Carlisle United boss Keith Curle’s take on the Checkatrade Trophy
THE Checkatrade Trophy has taken a slating from the critics over the last couple of months, but Carlisle United manager Keith Curle does believe there are some benefits.
The Cumbrians chief saw his side beat Blackburn Rovers Under-21s 2-0 at Brunton Park on Tuesday night to take it two wins from two in the Trophy and move to the brink of qualification for the knockout stages.
Shaun Miller set Carlisle on their way with a 39th minute opener and captain Danny Grainger made the game safe by convering an 88th minute spot-kick in front of 1,253 fans.
Satisfying
It was another satisfying night’s work for Curle, who has seen his side make an unbeaten start to their League Two campaign this term.
As for the benefits, Curle was pleased to give some of his players who had not had a chance to play regularly this season a chance to show what they could do and stressed that he treated the match just as he would any other game the club were playing.
“We gave a few lads an opportunity to get 90 minutes competitive football and they did well,” he said. “We all knew that we were taking on a Blackburn team that had Champions League experience and Scottish titles.
“We took the game very seriously. We were representing our employers and it was business as usual – the same as three points on a Saturday or a cup-tie versus Liverpool.
“There’s a reason why we prepare the way we do – to give the players the best opportunity to perform. We are meticulous in our preparation and create a demanding environment for everyone. Every detail has to be right.”
If the team’s performance on the pitch was right, it also brought a financial reward off it. The Cumbrians picked up £10,000 in prize money for winning the game. Add that to the same amount from their amazing 5-4 win at Oldham in their opening group match and Carlisle have already pocketed £20,000 from the tournament.
It’s only chicken feed to Premier League clubs, but is valuable finance in the lower reaches of the EFL.
“Any revenue that’s generated is important,” said former England international Curle, “and we’re no different to most League Two clubs.
“We don’t factor cup money into our budget forecast – you can’t build a business plan on that. Anything we get from the cups increases our revenue.
“Last season it was well documented that the club earned in excess of £600,000 from our cup games against Liverpool and Everton.
“However, the bread and butter is that we need to get people into the ground at Brunton Park. We need to make sure we have a viable product.”
Eliminated
In midweek, West Ham, West Brom and Middlesbrough became the first Premier League academy teams to be eliminated from the competition.
The Hammers lost 3-0 at Wycombe, West Brom went down 2-0 at Luton and Boro succumbed 2-1 at Cambridge United. It made it two defeats out of two for all three clubs.
On the other side of the coin, Leicester and Norwich were the first academy sides to book their places in the next round. The Foxes won 1-0 at Grimsby to make it five points from two matches, while Josh Murphy netted a hat-trick for Norwich as they romped to a 5-0 win at Barnet to make it two wins from two. Curle believes the performance of the academy sides, who must include six players under the age of 21, is something that should be scrutinised.
Criticism
He added: “There is a criticism in English football that young players aren’t getting enough opportunities to play competitive men’s football.
“This competition provides
that chance and questions will be asked if a lot of the academy sides get knocked out. “Premier League clubs spend a lot of money on their academies and if they get beaten, then people will be asking if they’re doing the right things and if football is competitive enough at that level. Are they producing what they should be producing?” As for whether it will be the EFL clubs that come through eventually or whether the academy teams will take charge, EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey is inclined to plump for the former.
He said: “Ten of the 16 first round matches were won by EFL clubs so the early signs are that teams from League One and Two are most likely to progress, but the reality is that this is a competition and therefore the best teams, or at least the most competitive teams, will progress through the rounds.”