Derby Upset Man Utd, So Will Fergie Send in the First Team?

By: Daryl | January 8th, 2009

Great goal from Kris Commons last night as Derby “18th in the Championship” County beat Manchester “Club World Cup holders” Utd 1-0 in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg last night. Great night for incoming Derby manager Nigel Clough too, who watched from the stands.

I watched the game with my dad, who was delighted with Derby’s win because he’s a big Brian – and therefore Nigel – Clough fan. However, delight turned to disappointment when he realized that Man Utd could potentially just field their full first XI for the second leg at Old Trafford and take Derby County to pieces.

The question is: should Fergie be allowed to call in the first team cavalry?

My feeling is that if Fergie is willing to select the likes of Tomasz Kuszczak (known not so affectionately as Polish Failbot on Man Utd Offside), Danny Wellbeck and Darron Gibson for the first leg, then it feels unfair if Van der Sar and Wayne Rooney and Cristinao Ronaldo line up for the second leg.

Whatever you say about Wenger’s youthful experiments in the Carling Cup, it was pleasing to see him stick with mostly the same side for the final against Chelsea in 2007. Even though they ended up losing.

Which brings up the other side of the argument, if the trophy is to retain any respect, then maybe Fergie should field his strongest team for the second leg. Which would at least suggest he cares about whether his team won the damn thing or not.

The ideal solution would be for Fergie to field Kuszczak, Wellbeck, Gibson and the rest of the players who lost this game, with the message: “you got us into this mess, now you get us out of it”.

And maybe a discussion about whether a manager will field his strongest XI for a semi-final second leg is another nail in the Carling Cup’s coffin. But try telling that to Derby (or Spurs for that matter).

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Category: World Football

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elle

it's not that SAF doesnt care about the carling cup (even though he doesnt) its more because the chelsea game is this weekend. honestly...carling cup FIRST LEG or move 3 points closer to retaining the premier league title?
Mike

Having a selected squad makes sense and is the only possible way to acheive a kind of regulation. With that said Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs, Carrick and Fletcher were all on the bench.

Either way though, its hard to look at the squad as a week one. Only Gibson and Wellbeck are inexperienced and both were riding high from their previous match against Southampton.

I think Sir Alex will field a similar team in the second leg. Maybe he'll include one of his new signings.
Matt

Got to agree with Simon. Not sure if many footy fans will know who American Football coach Herm Edwards is, but he has provided one of the great quotes in sport history when it comes to subjects like this. "HELLO?! YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
mele419

I think you should have to pick a squad for both legs and only be able to use those players for both legs.
simon

That's not the question at all. Fergie has the right to field whoever he wants, how else could you possibly regulate this? To tell him he can't field his first XI would be to admit the Carling Cup is an absolute joke anyway.

Regardless, he won't. The same team or similar will field at old trafford, that's what his track record dictates - although a first XI is likely to field at wembley were they to make it to the final, as happened a few years ago against Wigan.