Amidst all the noise and rumour as the transfer window reaches its climax this week, most West Ham United fans’ attention will be on the developing stories regarding Carlos Soler, Tammy Abraham, selling James Ward Prowse, Nayef Aguerd– with the fact that we have a game on Wednesday evening being almost secondary.
The Carabao Cup, League Cup, call it what you will – has seemed of secondary importance to many ‘Big Clubs’ in recent years, with Premier League sides often featuring second tier players in the early rounds of the competition. I’d like to suggest that Julen Lopetegui needs to focus 100% on this competition, both for his squad fitness & morale and also because it is the most likely route into European Football for West Ham next season.
At West Ham our Europa Conference League victory released an explosion of celebration not seen at the club since the Wembley victory of 1980. So close in 2006( Steven Bloody Gerrard). But our first silverware of any kind unleashed the kind of street scenes in East London which I’d only dreamed of and never thought I’d actually be caught up in. A wonderful 24 hours, actually. How we as Hammers fans lust for more of the same.
Cup competitions in recent years have been treated with what felt, as a fan, like a kind of irrelevance, whilst we were playing the Thursday / Sunday grind of Europa or Conference League fixtures I can understand this. Small squad plus so many games – something has to give.
However there is no excuse for West Ham fielding a second tier team this year.. We should be in it to win it, as being a much improved squad, and having one of the least-congested fixture lists in the Premier League.
It isn’t ‘just’ the League Cup – it is a realistic chance for Señor Lopetegui to attain his target of European football and to further condition the senior squad and instil competition for places within the team. We take on Bournemouth on Wednesday at 19.45 and I hope to see eleven top – quality West Ham players go at it with full-on commitment. This competition is winnable. Just need to avoid Man City in the draw..
Big teams tend to sneer at the carabao cup a bit because winning it only gets you conference league whereas winning the fa cup gets you Europa league plus charity shield final as a bonus. I agree though it’s our best chance of winning a trophy and then winning another trophy in Europe. We are the kings of the conference league after all.
The so called big teams want to win it. City 6, Liverpool 2, United 2, Chelsea 1 last eleven winners. Its our lot going half hearted or so far and resting players for the weekend. Take the League Cup more seriously, stronger squad, no excuses.
As a fan you want glory for your club and realistically that is only ever going to be in one of the domestic competitions and this one in particular as most of the “big clubs” see it as beneath them and field second string sides until the latter stages other wise it is just a nuisance for them. Quite why we have done it is purely for monetary purposes IE staying in the Premier league…. As a fan that really means little as we are never going to win it so a profit sheet means little where as a cup means the world so i hope that JLO does take this seriously and 7 games sees you to the final win it and back in Europe which is easier than 38 game league season hoping to finish in the top 6/7.
Apart from Citeh who Pep wants to win every trophy we should be more than capable of winning this competition so come on West Ham give us another trophy another open top bus parade and keep the good times rolling and make this a first again..we can so close many years back to winning this so nows the time to put this to bed and win more silverware..COYI