Chelsea should replicate Manchester United’s Carabao Cup attitude
Jose Mourinho fielded a strong team and breezed past Swansea City with minimal effort. Antonio Conte and Chelsea should do the same against Everton.
Does anyone truly care about the Carabao Cup? Probably not. Is it an easy trophy to win? Definitely. Chelsea should capitalise on the general attitude towards the competition to propel themselves to the final. If you watched Manchester United’s game on Tuesday night, you would have seen how painless it can be.
Most top flight managers view the League/EFL/Carabao Cup as an inconvenience in a heavy schedule. Hence, they usually change up their teams and send out a bunch of youngsters to fulfill the club’s obligation to take part in the game.
However, this just creates an opportunity for teams who take it relatively seriously. Jose Mourinho has previously questioned whether English football would be better off without the fourth trophy. His team selection against Swansea, though, proved that those words were just for the press.
The Manchester United boss made several changes to his side, but he maintained a strong core that were simply too much for the Swans. Many of his Premier League XI started and United eased into the next round having barely exerted themselves.
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This is where Mourinho is smart. Managers rest players in this competition by leaving them out of the squad. Mourinho rested some players and still kept them on the field. The fact that United had a strong team out meant that they controlled the contest from the first whistle. There was little manic sprinting and chasing the ball. They simply knocked it around like a training exercise and clinically took their chances.
Compared to the exertions of a standard Premier League clash, United had reclined in their chair and stuck their feet up on the table.
And just like that, they’re in the quarter-finals where they will follow the same strategy and likely dispose of another severely weakened opposition.
After a poor start to the season, Chelsea should replicate this attitude. At the end of the day, the EFL Cup is still a major competition and still a trophy for fans and players to cherish. Instead of stumbling into the final by accident and then caring, the Blues should plot their way to it.
Mourinho has won the League Cup four times. He has always paired it with another major triumph (twice being the league title). That in itself dispels the myth that fielding a strong side will hinder your progress in other competitions. Mourinho has realised that picking a decent team, on the whole, leads to an easier night for everyone involved.
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On the back of the Watford comeback, Chelsea need a win to kick on. A fairly comfortable one will only boost confidence heading into Saturday’s away clash with Bournemouth. Conte should take note of Mourinho’s attitude – he may be surprised by how easy everything turns out to be.