League Cup is just a waste of energy, says Guardiola

LONDON: Pep Guardiola has called the English League Cup “a waste of energy” as the Manchester City manager joined old rival Jose Mourinho in questioning the worth of the competition.

The League Cup was created in 1960 to take advantage of the fact that floodlights had increased the possibility for midweek football.

However, the tournament has always been seen as secondary to the FA Cup in England, and its importance has gradually diminished over the last two decades as the top sides started to rest their key players until the latter stages.

In an attempt to keep the bigger clubs interested, the Football League has allowed English teams playing in European competition to be exempt until the third round since 1996, while replays were scrapped in 1997.

Yet, Manchester United manager Mourinho suggested on Wednesday that English clubs in the Champions League and Europa League should be allowed to opt out of the tournament.

Guardiola has supported those comments as City bid to navigate a frantic run of games.

“If you have to play the competition, you have to play the competition. That’s our job.

“But despite victories in these competitions, sometimes, we just don’t get the rewards we deserve,” said Guardiola.

The City manager made eight changes for Wednesday’s 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup third round.

The league leaders have a difficult week ahead of them.

City will host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to Chelsea for a league game the following Saturday.

Mourinho guided United to win the competition last season, but Guardiola does not believe it was worth the effort.

The Spaniard has suggested that it was victory in the Europa League, rather than the domestic Cup, that made Mourinho’s first season at Old Trafford a success.

“We have a lot of games.

“If you have to play in a competition you have to play in it,” Guardiola said.

“It’s good for the players you don’t use a lot.

“It’s a prize where, when you win, it’s OK, but after that the people don’t give too much credit.

“I think the prize is good when you win another one.

“But you also waste a lot of energy in these competitions.

“You can imagine going against a Tony Pulis team (West Brom) and playing 90 minutes in those conditions, then you spend three or four hours on the bus.

“Then three days later, it’s Crystal Palace, three days later, Shakhtar Donetsk, three or four days later, Stamford Bridge.

“So for the managers, there’s a lot of wasted energy.

“But we knew that before, so it’s not a complaint in those terms.

“If we have to play, we have to play.” — AFP