Carling Cup
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
Live Streaming online
Football Carling Cup
This match is a little bit odd. Usually at this stage, we’re playing a bottom of the table team or a lower division team, for whom playing us is one of their biggest, if not the biggest, fixture of the season. Their players are usually very motivated by the opportunity to play in front of such a big crowd in a match with so much exposure. But Liverpool are largely in the same boat as us–they’ll be playing youngsters and reserves, and have about the same motivation to win as we do. As Ben Folds would say, it’s a battle of who could care less.
In terms of team news, as usual, there’s some good, some bad. Let’s get rid of the bad first–Rosicky, Denilson and Djourou are still down with injuries, and Traore and Wilshere are out with minor knocks. The latter two are disappointing, especially Wilshere, who has shown a world of promise but hasn’t gotten much in the way of first-team opportunities. He’s precisely the type of player that benefits most from our Carling Cup strategy, and it’s too bad he won’t be able to show what he can do against Liverpool tomorrow.
In good news, though, Nasri and Fabianski is back, and will both start. Nasri had a good first season for the team last season, and is still quite young–he could really be a difference maker down the stretch for us. Even more important, he could keep Diaby out of the lineup. Bendtner and Eduardo, who both came on as late subs against West Ham, will supposedly start. My best guess at a lineup
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
Live Streaming online
Football Carling Cup
This match is a little bit odd. Usually at this stage, we’re playing a bottom of the table team or a lower division team, for whom playing us is one of their biggest, if not the biggest, fixture of the season. Their players are usually very motivated by the opportunity to play in front of such a big crowd in a match with so much exposure. But Liverpool are largely in the same boat as us–they’ll be playing youngsters and reserves, and have about the same motivation to win as we do. As Ben Folds would say, it’s a battle of who could care less.
In terms of team news, as usual, there’s some good, some bad. Let’s get rid of the bad first–Rosicky, Denilson and Djourou are still down with injuries, and Traore and Wilshere are out with minor knocks. The latter two are disappointing, especially Wilshere, who has shown a world of promise but hasn’t gotten much in the way of first-team opportunities. He’s precisely the type of player that benefits most from our Carling Cup strategy, and it’s too bad he won’t be able to show what he can do against Liverpool tomorrow.
In good news, though, Nasri and Fabianski is back, and will both start. Nasri had a good first season for the team last season, and is still quite young–he could really be a difference maker down the stretch for us. Even more important, he could keep Diaby out of the lineup. Bendtner and Eduardo, who both came on as late subs against West Ham, will supposedly start. My best guess at a lineup
