After Manchester United's thundering start to the Premier League it would be easy to think of the Carabao Cup as an unwanted distraction. A competition that will - potentially - only hinder Jose Mourinho’s men’s campaign in the Premier League and Champions League. A chance to rest players ahead of the more glamourous and more important games in the two prestigious tournaments. That would be a mistake, the Carabao Cup should be taken seriously by Jose Mourinho and his players.
Last season, the Carabao Cup win was the springboard to the success in the Europa League and to the success the Reds have enjoyed at the start of this season. The win at Wembley was vital to the current group of players gaining the winning experience needed to play and succeed at Manchester United. The Cup may be small in size but its importance was massive and the impact it had on the mentality in the dressing room cannot be downplayed, it made the team winners under the leadership of Jose Mourinho.
In any season, the Carabao Cup is the first major trophy a team can win. Many modernisers will question the importance of Carabao Cup, those with this line of thinking usually think finishing fourth is more important than winning trophies. But the ultimate goal in football is to win trophies, the Carabao Cup offers the chance to win a trophy. Finishing fourth will not be remembered or offer much of a springboard to a football club. For Manchester United, this season getting a trophy in the cabinet as soon as possible will only boost the Reds campaigns in the Premier League and Champions League. To keep that trophy winning mentality going on a forward trajectory is vital to the squad and will only aid them in winning the big two trophies and to credibly challenge for them.
With Manchester United enjoying such a good start to the season the confidence within the squad will be sky high. Every player will be wanting to play every game and keep the scorching form going, both individually and collectively. No player will want to be left out of the squad but with rotations can be expected. The Carabao Cup offers the chance to make minor changes to the team but wholesale changes should not be made, as is the case when it comes to Champions League games.
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The likes of Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Sergio Romero, Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera will all be inline to start in the game against Burton Albion on Wednesday night, again, highlighting the immense depth of quality within the squad. Bringing these vital squad members into the starting line-up does not weaken the team for the Carabao Cup. In the case of Luke Shaw it even strengthens the left-back position as he makes his way back from injury.
Mourinho will be taking this season's Carabao Cup seriously. The Portuguese manager will be desperate to add another trophy to the cabinet at Old Trafford because that winning mentality does not discriminate. Every competition is there to be won regardless of the mentalities and opinions of others.
