As we have often stressed in previous texts, the League Trophy is an organization that requires a very special approach, much more after its formation in recent years, having reached - without exaggeration - a degree of depreciation from the majority of coaches / teams. Indeed, there are not even a few who even ignore any penalties that have to do with compliance, regardless of any fines they are required to pay.
The above, of course, were more relevant to the group stage, which was completed. Those groups that have given more significance have gone on today, the knockouts that start tonight and those who have not just taken the ... obligation.
One of the teams that got it warmer was Portsmouth, which with 3 / 3 wins easily took the lead in the group, while ensuring the home advantage, and the fact that this evening hosts Arsenal U21 . More generally this year, Kenye Jacket's team has not let anything fall, as we say, and it is obviously no coincidence that so far all of the events have been defeated only twice: an almost ... dear 0-2 home Gillhill about a month ago for the championship and an 1-2, home again, from Wimbledon in mid-August for the League Cup. Therefore, talking about indifference tonight would be inappropriate, let alone misplaced.
On the other hand, it is such a timing that de facto forces Jacket and his team into a more different approach, in the sense that the team fought only two days ago with Rochdale for the FA Cup (the ... good cup), in a fairly demanding confrontation in favor of the details. In other words, he is de facto forced into a very brave rotation this evening because we are talking about a second game within 72 hours, and on the other hand there is always the very hard work of the month that follows, especially the festive one, which culminates on her a major match against Norwich for the third round of the FA Cup earlier this year.
On the other side, Arsenal's "small" is not one of the teams that one has to take lightly and this is something the people of Portsmouth admit. Typical statements are Jacket's assistant Joan Allen, who spoke about a very interesting challenge for his team, as always when you face Arsenal, be it the first team or the academies. She also made her difficult to deal with, being a very dynamic and athletic team that makes a lot of energy on the pitch, quick and with elements in her game where they are not used to being at League 1 level. This, he said, makes his team's work even harder, and he thinks that it will make even more exciting tonight a showdown under the lights of Freton Park.
The man is not unfair and for the reason is true enough to ask the people of Coventry when Arsenal passed through the emphatic 0-3 through Ricoch. As much as Coventry did not attach the greatest importance, it is not one of the results that can go unnoticed and if nothing else show skill in terms of "small cannibals". We can also ask the friends of Forest Green, who also saw her first-hand in their hospitality just a month ago, where Arsenal also crossed the triple (1-3). There is no excuse for "indifference" because in relation to other teams, Green Greens in general this year shows the same seriousness in all competitions, so again we have a serious sample of Arsenal's skills.
Let's see them tonight with a small bet in their favor at 4,35 by goalbet.