Its about time that Premier league Clubs below the top four start to take this competition seriously, given that its their best chance of a trophy and European Competition.

Most clubs in the Premier dont seem to take the League Cup in whatever name it takes with any degree of seriousness, you can understand why the top four find it a distraction with a Champions League programme in their schedule, but for the rest of the division its a great opportunity on several levels.

Firstly it offers the opportunity of actually winning a trophy, in any given season there are usually only two contenders for the premier title and even the FA Cup rarely ends up in the hands of anyone other than an elite group of 4 or 5 clubs, so this competition can be won by someone else, look how fondly we recall the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final, that was a tin pot cup, this is a major honour so we should take it seriously.

It also offers the winners a route into Europe, look at Liverpool they would be facing a second successive season without European Competition if they hadnt won the trophy last year, perhaps Premier managers would find the Europa Cup a pain in the proverbial, but ask any of the fans who would love a European ampaign and the chance to visit some exotic places across the continent.

But thirdly, in times when clubs have 25 man squads and with a big chunk of those squads rarely getting significant game time either in the Premier or elsewhere with the decline of reserve team football, it offers the chance to some of the fringe players to show what they can do.

Even Saints will be putting out the players of the calibre of Mayuka, Richard Chaplow and if fit Tadanar Lee to name but three, also it gives the majority of Saints supporters the chance to see if Luke Shaw and other youngsters are as good as they have read, OK its not the Premier but its one step at a time and before we find out how they can handle the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea etc surely we have to see that they are comfortable with dealing with Sheffield Wednesday.

So there are three good reasons why Saints and indeed around 15 other Premier clubs should be waking up to the fact that the Capital One Cup is not a distraction, but their only genuine chance of being something other than making up the numbers for the season.       

Photo: Action Images

ExiledSupporter added 11:26 - Sep 25 I'd certainly like to see Manyuka and Lee given starts. We need to get these sort of players better integrated and assess the positions that they could play in - whether on merit or in the case of injury, could they play right and left? Getting Chaplow and Cork involved asap would be beneficial too. What is the update on Lee and Cork in terms of injury? I am afraid that the risk of leaving the Capital One Cup early is more than balanced by getting some 'peripheral' players game time and trying out some different combinations on the pitch

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SaintNick added 11:40 - Sep 25 surely progressing in the cup gives us far greater scope to blood ourt players, than going out in the early rounds
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Scrooge added 11:50 - Sep 25 Let Mayuka loose on the Owls
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bstokesaint added 12:20 - Sep 25 With you on this Nick, looking forward to seeing some of the youngsters in action, as well as the fringe players. Jack Cork will be a quality addition to midfield when he's fit again and it'll be interesting to see how Luke Shaw gets on. I love the cups and relish the opportunity of another Wembley day out. We should take this seriously as it keeps everyone involved.

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geezershoong added 13:26 - Sep 25 Getting de ja vu here, for me it is a distraction that merely gives back up players the chance to get injured or suspended and I think any club back in the PL should not regard it as important - staying in the division is. PL clubs shouldn't be in it for me.
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tiptop added 14:04 - Sep 25 Agree with Nic too. We have to believe we have enough quality to progress by including (now) fringe players such as Chaplow, Cork (if fit) and Shaw etc. So a team that should beat SW? Judging by last rounds bench it will feature youth. Defence..do we risk iether Fonte and Yoshida!? Not. Or saying that Richardson? Given they will be up against Jay Bothroyd it could be a challenge perfect for Stephens and Seabourne. My stab would be: Boruc Butterfield, Stephens, Seabourne, Shaw Chaplow, Reeves, Davis Mayuka, Rodriguez, Lee Subs:Cork, Guly, Chambers, Hoskins, Sinclair, Moore, Gazzaniga

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Whatsforpud added 15:53 - Sep 25 At the moment, team are more worried about getting points on the board. By the time they think they are OK, it is probably too late to take this cup competition seriously.
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