see them in the Europa next season.

surely with anything happening in cup games as what was proved against Oldham a team cannot afford to take chances and must treat the opposition with respect. If we had fielded our strongest teams against Swansea at Anfield and Oldham I am pretty confident we would of gone through on both occasions, we could easily of been sitting here today preparing for a final against Bradford ourselves and a mouthwatering Cup game against Everton for a chance to play Wigan Athletic another derby in the 6th round of the cup and the semi's awaiting, instead we are sitting here with our season over and wondering if 7th place will be our highest position, its does'nt add up just because our manager took the p*ss out of the cups...

You can't be sure we would have gone through. No one can. It's just something to bash Rodgers with.

Plenty of times teams have gone out while playing their strongest team. Anything can happen in cup games as they're one offs. Look at the final against Cardiff last year. Look at Everton against Oldham. I agree we would have had a better chance but no way would it have guaranteed our progress.

You keep saying he hasn't taken the cups seriously but lets look at when we went out of each cup:

Europa - He may have played weaker teams at the start, but got us through the group stage so that argument is mute. Against Zenit, did he play a weaker team? I'm pretty sure he played the strongest team we had available in both legs. Bringing on Shelvey may have been a mistake in the 2nd leg but to say he didn't take those games seriously is clearly misguided.

Capital One cup - He played a very attacking line up, that should have been more than capable of putting Oldham to the sword. He did play one or two youngsters in Robinson and Coates, but how else do you give these players experience if not in games like that where we should win comfortably. And not to mention that Oldham gave Everton trouble too. I'd say he took it seriously enough, but the players let him down on that one (a team of Suarez, Sturridge, Borini should be capable of putting more than 1 past Oldham)

Fa Cup - Admittedly I can't really remember this game so can't comment on it.

But I don't think it's right to say he didn't care about the cups. Maybe just a bit of inexperience showing through, hopefully he'll have learnt from his mistakes

Agree with others posters don't think he played inappropriate line us in the cup games and hindsight is a wonderfull thing.

As for who supporting I think I will go fr Bradford. But happy either team to win it and I do think one or the other will win it.

I love the cup finals and it was great last year BUT playing weakened sides I'd the right call in the early rounds....rotates team, gives players minutes, , allows the gaffer a chance to assess up and comers in important games . These players all have contracts with LFC and if they're not good enough to beat lower division sides....then they're not good enough to progress and its thanks and best of luck in your future....I don't blame buck for that

Here I was thinking this would be a thread about the final this afternoon.... silly me.

I read the opening coulple of lines - and they were all about how sh1t BR is.... then I clocked the thread starter...

Wasn't any reason to read on.

forget about who starts the post, is it a valid reason that was brought up, thats all you need to ask yourself...