Playing the kids in the CC?

Arsene Wenger feels he can do it, but Bobby sees sense and doesn't fill the team with kids.

I think it was a shrewd move to only start with one kid just in case. You can carry one player if they have a shocker but not two or three.

Most of the 1st team squad that don't play regularly needed some game time like Tevez, Balotelli, Savic, Pantilimon and some were coming back from suspension/injury so they needed the time such as Kolo and Milner.

Razak got a good 80 odd minutes, whilst Scapuzzi got himself about 6 or 7 minutes with Rekik getting 15 minutes. They will all benefit from just being around the team and that includes Suarez even though he didn't play at all.

The main thing was that we get through which we did.

Don't know how Razak did but, depending on opponent, Bobby might feel that he can play Razak and another young lad in the next round. Bring them in slowly.

Razak and Savic were excellent last night.
As it wasn't televised or online I'll give a general outline.
Razak is a high energy player very similar to Ramires at Chelsea but is very disciplined and sits in front of the back four patrolling and playing the simple ball effectively and showed he can spray it wide with a couple of pinpoint passes out to kolorov.Most impressive player on the night and on that performance should be dipped in and out of the first team now,especially in games where we are 3 up and coasting.
Savic is very good on the ball,unlike kolo who still looks a bit like a cat chasing a ball of string,and was very good all night especially positionally.Birmingham were poor it has to be said and offered very little but it was still an assured
performance and really should put him above kolo in the pecking order
Pantilimon is an enormous figure who when first called upon with a high ball after 30 mins turned into a flapping Andy Dibble.After that he did ok but still looks a way off a shay given as back up
Hargreaves simply oozes class,he glides across the surface and if he can maintain his fitness will be an important player.Great goal
Onuoha didn't do his chances of staying any harm with a solid display at right back while wayne bridge showed he can be equally as ineffective in left midfield as left back.
Tevez didn't want to be there and looked a bit sulky
Balotelli scored with a class finish but generally coasted through the game
Zabaleta was zabaleta,this time in midfield
Kolorov did ok,crosses don't beat the first man enough but generally sound
Games like this would really benefit from a bit of clever marketing,why not all kids free,we'd make plenty on the souvenirs and snack bars.Surely it's better to get more in,the atmosphere was fairly muted.
Pity Birmingham didn't play their first team as it would have made for a much better game

saw the goals on sky last night but i spent the first half looking for a stream of the match.

they looked very good strikes.

early reports from hacks/media said that tevez and balotelli looked good and tevez played with energy and urgency!

Tevez looked like someone slapped his arse beforehand

I'd largely agree with PPLF. It wasn't an especially entertaining game, to be honest, and there were times when it was positively dull, but Birmingham didn't offer much in the way of competition.

We played most of the game with 10 men. Bridge was spectacularly awful, slow, no control, no energy. You could've put me on in that position and I'd have done a better job, frankly.

I thought Kolo had a better game than PPLF did. Made an important clearance off the line for Brum's only actual chance of scoring and generally seemed to read the game quite well. Still slow, granted, but then so's his brother, perhaps it's genetic?

Most impressive player was Razak. He was very strong and assured, and actually quite nimble for a big lad. Perhaps made to look better than he was as Brum were very poor, but definitely one for the future. Went off after 80 minutes with what appeared to be cramp. Savic was a close second, he was also very steady at the back and I can see him breaking into the team as well.

MOTM was Hargreaves and I wouldn't argue. Scored a cracking goal and for the 60 minutes he was on the pitch he had about as much possession as the entire Birmingham team. Marshalled midfield after a stuttery first five minutes and looked every inch like the player we used to see in the wrong shirt. We didn't really see how much impact he was having until he was subbed, after that we didn't look much like we'd score again.

Pantilimon made a couple of mistakes and a couple of saves, but didn't have much to do really.

Tevez was uninterested and at times greedy. I suspect he'll be in the window come January.

Aguero was on the bench, for some reason. Got a massive cheer when he warmed up. He appeared to have a huge grin on his face as he did so. He looked happier to be there than Tevez or Bridge and he didn't even kick a ball.

I thought Ned cleared off the line,not kolo?
Might be my old farts eyes looking from the south stand

Must be, mate. I'm in the North Stand and it was definitely Kolo.

I was talking to a couple of young lads last during half time,while that irritating woman was talking her usual bollocks,they work for the council and they've sorted out a direct debit straight out of their wages for £50 month to City which covers season ticket,cup scheme and away tickets.Wonder if it's just a deal for council workers or open to all?

sounds too good to be true if it includes away tickets PPLF.

I can't believe that Bobby let Bridge play. let the guy rot if he doesn't want to move. Play Taylor there just to show Bridge that he is finished with us and should move come January.

From what I could gather they use it like a deposit account so can top up if needs be,but I would have thought they would need to have funds in it to start with.I'll find out more on Saturday,they go to all the home games

Maybe Bobby played Bridge for a reason. He may well have said, "Okay, you want to play, here's your chance. I'll put you in midfield, show me what you can do."

And now he's seen what Bridge can do.

Maybe we should offer him a Barton*.



*Barton: Terminate a player's contract early so they can leave, a bit like a Bosman, but without having to wait.

Decent enough performance it seems but Birmigham had a crap team out there the one and only cross they almost scored so our team wasn't really tested and probably they would have got battered if we played a Prem team...



Bridge should quit football for good, what a loser and not just for allowing his "best mate" to shag his missus behind his back!

however much we want to criticise bridge for being shit and not leaving, we can't really have a go at him for a colleague shagging his ex fiance after he had split with her.

the odious party in that episode was JT. Is he as odious as RG?

Totally agree Topdawg.

Hoping the highlights will be on the OS today. Anybody know if they are? Can't access it from work.

The highlights are on there now Wensdi, i'm trying to suss out how to put them on here but its not like the youtube ones. If Tony or Daz are around maybe they could put them on if they know how? if not you can look forward to them after work

Thanks AMDP - will watch them tonight.

Get off it you two! Calĺ it what you will, he is loser in my eyes for his poor character judgment, his wife and jt.

Jt is just despicable, and bridge ex is a slag!

Calĺ it what you want but these are facts, get over yourselves!

Hey GSus - another good fact - never fry bacon while wearing your bathing suit.

have you got cameras in my house wensdi!

apparently, it is a fact that the mother of bridge's kid is his ex fiance. she was never his wife.

are you a rag PG? the stuff you come out with makes me think so.

Got him topdawg

I'd rather be accused of bestiality

fiance/wife you say potato I say potato! doesn't make me a rag but you sucking up to fergie and his team from time to time is questionable!

wendsi stick to supporting your local team!

Are Tampa bay rowdies still going?

pplf, I wasn't talking about tampons...

Not going to bite GSus - so there. You sure like to dish it out - you know the rest:D

aww, maybe he wants you top bite Wensdi...