Chelsea and the Carling Cup Conundrum

Xander45

After seeing the results for last nights Carling cup matches there were a few shocks. QPR beating a weakened Villa team, Brighton beating a weakened Man City team (see a pattern here) and Chelsea thrashing Portsmouth.

Now this is what makes me wonder, Chelsea last night fielded a team of 11 full internationals. To put that into contrast United fielded 7, if you include the retired Giggs, Liverpool 7 and Arsenal 5. Average ages of those "big four" teams were respectively Chelsea: 28, Liverpool:23, United: 23 and Arsenal:19.

Now here's my point why have Chelsea taken this competition so seriously in the past few seasons that they've been in the final for three of the past four years (winning it twice).

Now i can see why in Abrahamovic's early days they would persist with this as Chelsea needed a trophy, any trophy. But surely now with all the money they have and the bigger more lucrative competitions they are competing in and trying to win, it would be beneficial to them if they played a weaker team so their first choice players down get burnt out come the end of the season?

So my question is why do Chelsea persist with playing a Premiership first team in the Carling Cup? Do they have no youth system?

Discuss

Scholesgoals

they dont need a youth system.

We play a weakened team to blood a few youngsters, they dont need to do that as they can just buy them in.

Ixion

A trophy is a trophy at the end of the day, and going for the League Cup hasn't hurt their chances in the other competitions in previous seasons so they might as well keep going for it.

Justin

Scolari is like that. He plays Ronaldo for the full 90min in international friendlies against nobodies.

GE

Agreed.

Xander45

Fair point, i just feel that with a smaller squad they maybe shouldn't risk first teamers against clubs scrapping for their lives in a cup match that is the bottom of their list as priorities go.

Number7

I must be the only united fan who likes the carling cup

Chance to watch us in a competative fixture without the pressures of the league, CL and FA cup...if you win then great, if you lose than feck it.

Ixion

I don't like Chelsea but you have to respect them for going for the lot, whereas you look at Liverpool and they basically throw in the towel in the League so they can have a better chance in the Champions league. I prefer Chelsea's atitude.

noodlehair

I don't get why they feel the need to field their strongest available team against a Portsmouth side who look incapable of avoiding defeat to a part time pub outfit.

It's weird, and they have looked completely knackered towards the end of the last two seasons, despite having a strong squad.

Red-Devil.Finn

It just shows that Chelsea has no youth system. How many youngsters has got a change in the first team? Carlton Cole is the only one I can remember, and he left Chelsea to play for West Ham. But you don't need youth system if you have as much money as Abramovits.

antihenry

That notion was true before Roman has arrived because the youth setup was in shambles but not so much anymore. The club recreated a youth system over the last few years and there are quite a few promising youngsters coming through the ranks now (Sinclair,Kakuta, Stoch,etc) that deserve a chance to test themselves in a first team at some point.

It comes down to the managers,imho. Mourinho's job was to deliver trophies right away so he couldn't afford any risks and, to be fair there when he started it was early days and no one worth taking a gamble on was available.

Scolari, from what I read about him, is known for giving youngsters a chance. Hopefully he'll do the same at Chelsea,Di Santo and Sinclair featured in the end against Pompey, so hopefully, that's a start.

wancolos

I love the Carling Cup.

Brilliant opportunity to watch the likes of Welbeck and Rafael get a proper chance.

grahamo

Scholari probably thought Tuesday night's game was an FA cup game.

Brad

Might be something to do with the number of managers they've begun to cycle through. Each new incumbant desperate to provide success, and the first available opportunity is the Carling Cup

It's a good trophy to win. I was there against Wigan in Cardiff, its still a great occasion. Teams in Europe get a couple of bye's through the early rounds... and in truth the time of the season it's played, and the size of some of the Premier League squads these days, there's no reason why strong teams can't be fielded

Ekeke

Chelsea's successful history is in its infancy. 3 or 4 carling cup wins over the next 5 years will look great in comparison to the accolades that have come before it. Of course thats not the plan. The plan is, carling cups as well as league trophies, F.A cups and champions leagues. But for them, every trophy counts. Money and squad size and quality aside, the big picture is they need success in this period. Even a small one.

MUFCgal

Exactly my feelings too

Pogue Mahone

True.

The ridiculuously high turnover of managers at Chelsea means that they need at least one trophy - any trophy will do - to have even the vaguest hope of retaining their jobs.

Besides, if they suffer a humiliating reverse in the early round of the CC, uncle Roman will be looking for their head on a platter. And something tells me he won't buy the "blooding youngsters" excuse when he's spunked the guts of 10 million quid (on average) on each and every one of their 22 man squad. Having invested that much money on so many seasoned internationals, he wants to see them on the pitch.

Youngie

You are not alone mate.
I believe the Carling Cup victory in 2006 was vital to United's development. It not only kept the wolves from Fergie's door, giving him breathing space, but acted as a springboard to our subsequent League and CL success.
The same can be said of Chelsea and Maureen.
Having said that I still favour the blooding of kids in the early rounds.

Ander8on

Wasn't there something like 7 English players out of 44 available places - played for the top 4 teams?

GusHiddink

Its called the winning mentality. Breeds it.

Pogue Mahone

Doesn't breed it in any up and coming youngsters though, does it?

Which is kind of the point of this thread.

GusHiddink

If you are good enough you'll play. Everyone harps on and on about the arsenal youngsters. We'll see just how many of these have made the grade a few years down the line.

brophs

None, if they aren't given games.

ecantona7

I'm in the same boat as you. I like the carling cup and would love to see untied win it.

Pogue Mahone

This thread is about the Chelsea youngsters.

Or lack thereof.

ecantona7

Not when you're competing for a start with the likes of ballack, lampard, drogba. Scolari should start 3-4 youngsters to give them a game out and see how they blend in with the the rest of the first team.

GusHiddink

Or against the likes of keane, ince......

ecantona7

So you're comparing the state of football (and specifically chelsea) now to 13-15 years ago and united?

Pogue Mahone

Swap the names Rooney and Scholes for Keane and Ince and your argument (such as it is) falls apart completely.

Clearly Welbeck and Possebon aren't good enough to displace either of the names listed above. But they were both given a chance mid-week - in front of 50k fans, at OT - which will have been a hugely significant part of their development.