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Kevin Phillips: Capital One Cup shouldn't be devalued

Image: Chelsea: Edged a thriller with Sunderland earlier this month - can they do it again?

Some people like to write off the League Cup as a not-very-important trophy but trust me, when you win it, it's a very special feeling.

Stoke v Man United

There is obviously a lot of pressure on David Moyes, as there has been since he took over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but winning a piece of silverware in his first season - even if it's the Capital One Cup - would be a fantastic achievement, so I expect him to take this game very seriously. United arrive at Stoke on the back of a fantastic win at Villa Park, which is no easy place to go. Their players showed good character in that match, considering the defeats they've had of late. However, they go to another stadium where it is very tough to get a result on Wednesday night, the Britannia. We played Stoke at their place earlier this season and the crowd make it very difficult there. Our manager, Tony Pulis, has been writing in the Crystal Palace programme notes saying how important it is for the crowd at Selhurst Park to get behind us this season and it's true; a full house, singing at the tops of their voices, really can be like a 12th man. The Britannia is one of the best grounds in the league for that - and Stoke will need their fans right behind them on Wednesday night. This will be a tough evening's work for United but, given the way they rolled over Aston Villa at the weekend, I reckon they'll come out on top again here. Stoke certainly won't lie down without a fight, but I reckon it will be Moyes' men making it through to the semi-finals.

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