Southampton manager Mark Hughes has insisted that the club’s Carabao Cup campaign will not act as a distraction from their pursuit of a strong finish in the Premier League.
Speaking to the club’s official website ahead of Saints’ trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, the Welshman discussed how a run in the Carabao Cup could, in fact, benefit Southampton in their Premier League season.
I don’t think it’s ever a distraction. People suggest it is sometimes but not for me, I think they can sustain and enhance your Premier League form if you can get through difficult rounds against good opposition.
Hughes has developed something of a reputation for enjoying cup runs at his previous clubs and it seems he will set out with a strong side at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday.
Southampton have not yet won a game in the Premier League this season and are sat in 17th place with only one point from their first three outings.
Nevertheless, the League Cup is sure to provide Saints with another opportunity to get their season back on track, with Brighton also looking to progress through to the third round.
We’ll go there strong and we’re looking forward to it. We’ve got a lot of guys that are itching to get their season started so we’ll look to get a number of them involved.
It’s a competition we want to do well in. It will enable us to keep everybody at the right level. If we can get a good cup run, we can use that to good effect.
