It isn’t the cup run we would have chosen at the start of the season, but it is the only one we are left in. Win tonight, and we will progress in the EFL Trophy, and with it, gain some money along the way. I have written in the past about income from this trophy, so I won’t today. Instead, here are three reasons I think we should be taking this competition seriously.
It is a realistic chance of silverware
We aren’t favourites, and there are a lot of League 1 clubs that will be in our way to win it, but this is the clubs only serious chance of winning silverware. We don’t look like we will be winning the league this season, however much I would like us to. So the trophy is the realistic piece of silverware that the players can get their hands on. Whether we agree with the format or not, I can’t see many complaining if we did win.
Squad Rotation
We have players who are looking to fight their way back into the team, as well are younger players who want to feature more. Jack Rose, Jack Nolan, CCM, Alfie Bates and Sam Perry all fit that. We want to see our youngsters being blooded, and this is a way to do it. Each round gives us another fixture, which in a compact season is not easy. However, as we move out of the busiest spell of that season, there are less chances to give players needing game time those opportunities. It is also competitive game time, rather than them playing in the development league.
We also have players who are out injured, that would see games like this as a chance to regain match fitness too. It will be too soon for Josh Gordon, but the next round might not be. We also do not know what knocks we will pick up in between now and the next round (should we get there), and this trophy is a place where we have seen players returning to fitness stake their claim for more game time.
Form
We saw last season, that beating FGR kickstarted a run of form for the team. We know it was not a full strength FGR team, but winning any game breeds confidence. We do not know what strength team Oxford will bring tonight, but as a team that are on a bad spell in the league, they could either go all out to try and win tonight, or try a few different options. You can only play what is front of you, and a win tonight would be the perfect setup for our game against a struggling Southend. It would give the players a boost, and give them some confidence ahead of the weekend.
I have always said that I disagree with the format of this trophy. But we are in it, and we have to use it for what we can, whether that be to try new things, try and get some prize money, or use it for fitness.
