Carling Cup? Not for me.

Leeds versus Liverpool. Not so long ago, this fixture was viewed as a potential Premiership title decider. Now the two teams can only meet in Cup competitions as Leeds remain a frightening reminder of the consequences of boardroom mismanagement – a scenario we now live in fear of following the worst decision in the history of our own football club which resulted in our precious club becoming the property of two cowboys from the US of A.

All the Leeds fans I’ve spoken to fear they’re going to be battered. I’m not so optimistic. The fact is, they won’t face Liverpool so much as a Liverpool XI. It is, after all, the Carling Cup and no team that considers itself a ‘big club’ wants to be seen taking this competition seriously.

The Kop magazine – which incidentally has really deteriorated in quality in recent months - ran an article this month under the headline “COMING OUT OF A SILVER SHADOW” in which it suggested Rafa should take the Carling Cup more seriously in order to avoid a fourth consecutive trophyless season. Personally, I disagree. If Liverpool were to finish in the top two and at least make the semi-finals of the Champions League, I would view the season as more successful than if we were to finish 3rd or lower, fail to progress beyond the Champions League quarter-finals but win the Carling Cup.

Back when we won the Carling Cup under Houllier for the first time, it was considered the least prestigious of the domestic competitions but it still had some prestige. Only the likes of Man Ure and Arsenal were then treating it as a competition in which to field reserves and youth players and, in fairness, their reserves and youth players were usually pretty decent. These days, most Premiership teams field weakened teams. How could we consider it an achievement to win a competition that the likes of Bolton, Blackburn and even Reading don’t take seriously?

Every year there is talk of the FA Cup not having the same prestige as it used to but aside from Portsmouth in a freak year, no other team outside of the current big four has won the competition since Everton in 1995. By contrast, in the same period the League Cup has been won by the likes of Aston Villa, Leicester, Tottenham, Blackburn and Middlesbrough while runners-up in the Final have included Bolton, Wigan and lower league teams such as Birmingham and Tranmere. This is a small cup for small teams. When the bigger teams get to the Final, as has happened more frequently in recent years, it is because their second XIs are simply stronger than the teams from the lower divisions and the weakened XIs many of the Premiership teams field.

If our weakened team is good enough to get us to the semis then by all means we should go for the win but at this stage there is simply no point.

Why risk Gerrard or Torres against cloggers from League One? Much better to field the kids and fringe players and risk elimination.

The Kop asks the question: “What is more important to get from the Carling Cup this season – experience for [the] young players or the trophy itself?” I would answer “Neither are that important.” Will a good performance at Elland Road secure Jay Spearing a first team place? No. If a defence comprised of Degen, Kyrgiakos, Agger and Dossena can defend corners better than those in the current first team, will they keep their places for the home game against Hull? No. If Voronin scores a hat-trick will that mean he is a good player? Will it shite.

Winning the League Cup is only marginally better than winning nothing and if that is the only trophy we pick up this season, we will have had another disappointing year.

Rather than focus on the end of season objectives, I’d just like to see some of the fringe players who are a bit closer to the first team put in a performance that puts them in contention for more first team action. If the likes of Agger, Aurelio and Babel feature, they can do that. Similarly, David Ngog has an excellent opportunity to prove to Rafa why he should be coming off the bench before a certain Ukranian. I’m also sure Degen will prove why he should never be used in the first team and then get injured.

Over to you, reserves.