Tonight's line up

Dead rubber because when you look beyond 5 or 6 of the first team regulars at Oakwell the cupboard is empty so we've deserved to be dumped out without winning a game.

 

Agreed. It doesn't produce much at all and the seven figures it costs per year to run, I believe the cash can be put to much better use.

 

What on?

 

It's strange, the Donny forums commenting on how good our academy is after that performance..

 

These lesser games are very useful.

At least we get to know that there's precious little to rely on in terms of talent or effort, if any of the big boys get crocked.

 

Booze and gambling

 

Same as most clubs then I suppose. Prem academies are represented in this competition, but ones yet to win it,

 

Hey up, we’ve lost a game most were expecting us to lose because the team was full of fringe players and Academy lads, but it doesn’t stop the negative Nellie’s going into a wallow-fest.

 

Think it’s more about the academy producing first team players. Apart from Yoganathan I’ve not seen anyone else remotely close to challenging for a first team place and that includes Jalo. Not sure how much it costs a year to run but it’s not earning it’s keep for me.

 

This is probably true (I didn’t watch either of those games).

Only chose to watch this one as I had a free evening.

I should have washed my hair in hindsight.

 

You had a lucky escape if you were busy for Huddersfield. It managed to be exactly the same as our previous game against them, but also somehow worse. Players (including different ones!), manager, coaching staff - I've got no idea what was going through anybody's mind.

 

A think this Nawaki looks like he could be pushing the first team over the coming months, I like Lofthouse and I think he’s good for the bench. I’d 100% send Jalo and Marsh out on loan in January

 

I get that, although I disagree about Jalo based on his very young age, but my point is, how many clubs have prolific academies? I’d love to see the percentage stats of players coming through for their own clubs v going somewhere else v not making the grade at all.

 

This is mad.

We made enough from Stones to pay for the academy for many a year. Jalo and Yoganathan alone might fund it for a decade. Jacob Brown paid for it to run for two years.

 

Nearly certain an ex academy lad has just scored the winner for Southampton

 

There’s a few posts on this thread that seem to be suggesting that our first team is so special that those who played tonight have little chance of making it into that team. I’m not sure which first team some have been watching but it can’t be the same one I’ve been watching for the last 3 months.

Tonight has added little to our knowledge because we knew we had a poor squad before the game. It hasn’t got any poorer because we’ve been surprisingly grubbed by an ‘inferior’ team. We can get grubbed by anyone at the moment - particularly at Fortress Oakwell.

 

Yet again Jalo is getting dogs abuse on here, which is ridiculous and I just can't understand it.
This sorry cup competition doesn't deserve to exist anymore in its current format, and the attendance's show that all fans up and down the country, just aren't bothered about it.

 

I was just going to say the same thing!

 

We have not been ‘ surprisingly grubbed by an inferior team’ I don’t get why anyone could think that. Donny were always going to bring their strongest squad as they needed the points to qualify. The surprise would’ve been if we had won. Yes it’s disappointing some of the ‘fringe’ players haven’t had more of an impact tonight, but for me the result was never in doubt.

 

Forgot we were playing. Glad I did.