2024/25 Carabao Cup Thread

[JJ1990]

League Cup action for everyone in midweek. 5 all League Two ties means we'll have some representation in the next round. Everyone excited by this competition? Looking forward to mounting a run? Or is it a distraction away from the proper stuff in the league?

Tuesday 13th August
Carlisle United v Stoke City(19:30)
Leyton Orient v Newport County(19:30)
Salford City v Doncaster Rovers
Rotherham United v Crewe Alexandra
Huddersfield Town v Morecambe
Watford v Milton Keynes Dons
Barrow v Port Vale
Swansea City v Gillingham
Grimsby Town v Bradford City
Tranmere Rovers v Accrington Stanley
Fleetwood Town v West Bromwich Albion
Walsall v Exeter City
Shrewsbury Town v Notts County
Colchester United v Reading
Crawley Town v Swindon Town
Lincoln City v Harrogate Town
Derby County v Chesterfield
Bromley v AFC Wimbledon

Wednesday 14th August
Plymouth Argyle v Cheltenham Town

 

[JJ1990]

Personally for Crewe away at Rotherham, the manager needs to rotate and give some of his fringe players a chance to impress and maybe force their way into the starting XI. He's already said Chris Long won't feature, which should open the door for some of the younger attackers we have to start. Want to see us try a new formation as well, as the 4-2-3-1 doesn't suit this group at all.

We'll probably lose, although I don't know how much Steve Evans will rotate his Rotherham team and how much he'll care about this game when he'll might want to focus on their league game on Saturday.

 

[valefan16]

Quirk of fixtures in the space of 2 weeks we visit Salford twice and Barrow twice!

Obviously league is important and as great as it was to experience us getting to a major quarter final last season, we never got the plumb tie, didn’t make much money and it didn’t help our league form with the backlog and injuries so not overly bothered about the result and would be looking to use this like a friendly with the injuries we have ideally to get minutes into players and hopefully get the likes of Byers, Stockley and Smith minutes if we can.

Tempted to try and build the strike partnership if Tolaj and Paton so would give them 60 but imagine Dipepa gets a go and Ben Amos in goal, Ojo, Plant and Lowe I expect will get game time as well,

The league is more important for us this year so meh, if we win it’s only good if you get a plumb tie and we never seen to manage to get the luck of the draw!

If Worrall features that will be an emotional reunion, still comes to Vale when not playing and rightly a legend of the club.

 

[GFCSludge]

An unattractive and difficult draw miles from home in a competition that has no prize money for a first round win.

Given that we picked up two more injuries yesterday in the shape of Dieng and Masterson to add to Coleman, Nevitt and Andrews I can see a much changed side. Bonner has also said Little won't be involved.

I know winning breeds confidence but I couldn't care less if we get knocked out as long as everyone stays fit.

 

[kieran_vale]

Make as many changes as can do and don’t think twice about it. One thing that became apparent last season there’s not even the prize money incentive in this competition and frankly the home game with Tranmere takes greater precedence.

If we win great but if we lose as I expect it’ll be forgotten about the day after.

 

[Indian Dan]

We haven’t progressed beyond a first round in either cup competition for ages. We used to be a real good cup team.

 

[OneDecentLester]

A great game for us down the road at Derby County. Think we’ve got a realistic chance of winning as well as after their poor start to life in the championship on Friday I can see them making plenty of changes to keep their squad fresh for the weekends league game.

As for us, I don’t think we’ll make too many changes at all with it being against our neighbours and Cook seemed to allude to that in his post match presser. Suspect we’ll line up something like this (only one change from the weekend):

Boot
Tanton Dunkley Naylor Gordon
Banks Oldaker
Mandeville Dobra Colclough
Grigg

 

[F!RTHY]

Grimsby away: delightful

We haven’t done much in this competition since we got to the final in 2013 - it’d be nice to have a decent run this season.

I did initially predict a loss here but I think we’ll win this. The win at MK at the weekend should give the lads a great deal of confidence.

Not expecting wholesale changes, but I think Jamie Walker and Jake Young might start.

GK: Sam Walker

CB: Aden Baldwin
CB: Neill Byrne
CB: Ciarán Kelly

RWB: Brad Halliday
LWB: Tyreik Wright

CM: Ritchie Smallwood
CM: Jamie Walker
CM: Alex Pattison

ST: Andy Cook
ST: Jake Young

Tickets sales are slow for this one.

 

[GTFCfish]

I usually do look forward to this as it’s always early in the season with all the early optimism but after our performance at Fleetwood coupled with our horrific record against Bradford I just hope we get through it with no new injuries.

