Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has emphasised his view of the Carabao Cup as an important competition. Ten Hag guided United to the trophy in his maiden season in the job in 2022-23, and last term the FA Cup was added at the end of a campaign in which they finished eighth in the Premier League and footballing operations at the club were taken over by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos.
United host League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday, and when asked if the bar had risen and the club’s owners needed them to win something more significant, Ten Hag said: “I would say it’s significant.
“FA Cup, Carabao Cup, it’s significant. I see all the attention from all the teams, from all the owners, from all the managers when they win a trophy, like Liverpool last year did, winning the Carabao Cup.
“I saw that final. I saw all the teams battling for it. We want the same. So it’s very important in football to win trophies. You have five opportunities, and our aim is always to win all the games, so win all the trophies if possible.”
He added: “No doubt we are aiming for a trophy, this is one opportunity, so we take it (Tuesday’s game) seriously.”
United, currently 10th in the fledgling league table with six points from four matches, recovered from back-to-back defeats at Brighton and at home to Liverpool to win 3-0 at Southampton on Saturday.
Injury Updates
Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui both limped off in the second half of that contest, in which fellow defender Matthijs de Ligt was also withdrawn due to cramp. But all three are fit to be selected for Tuesday, with Ten Hag saying: “They are all available, they are good.”
“Of course we have a plan in our head when he can be ready. But you’re always dependent on how the progress will go and you can’t make a suggestion, because there are so many factors why a rehab plan can accelerate or slow down.”
Rotation and Squad Depth
Mazraoui and De Ligt’s fellow summer signing Manuel Ugarte could make his first United start after the midfielder came off the bench for his debut on Saturday. And when Ten Hag was asked about the possibility of Antony starting, having made only one appearance – as a late substitute at Brighton – so far this term, he said: “(On Tuesday) you will see what the line-up will be.
“We have every day training and the players have to earn the right to play. When players do the right thing in training, when the attitude is good, when they show performance in training, they will earn the right to play.”
One of the big criticisms that came the way of Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag last season was his apparent reluctance to rotate his squad. Even against fourth-tier Newport County in the FA Cup third round, for instance, the Dutchman handed starts to Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana, Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane and Bruno Fernandes.
Did an over-reliance on a few key players play a role in the injury issues Manchester United suffered during a campaign of relentless fitness concerns? That was one concern. Others, meanwhile, felt that Erik ten Hag should have been quicker to hand opportunities to Facundo Pellistri, Willy Kambwala and, particularly, Amad Diallo.
So, while Ten Hag is not taking a victory over League One Barnsley for granted in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, the comments he made in his pre-match press conference will be music to the ears of those hoping to see a few fringe players and the odd Carrington talent make their mark in a midweek clash at Old Trafford.
“Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games,” Ten Hag tells Manchester United’s official website. “And so it’s not only about a starting XI.”
The may be a chance for Antony – issued a stern warning by Ten Hag this week – while Altay Bayindir, Harry Amass, Ethan Wheatley and the highly-rated Toby Collyer will also hope to be involved. Ten Hag has indicated that veterans Jonny Evans and Casemiro could feature as well, albeit maybe not in their natural role.
“Yeah, if it’s necessary and you need someone to play in the position where you are not always playing,” Ten Hag says when asked about the prospect of playing a few players in rather unfamiliar spots. “But Jonny Evans played before as a left full-back. Casemiro played before as a centre-half, so they know those positions.”
Potential Line-up
With Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui likely to be rested, and with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia still injured, Ten Hag may have a choice between a 36-year-old Evans and teenager Amass – nearly two decades his junior – on the left-hand side. Casemiro may also be fielded at centre-half, probably alongside Evans or Harry Maguire, after coming off the bench to play in the backline in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Southampton.
Much-maligned after that disastrous 45 minutes against Liverpool, the experienced Brazilian offered a timely reminder of his qualities with a fabulous through ball to spark Alejandro Garnacho’s third and final strike away from home at St Mary’s.
“We have to construct a team and we have not been able to work on relationships and on patterns and routines so far, because players came late in. We did that pre-season with many players, so also we have to think about this,” Ten Hag adds, suggesting that there could still be a few familiar faces involved against Barnsley.
“For (Barnsley), the game of the year. They will be really focused and really energised to go into this game, and it’s up to us to make it our game. And yeah, we are really enjoying and looking forward to inviting them.
“And (we want) to go into this game with full energy and motivation.”
Man United have only faced Barnsley once since the turn of the century. Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen scored in a 2-0 win for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side at Oakwell in the EFL Cup back in 2009.
