As reported by the Chronicle, Hull City manager Mike Phelan will be taking this week’s EFL Cup tie with Newcastle United very seriously.
Hull, who are struggling in the Premier League, clearly intend to try and win this competition. With Phelan saying: “I think because we’ve got to this stage it would be wrong of me to treat this lightly. We’ve got an opportunity.
Unlike many modern managers, Phelan clearly feels that his players should be competing on all fronts, adding: “If I wanted this group of players to have a free week I’d have probably picked a team to go out in the first round. That’s not the case, we have a chance.
He then went on to speak highly of Rafa Benitez’s side, who go into the game fresh from a defeat against Blackburn: “Newcastle will be extremely strong, I’m sure they fancy it just as much as we do. We’ve got training on Sunday, I’ll take a look at the players. We’ve got two or three players who do need minutes before a busy Christmas period where everyone will need to be at it.”
