thin on the ground, 0-1 them

4 minutes ago, Traf said:

If they want to pad this competition out beyond the 48 EFL teams, why not invite the National league teams into it?
The games would be more competitive.

Good point. It is the EFL trophy and the national league has about as much relevance to the EFL as the Prem but it seems to me the National league should get priority as the EFL is what they're working towards joining. But that would mess up the FA Trophy.

Maybe it's because the Prem U21's have more time on their hands?

2 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I didn't take it as criticism, I was just confused about the point being made

That the eight goals don't count as it was not against a senior side 

It's a fixture we have to play ergo it counts in the stats 

Pretty simple 

24 minutes ago, Traf said:

If they want to pad this competition out beyond the 48 EFL teams, why not invite the National league teams into it?
The games would be more competitive.

 

18 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

To be fair, it's a competition for clubs within the EFL

But the intention wasn't to make it more competitive but to assist with the negotiations with the Premier League over the "solitary payments"

I'm sure I've a memory of this happening in early mid 2000s for a few seasons where NL teams were invited in.

Wasn't that arsed then, as we were mint and had a chairman pressing for a two tiered closed shop Premier League 👀

Edited September 27, 20232 yr by Marc505
Chairman not owner, sane fucken thing, you want some?

7 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

That the eight goals don't count as it was not against a senior side 

It's a fixture we have to play ergo it counts in the stats 

Pretty simple 

I'm not claiming they shouldn't count, just that the counter example offered would at least be one senior team (or first team) against another

I really wouldn't care if we'd knocked a hatful of goals in against the DMB great grandmothers. It's a big win against the filth that will cause some discomfort somewhere in that rancid organisation.

This can never be a bad thing.

1 hour ago, Traf said:

If they want to pad this competition out beyond the 48 EFL teams, why not invite the National league teams into it?
The games would be more competitive.

That used to be the case in the old LDV 20ish years ago (ouch). Top however many teams from the previous season qualified. Saw Leigh RMI play Hull City in their final year at Boothferry Park and the following year lost 4-3 to Wrexham after extra time when they seemed to have half of the Trinidad & Tobago squad from the World Cup. 

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

It's still a first team game for us though. 

If we'd done it to a lower level, non-league side in the fa cup, should that not count either?

Understand your point, but it's not our players' fault that they have to play these silly games.

I've never said it's our players' fault.  They can only be professional, do their jobs and beat the team that's in front of them ... and they've done exactly that, so fair play to them.

 

It is, however, completely different to playing a lower level or non-league team, because we'd be playing their first team, not a bunch of kids who aren't anywhere near good enough for their first team.

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

It is bizarre, and makes a mockery of the competition. 

This, we agree on.

This cup needs leaving to the lower leagues.

54 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

Maybe it's because the Prem U21's have more time on their hands?

I imagine when they came up with the idea they thought us lower league fans would be grateful for getting a chance to see us play against the 'elite's' up and coming stars.

It really is a condescending piss-take.

whoever's idea it was to include u21 teams, it was a shit one and ruins what would probably be a decent competition 

9 minutes ago, DazBob said:

I've never said it's our players' fault.  They can only be professional, do their jobs and beat the team that's in front of them ... and they've done exactly that, so fair play to them.

 

It is, however, completely different to playing a lower level or non-league team, because we'd be playing their first team, not a bunch of kids who aren't anywhere near good enough for their first team.

I know, but your point about not counting the goals would be a slap in the face to our players.

We'd all have something to say if they did treat it as a training exercise, but they didn't, and deserve all the plaudits for it.

I'm sure they're all aware that more difficult games will follow, but khumbeni for example, only 20, will be delighted to have contributed. Seems unfair to degrade his efforts as it's only against kids.

Do away with the nonsensical group system and based on this year's League 1 & League 2 clubs...
 

Reading, Blackpool, Wigan and the teams who finished in the top 13 of last year's L1 all get a bye to round 2.

The remaining 32 clubs play other in a knockout for the right to play away at the seeded clubs.

From then on, straight knockout.

22 minutes ago, Traf said:

Do away with the nonsensical group system and based on this year's League 1 & League 2 clubs...
 

