Concerns that inevitably flare up when clubs seem not to care and teams rest all their key players for the midweek action. The sponsorship of energy drink Carabao in a season marred by botched draws has made a joke of the competition's 57-year existence, and the League Cup is now in a complicated position. Does it need restoration, should it be left as it is or just scrapped altogether?
The three aforementioned teams have been knocked out before the semi-finals, but they are only examples of the apparent lack of commitment in the approach to League Cup fixtures not only from Premier League managers but also Championship bosses. That's the way it is, the prizes are at stake elsewhere and coaches see the cup as a hindrance in the team's league form rather than a boost.
Undisputed Premier League leaders Manchester City secured their berth in the last four, but only after successfully seeing out not one but two penalty shootouts against Wolves and Leicester. Guardiola is a prime example of a coach who chooses to use the Cup to rest his established players and give young prospects a chance. Fans want to see the biggest stars and, if not, they are disappointed.
But such displays as those witnessed in at least three of the four quarter-finals in midweek run counter to anything that can be said against a competition that we need to accept is bottom of the list of priorities for most clubs. It's about managing expectations and enjoying the opportunity for mid-table and second-tier clubs to produce an upset. Exciting ties with stoppage-time goals, late turnarounds and frantic end-to-end action in the last round of the competition brought to the fore the essence of Cup football at its finest.
Especially with fans of clubs for whom success in cup competitions offers their only realistic chance of qualifying for Europe, that is an aspect that has allowed the League Cup to retain popularity. It will never be as popular as the Premier League and the FA Cup, and the prize money is not apt for comparison, but with City running away with the league title, it provides clubs with the chance to offer something to their supporters. There is still a place in our football calendar for the League Cup, as long as it's treated with respect.