Robbie Keane used to get excited about it before he moved to Liverpool.

The Milk Cup, Littlewoods Challenge Cup, Rumbelows Cup, Coca Cola Cup and even the Worthington Cup had some kudos but these days the Carling Cup seems to be more of a hindrance to the top teams than ever before. Indeed last night not a single Liverpool or Manchester United player who started their respective Premier League games over the weekend played from the outset in their Carling Cup victories.

Given the lack of respect the big teams now seem to show, the question is should entry into the Carling Cup be optional?

After all, it’s bad enough having to lose to the Big Four in the Premier League, is it really fair to be humiliated by their children as well?