Reading, Blackpool, Wigan and the teams who finished in the top 13 of last year's L1 all get a bye to round 2.

The remaining 32 clubs play other in a knockout for the right to play away at the seeded clubs.

From then on, straight knockout.

Yep. 100%

 

I'd prefer to see the higher placed Division 5 clubs that Premiership U21's. It's just so fckg arrogant ... & an awfully worrying thin end of a wedge.

The U21s thing is not working. Last night was a total mismatch. If the idea is to give young lads experience of senior football then this would be counter-productive rather than developmental. At least it was United and if we've done them some harm then that can never be a bad thing. Not that I'd be arsed trying to give their fans any stick about the result. It's an embarrassment that our first team is playing their youth in the first place.

Alternatives could be to invite a small number of tier 5 sides or Jock sides to rekindle the Anglo-Scottish Cup. I doubt the old bill would fancy the latter though.

3 hours ago, mattbwfc19 said:

whoever's idea it was to include u21 teams, it was a shit one and ruins what would probably be a decent competition 

money talks , EFL don't have any.

1 hour ago, paulhanley said:

The U21s thing is not working. Last night was a total mismatch.

It was last season as well, both the game against these and Leeds.

Could well end up playing another academy yet in knockout phase again.

2 minutes ago, Marc505 said:

It was last season as well, both the game against these and Leeds.

Could well end up playing another academy yet in knockout phase again.

Speaking of knockout phase, does anyone know if they've done fans the service of setting out the dates for each round yet or will we find out about 15 minutes before kick off each round like last season?

Edited September 27, 20232 yr by Marc505

1 hour ago, paulhanley said:

The U21s thing is not working. Last night was a total mismatch. If the idea is to give young lads experience of senior football then this would be counter-productive rather than developmental. At least it was United and if we've done them some harm then that can never be a bad thing. Not that I'd be arsed trying to give their fans any stick about the result. It's an embarrassment that our first team is playing their youth in the first place.

Alternatives could be to invite a small number of tier 5 sides or Jock sides to rekindle the Anglo-Scottish Cup. I doubt the old bill would fancy the latter though.

At least we’ve addressed our Derby day woes 🤣

4 hours ago, DazBob said:

I imagine when they came up with the idea they thought us lower league fans would be grateful for getting a chance to see us play against the 'elite's' up and coming stars.

It really is a condescending piss-take.

Precisely why I’ll never go to a game in this comp.

1 hour ago, victor meldrew said:

money talks , EFL don't have any.

Where's the money coming from by introducing u21 teams, with pretty much empty stadiums? 

3 minutes ago, L/H White said:

Where's the money coming from by introducing u21 teams, with pretty much empty stadiums? 

The Premier League

7 hours ago, DazBob said:

He made a couple of very good passes .. but that was it.  If he'd not played for us last season I'd not have noticed him at all. L2 career  at best for him.

It irritated me a little bit to see/hear how it's the first time we've scored 8 since playing Walsall.  Not it isn't.  last night wasn't a real game. We've probably scored 8+ goals against non league teams in friendlies over the years.  Results against U-21s shouldn't be in the record books.

The above rant aside, the positives to take are Nlundulu and Bod finding the net and the young lad who came on as sub scoring too. Hopefully the team can take a bit of confidence into the weekend.

Yes the BN was all over that as if it was some momentous occasion.  I'm not underplaying how well the team or individuals played, but its not a competitive first team fixture and it simply shouldn't be in the record books.  Tony Caldwell day was a genuinely magnificent day for 4k Bolton fans, in a period where we didn't have much to celebrate.  

Buoyed by scoring 8, I went to 2 night matches away the following week:  Lost 3-0 at Chester in 2nd leg of league cup and went out on pens; 3 days later (Friday night) about 500 of us were at Scunthorpe.  They'd been 2 divisions below us 3 months earlier, we lost 1-0.  Great days 😐 

51 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

They'd been 2 divisions below us 3 months earlier, we lost 1-0.  Great days 😐 

... and I put a curse on both of them.

Look where they are now !

United youth football seems to have declined substantially since the days of Beckham, Scholes and Butt.

1 hour ago, passmosster said:

United youth football seems to have declined substantially since the days of Beckham, Scholes and Butt.

Long may that continue.