Capital One Cup ambassador Dion Dublin was speaking exclusively to South West Londoner…
I FIND it hard to look past Millwall when the Capital One Cup returns this weekend but if anyone can cause an upset it’s their opponents Crawley Town.
Crawley have moved on slowly but surely, keeping their mouths shut, and not gloating about their progress.
They have crept up and have done so well including promotion to league One and a fantastic FA Cup run last season that was only ended by Stoke City.
Now the secret’s out and people know what Crawley are all about and know that it is a good club.
Heading into the Lion’s den will not be easy and they will have their work cut out to cause an upset but they have shown they are more than capable.
Another mouth-watering tie involves Gus Poyet’s Brighton who take on Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon Town in the opening round.
Gus was one of the greatest players in the Premier League and he was always someone I wanted to swap shirts with at the end of the game.
He sets very high standards and that rubs off on the players and is the reason for their success in recent seasons.
Paolo has also done really well which surprised me a bit because I didn’t see a manager in him as a player but he’s proved me and everyone else wrong.
He’s a top bloke, a good mate and what you see is what you get – pure passion.
There’s nothing better than seeing him running down the touchline. You need characters like that.
Brighton play some beautiful stuff and are a very attractive side to watch but Swindon have shown they are always improving.
Whatever the result, with Paolo and Gus in opposing dugouts, the game will be one to keep an eye on.
Aldershot Town face a difficult tie away at Wolves but Dean Holdsworth with relish going back to such a big club.
He will know exactly what to expect and can translate that to his players which will help how they adapt to playing at Molineux against the recently relegated side.
It’s not a hard one to call though but like most of the first round ties it won’t be an easy one for the hosts and favourites especially if the visitors turn up and play their best.
Dion Dublin was talking on behalf of Capital One, the credit card company and new sponsors of The League Cup. Round 1 of the Capital One Cup takes place from 11th to 14th August.
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