It's only a major trophy if your club wins: Carabao Cup 22-23

SoxFanInCali

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We're up to the 3rd round, where the Premier League clubs participating in Europe have finally joined.

All 8 games in progress are tied at the half, including some all-Premier League matchups (City-Chelsea, Arsenal-Brighton, Newcastle-Palace, Forest-Spurs, Wolves-Leeds). Your defending champion Liverpool have run out the kids and reserves against Derby, and it's scoreless.

Games tied after 90 go straight to a shootout, in a rare concession that everyone is playing way too many games.
 

Kliq

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Spurs getting played off the field at Forest. Down 2-0, Richarlison and Kulu coming in now.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Whoever decided on the "fouls are good now" guidance for reffing should be shot into the sun
 

Zososoxfan

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I'm going to chalk this up as a positive in that it reduces fixture congestion. Good thing we rested our best XI ahead of the weekend...
 

allstonite

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This Doak kid for Liverpool has looked dangerous in his 10 or so minutes. Just 16 years old. Also with their current jerseys his name looks like Dork so that’s fun.

I hope they move on in penalties but wouldn’t lose sleep over a loss
 

OCST

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At Bournemouth on Tuesday, Everton ran out a lineup with an entirely new XI from their recent starting lineup which has been unchanged except for injuries/suspensions. Longtime bench warmers Yerry Mina,. who has been hurt for ages, as he always is, Michael Keane (doghouse, lost confidence) and Mason Holgate as a back three, loanee Ruben Vinagre at LB, midfield of exciting new boy James Garner with Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Docoure, neither of whom have played in weeks, and Gordon and Maupay up top.

We got shredded 4-1 by Bournemouth's B side. It was awful.

Everton had an unbeaten string (granted, several draws, but still) early in the season and looked great in a 3-0 win over Palace two weeks ago. A bad loss at home to Leicester, DCL hurt again, and now this travesty and things look bad.

Lampard threw the side under the bus:

View: https://twitter.com/EvertonNewsFeed/status/1590113137143218178?s=20&t=LAbA5E6MtXxWmJUIiHJDvA


He is correct that these are the same players that have struggled under several managers (gotten several managers fired?) but to field a side with 9 players who have not featured in the league in weeks, and in a back three which we don't play often, especially with a long break for most of the side coming up so squad rotation is not an issue.... you wonder if he was trying to clear dead wood/send a message to the board that these players suck and he needs a better squad. All of this is true, but it feels like a self-inflicted wound. We're back at Bournemouth Saturday for the last game before the WC. With the improvements made this offseason - not good enough yet, but progress - a game away at Bournemouth in November should not be a must win game, but it feels like it. And the morale in the dressing room is probably crap now.
 

SoxFanInCali

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City go from Chelsea in the 3rd round to Liverpool in the 4th.

Wolves v Gillingham
Southampton v Lincoln City
Blackburn Rovers v Nottingham Forest
Newcastle v Bournemouth
Manchester City v Liverpool
Manchester United v Burnley
MK Dons v Leicester
Charlton v Brighton
 

Joe D Reid

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Yes, yes, this is the way. Still a chance for NUFC to play Gillingham in the final.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Great to have top flight club football back, even if its only the Carabao Cup.

This year's competition is a great opportunity for non-top six clubs to get their hands on some silverware.

It appears like most PL sides playing today are going with their strongest available XI. It'll be interesting to see how rusty they look. Non-PL teams have been playing for a couple weeks, of course, so that's another interesting aspect of this week's matches. For example I wouldn't assume that a rusty and somewhat depleted United will have a walk in the park tomorrow against a Burnley side that is in match rhythm and playing really well (leading the Championship).
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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City well on top against Liverpool but its 1-1.

Both sides are playing fairly raggedy back lines, definitely the type of game where it feels like a goal could be scored at any moment.
 

Pesky Pole

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Liverpool picking up where they left off the first half of the season. Gomez is indecisive and second to the ball for the Haaland goal and now a midfielder (defender today) goes off injured in Milner. At least Carvalho tied it up.
 

Joe D Reid

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City out of the City cup two years running. Final four is Southampton-Newcastle and Forest-ManU. My hopes are officially up.
 

the1andonly3003

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Jul 15, 2005
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Pep doesn't like the Mourinho Cup any more. This is reinforcing my theory that Pep is giving up on everything and going all in on UCL. Probably want to win it before group stage is converted to the Swiss system
 

Joe D Reid

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The final is set, with United taking on Newton Heath on the 26th. I’ll have more to say closer in, but ho’way.