With too many unwanted senior players in the way, League Cup no longer a means for blooding teenage talent
In an era of stockpiling players, big clubs now have more players than they need and are less likely to turn to their young prospects in the League Cup
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It was not very long ago when the League Cup, under previous branding, was where we would see the next generation of talented teenage players, thrown into men’s football for the first time. Like many things that then became commonplace, this started with Arsene Wenger before catching on elsewhere.
But this is a different age now and in the third round of the Carabao Cup this week, the top teams will not feature as many teenagers as they might have done before. Because this is the era of stockpiling players and that means that the big clubs have more players than they need. They have to play them sometimes, which means that on nights like this, they get the nod.
The result is that some of this week’s line-ups will look more like reserve sides than teams who are giving the best chance to their best youngsters. Not because the youngsters are any worse, but because they simply have too many unwanted senior players in their way.
Arsenal is an instructive example. They gave Jack Wilshere his debut nine years ago in what was then the Carling Cup. The 16-year-old started against Sheffield United, Wigan Athletic and Burnley that season, playing alongside 17-year-old Aaron Ramsey, 18-year-old Kieran Gibbs, 19-year-old Carlos Vela, 20-year-old Nicklas Bendtner and 21-year-old Alex Song and Johan Djourou. Arsenal did not go all the way – they were knocked out in the quarter-finals – but they did at least try to blood a whole generation of youngsters in one go.
Two years before, in 2006-07, Wenger had tried to do the same with the previous generation of players, including a 17-year-old Theo Walcott and 19-year-old midfield pair Cesc Fabregas and Denilson. Abou Diaby was 20 and Philippe Senderos 21. They got all the way to the final which they lost to a far more experienced Chelsea side.
But more than 10 years on from that, Arsenal will not be able to do quite the same at home against Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday nighjt. While Wenger would love to play his youngsters, he has plenty of senior players who are not part of his plans but who need games too. Wilshere, once a beneficiary of Wenger’s policy, will surely play, because he needs games for his own fitness and also to keep himself in the shop window for future suitors.
Olivier Giroud, for whom Arsenal listened to offers this summer, will likely start up front. Theo Walcott, who has drifted out of favour, should get another chance to try to put himself back into Wenger’s thoughts. On the bench they have Chuba Akpom, who could not find a new club in the transfer window despite looking all the way down to the German second division for one. The youngster Arsenal fans most want to see is Reiss Nelson, if he will be given a chance.
This is the reality in modern football where big clubs accumulate players before they know what to do with them. They can register as many over-23 players as they wish, and with the players so well paid they can be hard to move on even when they are not wanted.
And it is by no means an issue unique to Arsenal. Manchester United will likely bring Luke Shaw in to face Burton Albion on Wednesday, after the left-back fell out of favour with Jose Mourinho last season but could not find a new club in the summer. Last week he was squeezed out of a place at left-back by Ashley Young.
Manchester City have some of their own senior players who are not necessarily in Pep Guardiola’s plans. They could not find a new home for Eliaquim Mangala which means he will likely start at West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday evening. There will be much attention on whether Phil Foden and Brahim Diaz will be trusted by Guardiola to start.
Tottenham Hotspur’s squad is tighter than most, in part because their wage structure means they do not have too many players they cannot get rid of. That means they do not have as many players they have to pick tomorrow, for shop window reasons, so Mauricio Pochettino can pick who he wants.
Which means 17-year-old Tashan Oakley-Boothe will be in the squad, although Marcus Edwards, the brilliantly talented attacking midfielder will not be. Chelsea’s squad is tighter than most, but with most of their best youngsters now out on loan, there will be little youth representation against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
The League Cup is still an exciting competition in itself, but in the era of the mega-squad, and of the loan army, it is no longer the place for blooding teenagers it used to be. Not en masse, for the big clubs. Development has to be done differently.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments