- May 7, 2004
- 42,690
- 78,576
7 years on from our last League Cup final against Chelsea and I can't help but feel a lot different to how I felt back then.
In 2008 we were a struggling side in the Premier League under a manage who couldn't speak English. The Final was a welcome break from the League campaign. However it always felt like we were a long way off where we wanted to be. The manager was clearly not right for us. Although there were some similarities between Ramos and Pochettino. Both managers worked hard in training with their tought fitness regime and they both adopted a high energy pressing game. The biggest difference was that Ramos was no good at getting the message across and I'm not convinced he ever really had the right players for his style either. Pochettino is closer to the right players especially in terms of their age because he is able to mould them into his philosophy. It's no shock to me that some of the more experienced players like Kaboul, Lennon & Adebayor did not buy into this yet the youngsters have had no such problems.
The team of 2015 will be a lot younger for sure. Compared to some of the ageing players we had in 2008. It always felt back then that this was a last chance opportunity for the likes of King and Woodgate to grab glory. While Berbatov was already eyeing a move way in the summer. This time however it feels like a fresh start and not the end of a cycle. I never felt optimistic in 2008 that whatever the result we could grow and build on from it. The feeling this time around is different however. I would Kevin Keegan love it if we win on Sunday. Not just because it's a trophy to add to our trophy room but also because it's against Chelsea. However a loss is not the end of the world for us this Sunday but merely a small setback. Whatever happens at the end of the day it will be a huge learning curve for our young squad, a new lesson in their education as footballers. These are the experiences that players grow from and I'm looking forward to seeing the long term results of this Final.
Here's hoping this is the first of a number of finals we play in over the next 5 years or so.
Here's a reminder of the 2 teams in comparison;
2008
Possible 2015
In 2008 we were a struggling side in the Premier League under a manage who couldn't speak English. The Final was a welcome break from the League campaign. However it always felt like we were a long way off where we wanted to be. The manager was clearly not right for us. Although there were some similarities between Ramos and Pochettino. Both managers worked hard in training with their tought fitness regime and they both adopted a high energy pressing game. The biggest difference was that Ramos was no good at getting the message across and I'm not convinced he ever really had the right players for his style either. Pochettino is closer to the right players especially in terms of their age because he is able to mould them into his philosophy. It's no shock to me that some of the more experienced players like Kaboul, Lennon & Adebayor did not buy into this yet the youngsters have had no such problems.
The team of 2015 will be a lot younger for sure. Compared to some of the ageing players we had in 2008. It always felt back then that this was a last chance opportunity for the likes of King and Woodgate to grab glory. While Berbatov was already eyeing a move way in the summer. This time however it feels like a fresh start and not the end of a cycle. I never felt optimistic in 2008 that whatever the result we could grow and build on from it. The feeling this time around is different however. I would Kevin Keegan love it if we win on Sunday. Not just because it's a trophy to add to our trophy room but also because it's against Chelsea. However a loss is not the end of the world for us this Sunday but merely a small setback. Whatever happens at the end of the day it will be a huge learning curve for our young squad, a new lesson in their education as footballers. These are the experiences that players grow from and I'm looking forward to seeing the long term results of this Final.
Here's hoping this is the first of a number of finals we play in over the next 5 years or so.
Here's a reminder of the 2 teams in comparison;
2008
Robinson
Hutton----Woodgate----King----Chimbonda
Lennon----Jenas----Zokora----Malbranque
Berbatov----Keane
Hutton----Woodgate----King----Chimbonda
Lennon----Jenas----Zokora----Malbranque
Berbatov----Keane
Possible 2015
Lloris
Walker----Dier----Vertonghen----Rose
Bentaleb----Mason
Lamela----Dembele----Eriksen
Kane
Walker----Dier----Vertonghen----Rose
Bentaleb----Mason
Lamela----Dembele----Eriksen
Kane