Why even play second strings?

I still can't understand why managers play second strings in cup competitions these days. The number of times a second string plays against lower league opposition and are on the receiving end of a 'shock' result is so common place these days any manager worth their salt wouldn't bother if they truely cared about winning cups.

I blame Alex Ferguson personally. He started the rot by playing weakened teams in cup competitions. But he had a reason - he was playing in the Champions League. Then for some reason, never understood by me, every tin pot manager with no outside interests other than league football, decided they too would field weakened teams in the cup. And then the shocks started happening regularly.

25 years ago, when teams played 42 matches in the league, fielded their first team in the cup games - mainly because squads were a lot smaller back then. And look what happened? We stuffed Sutton Utd 8-0 for example. Why we can't treat the cups with respect and play our strongest team is beyond me. Injuries you say? So what, a player could get injured in any game, and the cups ARE important to clubs like us. We're never going to win the league. Lets have some glory for once rather than just trying to finish above 18th.

Posted By: Poirot on January 26th 2013 at 19:03:29

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