How on earth have Cardiff City reached two Cup Finals in the last eleven years?

[the other bob wilson]

http://mauveandyellowarmy.net/

[fred keenor]

leaving the page blank could have been justified:hehe:
A shameful performance from the senior profesionals and highlights just how poor our transfer window was.

[cardiff55]

We had decent managers and good teams then. But even Jones and Mackay played a few youngsters in the early rounds but wee got through.

[The Bob Banker Spanker]

We had decent managers and good teams then. But even Jones and Mackay played a few youngsters in the early rounds but wee got through.
We actually played some good stuff under Mackay which is easily forgotten on here. Especially that first season.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Premier League teams entering their reserves in cup ties is the main reason.

[lardy]

Premier League teams entering their reserves in cup ties is the main reason.

But is it? One of Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool or Chelsea has been in every cup final in the last few decades, except for ours and a couple of Man City finals since they became mega rich.

One of those has been in the majority of league cup finals over the same period.

If it was all about reserves, the finals would be much more varied.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

But is it? One of Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool or Chelsea has been in every cup final in the last few decades, except for ours and a couple of Man City finals since they became mega rich.

One of those has been in the majority of league cup finals over the same period.

If it was all about reserves, the finals would be much more varied.

Beating Barnsley in the semi and losing to Pompey in the final tells you something....

[lardy]

Beating Barnsley in the semi and losing to Pompey in the final tells you something....

It tells you we had a kind draw.

This is the Liverpool team that Barnsley beat. All first teamers except for the keeper.

Itandje, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Lucas (Gerrard 75), Alonso, Babel (Kewell 69), Kuyt, Crouch.


This is the Man Utd team that Portsmouth beat. All first teamers except for the keeper change at half time.

Van der Sar (Kuszczak 46), Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Hargreaves (Carrick 68), Nani, Rooney, Tevez (Anderson 68).



Eight of those Liverpool players also played in the Champions League final 2007 (including subs).
That was basically the starting line up for Man Utd in the CL final 2008.

[lardy]

Also, we only played one Premier League team in the cup that season. Reserve teams was not a factor at all.

[rudy gestede]

Beating Barnsley in the semi and losing to Pompey in the final tells you something....

It tells you we had an easy draw against a team who knocked out 2 of the big boys.

The cups are almost always won by/or at least contested by big teams except that one year we got there.

What’s your point?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

We actually played some good stuff under Mackay which is easily forgotten on here. Especially that first season.

Agreed. It has been largely forgotten. High energy, pressing, good attacking play. If only we'd had Bothroyd and Chips that season, we'd have gone up. Gone was the soft underbelly of Jones's teams. At Watford he had a reputation as an attacking manager. It all changed at the start of our promotion season when we conceded too many goals. After a 5-4 defeat at Charlton, he changed our approach and made us more difficult to beat.

[splott parker]

Agreed. It has been largely forgotten. High energy, pressing, good attacking play. If only we'd had Bothroyd and Chips that season, we'd have gone up. Gone was the soft underbelly of Jones's teams. At Watford he had a reputation as an attacking manager. It all changed at the start of our promotion season when we conceded too many goals. After a 5-4 defeat at Charlton, he changed our approach and made us more difficult to beat.
I could manage the chips but couldn’t eat a full Bothroyd :wink: