EFL Cup 2018/19: 4 reasons why Derby County could upset Manchester United

The EFL Cup returns this week as the third round begins, which means the 7 Premier League clubs involved in European competition will enter England’s secondary cup competition for the first time this season. There are plenty of interesting ties ahead of us, but one of the most fascinating sees Manchester United take on Derby County at Old Trafford.

United will naturally go into the game as big favourites, as they would against any side from the Championship, but Frank Lampard’s Rams will be gunning to pull off the upset in this clash, and there are a number of reasons why they could actually do it. Here are 4 of them.

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#1: Things still aren’t rosy at United

There still seem to be issues between Jose Mourinho and some of his players - including Paul Pogba

The talk of Jose Mourinho failing to make it to Christmas without being fired seems to have quietened after United’s recent wins over Burnley, Watford and Young Boys, but the 1-1 draw with Wolves at the weekend has suddenly brought the cracks in United’s foundations back to the forefront again.

That game was a perfect display of a lot of what’s seemingly wrong with United at the minute – Wolves out-fought them for the majority of the game and despite giving up 65% of possession, the Midlanders had more shots on target than the Red Devils. And worryingly, after the game Mourinho once again criticised his players, questioning their attitude and heart.

This has now been followed by an apparent attack on Mourinho’s negative tactics by star midfielder Paul Pogba – something which surely will not go unchallenged by the Portuguese boss. Throw in the issues surrounding Alexis Sanchez’s total failure to live up to his price tag – and wage packet – and it’s clear that major problems still exist at Old Trafford.

That means that they’re ripe for an upset at the hands of Derby – especially in a secondary competition like the EFL Cup.

#2: Lampard will want a big scalp

Frank Lampard appears to be as driven as a manager as he was a player

It came as somewhat of a surprise when Derby announced the appointment of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as their new boss this summer, given he had no prior experience in management and Derby had almost achieved promotion via the playoffs under Gary Rowett in 2017/18 anyway. But Lampard has taken to the job well thus far, winning 5 of 9 matches in the Championship to date and only losing 3.

In the EFL Cup meanwhile, Derby have been perfect – defeating Oldham 0-2 in the first round and Hull City 0-4 in the second round. But this clash with Manchester United not only represents their toughest test by a mile in this competition thus far, it also represents a major test for Lampard and his managerial methods. Lampard was unbelievably driven as a player and he seems equally driven as a boss – and it’s teams like United that you need to beat to make it to the top, where he clearly wants to go.

If Lampard can claim a scalp the size of Manchester United this early in his managerial career, it’d send a huge message not only to the fans of Derby County, but a message to the rest of English football too, that he’s deadly serious about management and that he can succeed in that realm as much as he did in his playing career, which is why he’ll be absolutely desperate to see his side win tomorrow.

#3: It’s a chance for Mount to prove his qualities

Mason Mount could earn an England call-up if he plays well against United

During England’s stirring run in the World Cup this summer, plenty of talk was mooted about the future of the Three Lions, most notably in the form of three players who were actually invited to Russia to train with the first team; Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham, Phil Foden of Manchester City, and Mason Mount of Chelsea.

Since then, Sessegnon has been fighting hard to get used to the quality of the Premier League, while Foden has barely played a game. Mount on the other hand has made a loan move to Derby where he’s hit the ground running, scoring 5 goals in 11 games and also adding one assist. For many observers, he’s been Derby’s most outstanding player as they’ve climbed to 6th place in the Championship.

England boss Gareth Southgate has already been to watch Mount once – during last week’s game against Blackburn Rovers – but observers still doubt his England qualities, at this point anyway, due to his lack of experience against top-level sides. But if he can help Derby to upset Manchester United this week, then that might all change.

If he can help the Rams shoot down the side that finished 2nd in the Premier League last season, then surely that would prove that he’s ready for the top – and for an England call-up, too. And so you can almost guarantee he’ll be on top form for the game, making him a dangerous opponent for Mourinho’s men.

#4: Mourinho might not be taking the competition seriously

With Champions League action this season, how seriously is Mourinho likely to take the EFL Cup?

Jose Mourinho is undoubtedly a winner who usually takes every competition he’s involved with seriously – including a secondary cup competition like the EFL Cup. After all, we’re not that far removed from United’s triumph in the competition under Mourinho in 2016/17 – one of the few plus points for the Red Devils in what was largely a disappointing season.

There were a number of big differences between 2016/17 and today, though. Firstly, although United spent big that summer – largely to bring Paul Pogba in from Juventus – there wasn’t as much pressure on Mourinho to instantly deliver the Premier League, given he was expected to rebuild following the Van Gaal and Moyes disasters. And secondly, they weren’t involved in the Champions League.

In 2018/19 though, that isn’t the case. Although they’ve stuttered thus far, United are still expected to be in Premier League title contention, and most fans are also expecting them to make a dent in the Champions League too, particularly as they’ve been given a relatively soft group. And so can it really be expected for them to take the EFL Cup as seriously as they once did?

It’s probably unlikely – Mourinho may well play some of his fringe players, the likes of Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira and Victor Lindelof rather than his first choice side. On paper it should be enough to overcome Derby County, but in reality that may not be the case – United’s fringe side could be nervous due to the stressful situation at Old Trafford, making them potential victims of an upset.