by Heisen » Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:42 pm
Our losses in the last 10 seasons with the finishing positions of those seasons:
2008/09 Hull City (h) lost replay 0-1 R3 (drew first game 0-0)
Finishing position: 18th in PL, relegated
2009/10 West Brom (a) 2-4 R4
FP: 1st in Championship, promoted
2010/11 Stevenage (a) 1-3 R3
FP: 12th in PL
2011/12 Brighton (a) 0-2 R4
FP: 5th in PL
2012/13 Brighton (a) 0-1 R3
FP: 16th in PL
2013/14 Cardiff City (h) lost 1-2 R3
FP: 10th in PL
2014/15 Leicester City (a) lost 0-1 R3
FP: 15th in PL
2015/16 Watford (a) lost 0-1 R3
FP: 18th in PL, relegated
2016/17 Oxford United (a) lost 0-3 R4
FP: 1st in Championship, promoted
2017/18 Chelsea (a) lost 0-3 R4
FP: 10th in PL
2018/19 Watford (h) lost 0-2 R4
FP: ???
So, of the last ten years, there has only really been four seasons, of what I can recall, where we weren't battling relegation and/or challenging promotion at this point in the season. Those being the 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, and 2014/15 campaigns.
Those losses were to Stevenage, Brighton, Cardiff and Leicester. Stevenage was just a good old fashioned giant killing (I remember Pardew played a strong team that day, we were just awful), and Brighton turned over a strong team the first year. The other two though I remember both Pardew and Carver got absolutely hammered for playing weakened teams when we had nothing to play for in the league, so much so that Carver almost got in a scrap with a fan after the Leicester game. We lost to Chelsea because they were Chelsea.
So to say the managers never get criticised for it isn't true, they did and vociferously. And to Benny's point, the other seasons we simply haven't been in the position to have a go in the cups as we had other priorities at that point in the season. And the buck stops with Ashley there.
Our losses in the last 10 seasons with the finishing positions of those seasons:
2008/09 Hull City (h) lost replay 0-1 R3 (drew first game 0-0)
Finishing position: 18th in PL, relegated
2009/10 West Brom (a) 2-4 R4
FP: 1st in Championship, promoted
2010/11 Stevenage (a) 1-3 R3
FP: 12th in PL
2011/12 Brighton (a) 0-2 R4
FP: 5th in PL
2012/13 Brighton (a) 0-1 R3
FP: 16th in PL
2013/14 Cardiff City (h) lost 1-2 R3
FP: 10th in PL
2014/15 Leicester City (a) lost 0-1 R3
FP: 15th in PL
2015/16 Watford (a) lost 0-1 R3
FP: 18th in PL, relegated
2016/17 Oxford United (a) lost 0-3 R4
FP: 1st in Championship, promoted
2017/18 Chelsea (a) lost 0-3 R4
FP: 10th in PL
2018/19 Watford (h) lost 0-2 R4
FP: ???
So, of the last ten years, there has only really been four seasons, of what I can recall, where we weren't battling relegation and/or challenging promotion at this point in the season. Those being the 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, and 2014/15 campaigns.
Those losses were to Stevenage, Brighton, Cardiff and Leicester. Stevenage was just a good old fashioned giant killing (I remember Pardew played a strong team that day, we were just awful), and Brighton turned over a strong team the first year. The other two though I remember both Pardew and Carver got absolutely hammered for playing weakened teams when we had nothing to play for in the league, so much so that Carver almost got in a scrap with a fan after the Leicester game. We lost to Chelsea because they were Chelsea.
So to say the managers never get criticised for it isn't true, they did and vociferously. And to Benny's point, the other seasons we simply haven't been in the position to have a go in the cups as we had other priorities at that point in the season. And the buck stops with Ashley there.