Town face Stevenage in the first round of the Capital One Cup today, but how highly do Championship teams value this competition?
Mick McCarthy has never won a cup game in his time at Ipswich, so why should fans bother to pay money to watch the game? ALEX MITCHELL takes a look at the pros and cons of the cup.
PROS
Speaking as a Town fan, one of the best memories during the Marcus Evans era was in the League Cup. Managerless Ipswich beating Arsenal 1-0 at home in the League Cup semi-final had all of us dreaming of a Wembley final, and after 60 minutes at the Emirates it looked possible too.
After being out of the Premier League for so long, it was a great opportunity to visit one of the best grounds in the country, and also give one of the best teams a good game.
If you can get through the first few tedious rounds against lower opposition, a greater prize awaits.
Another pro is that the first few rounds allow Championship teams to get a good look at their youngsters in a competitive game.
17-year-old Josh Emmanuel played brilliantly at Brentford on Saturday, and maybe there will be a youngster who stands out like he did on Tuesday night.
Other new players such as Giles Coke, Larsen Toure and Brett Pitman might also get a chance to show the fans what they are capable of.
CONS
Lets be honest, Stevenage at home doesn’t exactly send your pulse-rate into overdrive. That’s possibly the problem with the League Cup, teams at the top of the Championship will not be enthralled by the competition until maybe the fourth of fifth round, and that’s four months down the line.
Portman Road won’t be bouncing with excitement as the teams walk on to the pitch, and I think the fans doubt whether Mick will be excited too.
Ipswich’s top priority for the season ahead is to be promoted, not to go far in the League Cup, Mick knows that, and so do the fans.
Town’s recent record in the competition may be why fans can take or leave today’s match, with Ipswich winning one League Cup match in four seasons.
McCarthy’s men already have six games in 21 days to negotiate already, and if they beat Stevenage, make that seven.
One thing is for certain, Town’s recent record in the cup competitions has been dreadful, apart from last season’s draw away at Southampton, but maybe Town could launch a cup run, as well as a promotion challenge this season.
What do you think? Let us know in our poll.
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