 

[Youpies]

Very interesting to see what changes we will make because we have so many injuries I am not sure we can rotate the squad

 

[Optipez]

Very interesting to see what changes we will make because we have so many injuries I am not sure we can rotate the squad

Players like Hinchy, Grant and Scott need the minutes but I'd be resting Crowley, Jones and Jatta.

 

[Youpies]

Would imagine that Edwards may start. McGoldrick will also likely get some minutes. But we are bare bones

 

[Cloudy]

Grimsby away: delightful

We haven’t done much in this competition since we got to the final in 2013 - it’d be nice to have a decent run this season.

I did initially predict a loss here but I think we’ll win this.

Tickets sales are slow for this one.

The same in the home areas, don’t expect more than 2500 in total tbh.

 

[Scum.]

We beat Watford at their place last time in this cup so hopefully the same again.

 

[Si Robin]

After being battered 5-1 by Plymouth in pre-season, I was originally expecting similar on Wednesday, though I joked that we'd shithouse a 1-0 win on our pod.

Having seen them yesterday against Sheffield Weds, I'll be disappointed if we don't shithouse a 1-0 win.

 

[CFC91]

Good draw for us and good to be back in the comp as opposed to the FA Trophy. Think we will make changes but based on what i saw of Derby in pre season we can give them a game hopefully

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Salford away, couldn’t be more meh.
Lawlor is injured so
TSL
Nixon Olowu Wood Senior
Clifton Kelly
Moly Sbarra Yeboah
Sharp
Subs: youth team keeper, sterry, McGrath, Bailey, Gibson, Hurst, Ironside

 

[Son of Cod]

Not really arsed about this, I'd rather go out and make it through unscathed over getting through with additional injuries. Bradford coming here again at the end of the month so absolutely no surprise that they aren't shifting tickets.

 

[RavenBish]

Luke Williams famously disrespected every cup competition so will be interesting to see what Maynard does, we’re unfortunately so bare bones at the moment that we can’t afford to risk any injuries but also can’t afford to rest anyone either…

Would probably give Cundy, Edwards and Grant a start at least if none of the injured lot are ready yet - and some minutes to Reynolds as well

lob Slocombe in goal for a laugh maybe

 

[Indian Dan]

We’ve lost our last 10 first round games in the Caribou Cup.

 

[Boz]

Home to Accrington, don't know if any of their fans post on here these days?

We've a reasonable history in home Cup games v Stanley, which gives rise to a feeling something could go wrong. All our injured players remain so, but think there will be some shuffling of the pack for this game, probably one of Saunders/Patrick starting. O'Connor, who was filling in the defensive midfield role asked to be taken off near the end at the weekend as he was knackered, so may look at resting him. Adkins will want to win this and our options fairly limited so expecting only 2 or 3 changes from the weekend.

 

[クレイグ]

I think Grimsby will beat us tonight for the first time since the age of the Derek Adams Mark Hughes dinosaurs. Interested to see if Gilliead and Young play a part. Really hoping we keep Young and bin Oliver off. Wonder if Smith will get a chance tonight. Unsure if he was injured Saturday or if he's on his way out, too.

 

[クレイグ]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1823415561964888222

No Smith, Gilly or Stubbs. Wouldn't be surprised if all three were off.

 

[spireite]

Fair bit of rotation up top for us. Hobson especially would ordinarily be nowhere near. Suspect we're trying to shop window him as I suspect he's one of the couple we're looking to ship out, as we have too many players already and Cook said he wants more

 

[kieran_vale]

Rung the changes as expected. Completely in agreement on it. Would have been nice to give 20 minutes to say Byers or Chislett but would rather save them for the weekend if any doubt.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1823415501113917927

 

[BlackHaddock]

I usually do look forward to this as it’s always early in the season with all the early optimism but after our performance at Fleetwood coupled with our horrific record against Bradford I just hope we get through it with no new injuries.

It looks like we are resting a few and giving some squad players some game time, healthy defeat for us unless Bradford's B team is shite too!

 

[Scum.]

We have made 8 changes from Saturday.

 

[OneDecentLester]

Fair bit of rotation up top for us. Hobson especially would ordinarily be nowhere near. Suspect we're trying to shop window him as I suspect he's one of the couple we're looking to ship out, as we have too many players already and Cook said he wants more

Would preferred to have seen Drummond start and see what he’s all about rather than Quigley. Hopefully he still gets a decent half hour on pitch in 2nd half

 

[valefan16]

9 changes and none of the players who missed the weekend risked at all so largely down to third choice players in some areas and four youth products start which is good to see.

They’ve gone very strong so probably lose but more interested in seeing how the fringe lads do and if any can stake a claim.

 

[クレイグ]

No commentary in our game.