Richards is likely to make his comeback against Owen Coyle’s men on Tuesday evening after appearing as an unused sub against United on Sunday and he is keen to help lay the ghost of last season’s FA Cup final defeat when Wigan won the trophy in the dying seconds at Wembley.
“I can’t explain what happened against Wigan,” said Micah. “There was just something missing on the day and it wasn’t the same as when we played Stoke in the 2011 final. That day, it was like ‘we will not lose this game’ and there was a determination among the lads to win that first trophy.
I wasn’t involved against Wigan, but there was definitely something lacking. Wigan have always played us well and have been a bit of a bogey team, but I would never say the guys weren’t up for it because we always want to win, but I just felt they wanted it more on the day
...Micah Richards...
“Every 50/50 tackle seemed to go their way and they just seemed to win the individual battles on the day. That game is in the past now but we have to make sure we put things right in this game and try and progress in the competition.”
The League Cup has been the subject of much scrutiny over the past few years with some team sending out starting line-ups consisting of reserve players and promising youngsters.
Richards believes a good run can ensure all players are given game time as well as providing an early opportunity to land the first silverware of the season – especially as the Blues have not tasted success in this competition since 1976.
“I think the Capital One Cup is definitely worth taking seriously because although we have a lot of games to play, there will be first-team players who don’t feature as often and it’s a good chance for those who maybe won’t feature as often in Champions League games to play and it just keeps everyone happy.
“Especially when you get to the later stages, it’s a great platform to show what you are capable of and maybe show the manager why you think you should be playing more often – it’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
