Should top-flight teams take the league cup more seriously?

Manchester City players celebrate with the Capital One Cup last season

The Capital One Cup third round takes place over the next few days with the top teams making their first appearance in the competition after taking part in European action.

The competition seems to take a back seat to every other competition for most Premier League clubs. However it is still a possible route into Europe and an opportunity for clubs to claim silverware.

Priorities

Most of the teams in the Premier League have the league cup at the bottom of their list of priorities.

The big teams tend to field weakened teams in the competition, as do the teams who will be expecting to fight for survival this season.

However there is a group of teams in midtable that probably could take the competition more seriously, as they are unlikely to get relegated, or win the Premier League title.

Silverware

A host of Premier League teams have failed to win silverware in a long time. For the likes of Everton, Tottenham and Southampton the Capital One Cup is an opportunity for them to claim a trophy.

Those three clubs have not won silverware in a significant amount of time. In fact for Everton it is their longest ever period post-war without claiming silverware, with their last trophy coming back in 1995 when they won the FA Cup under Toffees legend Joe Royle.

Fans of those clubs may not have the league cup at the top of their priorities either, but I am sure they would not complain about a trip to Wembley and their team bringing home some silverware.

I am sure that Swansea fans were not complaining the season before last when they won the league cup and gained entry to Europe. I certainly would not complain if my team won the league cup, even if they did finish slightly lower in the Premier League table.

It seems nowadays that finishing in the European spots or the Champions League spots is far more important than winning either of the domestic cups. That thinking is understandable considering the amount of money involved in qualifying for the Champions League is massive.

However, beyond monetary value it surely means more to collect a trophy and a medal than finishing fourth in the Premier League, unless you ask Arsene Wenger of course.

Seriously

Certain top-flight bosses have stated that they will take the competition seriously this season. Despite that you can guarantee that a host of Premier League clubs still left in the league cup will field weakened sides in the third round.

The teams with European commitments especially are likely to make major changes to their teams for the Capital One Cup third round.

Important

Last season the league cup was important to Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini as it was the first trophy he has ever won in European football, despite being a relatively successful boss in Spain’s La Liga.

I am sure the win will not be regarded as on the same level of City’s Premier League title victory, but it was a significant moment for the veteran Chilean boss, so it can be a pivotal trophy for both clubs and bosses.

The fact that a club with the resources of City took the competition seriously shows that the competition is not yet dead and buried and is still relevant to top teams.

Limited

There is a limited amount of trophies certain clubs can challenge for this season. The likes of Chelsea and Manchester City will be looking to challenge for the Premier League title and arguably the Champions League.

The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be outsiders for those competitions. Everton and Tottenham will fancy their chances in the Europa League, while attempting to challenge for a Champions League spot.

Maybe the Capital One Cup is not such a terrible competition after all. It’s a competition that offers a chance of silverware and route to European football. I doubt many clubs beyond the top two would turn down that opportunity at the moment.

Should top-flight teams take the league cup more seriously?