Balancing Cup act fails for Watford
Print Edition
Since Manchester United caused outrage by throwing a bunch of youngsters into a League Cup game at Port Vale 21 years ago, English football has slowly grown used to the idea of rotation.
As it turned out, the Port Vale fans who demanded their money back that night were watching a team including newcomers like David Beckham, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who would become known as the Class of 1992 and go on to dominate the decade.
The League Cup in particular has become a vehicle for managers to give some playing time to reserves and squad players.
But for some it is a difficult balancing act between resting first-team regulars and progressing in a competition that ends at Wembley with a Europa League place for the winner.
As 11 Premier League clubs entered the Capital One Cup this week, all except Watford got away with an average of eight changes each by progressing to the third round.
Watford swapped its whole starting XI and lost 0-1 at Preston North End.
Claudio Ranieri, known as “The Tinkerman” in his first spell in England with Chelsea, lived up to the name with 11 changes for Leicester City’s tie at (third tier) Bury but came through 4-1.
It was tougher for Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, who only won on penalties against lower-division opposition, while Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, also much changed, both required extra-time.
The one exception to the trend was Sunderland, which was being held 3-3 at half-time at home by fourth-tier Exeter City before winning 6-3.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
