An unusual day for Cardiff City to play a game on Thursday but that is the demands of football by their TV masters. Tonight the Bluebirds face Bristol Rovers in the much-maligned old League Cup now rebranded but with no sponsor as the EFL Cup.
It will be interesting to see how the Cardiff City manager plays the game in whether he will take it seriously and play is best team or see it has a chance to play some fringe players this early into the season. I think it will be the case of the latter maybe with a sprinkling of players who were on duty for last Saturday’s fixture with Birmingham, last weekend, which ended in a draw.
Pity but the league is priority for all managers and with a game against QPR, this weekend a rested first team is the best option. I just hope the team fielded tonight will progress into the next round where an away trip to Scunthorpe where a win could see Cardiff face a Premiership club as they enter the competition in the 3rd round.
Since the defeat in the 2012 League Cup Final against Liverpool to penalties, the pickings have been lean in the competition. The following season we were out at the first hurdle at Northampton Town and the following season the Bluebirds were out in the third round. In 2014/15 season it was another third round exit and last season it was a case of old and new. Beating AFC Wimbledon at the Cardiff City Stadium, they then lost at MK Dons in the second round.
Last time the two met, Cardiff and Bristol Rovers, was in 2009 in the League Cup with Cardiff winning 3-1 and guess who their manager was, only Cardiff boss Paul Trollope. Another coincident is that Lennie Lawrence was appointed Director of Football at Bristol Rovers at the time, working alongside Paul Trollope in a two-tier managerial structure. He is back with Trollope as his assistant for tonight’s game. Fingers crossed for a cup run.
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