In Praise Of The League Cup

Got cup fever yet? If not, why not?

I was having this conversation with my dad last night while we watched Man Utd play Aldershot. Just why has the League Cup never quite caught on? Just why do people shrug at its mention?

I am going to the game tonight. Quite looking forward to it actually. Getting ever closer to Wembley for the second time in two seasons. What’s not to look forward to?

And, if we are honest, this is the competition we are most likely to win. As well as we are doing in the Europa League we probably will come unstuck when some of the Champions League Teams are parachuted in. And with our away form a Premier League trophy is unlikely…..

And yet since I was a kid the League Cup is always the one we have said: “oh well, never mind” when we get knocked out of it.

Part of the problem is that Premier League is seen as all-important. The media tells you football is about money and playing in the "best league in the world." And of course it is our bread and butter. But I will say what I have always said - and it might be a controversial view - but:

I would rather win a cup than just “stay in the league.”

If I could see Ryan Shawcross lift a cup up in February it would be the best day of my life. If I made a list of my best 10 moments as a Stoke supporter then about three would be from last seasons FA Cup run. Such memories stay with you far longer than that win over Fulham did the other week.

If we go down I’d be gutted – and questions would need to be asked clearly – but as upset as I would be, do you know what I would do? I’d spend the summer miserable and come August I would go and watch us in the Championship like I have done for many, many other seasons.

But you know what? I’d have seen us win a cup.

Of course this idea that the cup is a distraction is nonsense anyway.  The idea that players are bound to lack motivation for the cup (as Neil Warnock said after QPR lost to Rochdale) is amongst the daftest things I have ever heard. And don’t get me started on the “too many games” argument either. If our players pride themselves on their fitness and are highly paid athletes, then just get on with it, is my view (I will concede that the schedule next week is a disgrace, and that does ask a lot of the squad.)

So tonight is a tough AND an important game. Tony Pulis will select a strong team and good luck to him. Let’s just enjoy it, shall we? We might win the thing in four months time.

And whatever happens, surely, it’ll be better than last year at West Ham or the year before at Portsmouth. We are at home, after all.

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