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England: Midweek League (Carling) Cup Preview [Tue Sep 20th, 2005]
Attention in England this week turns to the Second Round of the League Cup, a competition undervalued by the big boys, but a route into the UEFA Cup for the winners.
The League Cup in its various guises has become easily the least important domestic competition of the English league season in recent years, with teams such as Manchester United setting the trend of resting first-team stars and giving the youngsters a go.
Chelsea won last season’s competition, but let’s face it, even their reserve side would be a match for most full-strength Premiership first teams. But recently this has become an increasingly important competition for the ‘mid-table’ sides, as it provides a route into Europe that is guaranteed as early as February.
During the seventies and eighties, the competition was almost as highly regarded as the FA Cup and the showpiece Wembley final was a greatly anticipated event.
The importance began to dwindle once English sides were allowed to compete in Europe again after the Heysel ban and this led to the top sides fielding weakened teams to guard against over-exhaustion of their star players.
It is still an honour to win the tournament, and provided its UEFA Cup qualification place remains, the competition should retain its status as an important event for teams who might not be assured of Europe through their league form.
This week’s Second Round stage includes some Premiership sides, but those in UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League action do not enter until the unseeded Third round (the draw for which will be made on Saturday, 24th September).
The majority of ties this week take place on Tuesday night, with the pick of the round the match at Blundell Park, where Tottenham Hotspur travel to face Grimsby Town. Grimsby went to the top of League Two on Saturday thanks to a 3-0 win at home to Torquay – their third victory on the bounce – and Martin Jol’s men know they must be at their best to avoid what would be an embarrassing defeat.
Steve Bruce’s Birmingham City side face a tricky task away at League One promotion contenders Scunthorpe United. Brian Laws’ side are unbeaten at home so far this season and sit just two points from the top of the division, while Birmingham are languishing at the wrong end of the Premiership table.
Other ties of note include West Ham travelling to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, Wycombe Wanderers playing host to Aston Villa, Portsmouth travelling to Gillingham, struggling League One outfit Doncaster Rovers entertaining Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers taking on Huddersfield Town.
There are no replays in the League Cup, so all of the midweek ties will be settled on the night, with extra time and penalties coming into force if required.
The midweek fixtures in full:
Tuesday, 20th September
Barnet v Plymouth
Burnley v Barnsley
Cardiff v Macclesfield
Charlton v Hartlepool
Crystal Palace v Coventry
Gillingham v Portsmouth
Grimsby v Tottenham
Leicester v Blackpool
Mansfield v Southampton
Norwich v Northampton
Reading v Luton
Rotherham v Leeds
Scunthorpe v Birmingham
Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham
Shrewsbury v Sheffield United
Sunderland v Cheltenham
Watford v Wolves
West Brom v Bradford
Wigan v Bournemouth
Wycombe v Aston Villa
Yeovil v Millwall
Wednesday, 21st September
Blackburn v Huddersfield
Doncaster v Manchester City
Fulham v Lincoln
Mike Olford
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