As far as I see it, we have a free hit at Arsenal tonight.
We go there with nothing to lose but have plenty to gain if we can put in a performance or even sneak a result.
The League Cup is a funny one because it’s seen as a competition that clutters up the fixture list, but yet it offers a Wembley final and a potential place in Europe.
When I was kid, it was a cup the great Liverpool side used to win often, and that was in the days of small squads and more games. But that was accepted then and even though the League Cup probably didn’t have the exposure it has now, it was still seen as a competition to win.
The attitude towards it these days is somewhat different and I suspect if it wasn’t for the TV money, the competition certainly wouldn’t still be in its current format, and maybe even wouldn’t exist at all. But it’s an EFL competition and is a huge revenue earner from TV and gate receipts in the later rounds so it keeps standing the test of time.
For Leeds tonight, I see it as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to start with Joe Geldhardt. It’s an opportunity for Kalvin Phillips to get some time and find his way back in. It’s an opportunity for Adam Forshaw to stake a claim. It’s an opportunity for Dan James and Jack Harrison to try and find some confidence and some fluency. It’s an opportunity for Tyler Roberts to repay the manager’s faith, and there’ll be opportunities for more of our younger players to step up and gain valuable experience.
We know Arsenal like to dominate possession, and they’ll allow us to play out from the back, and that suits the Leeds that we’ve seen over the past few years.
Quite what Marcelo will do is anyone’s guess. As I’ve said I don’t think we have anything to lose, but there’s definitely plenty to be gained from tonight’s game
