Laudrup: Chelsea ‘obviously’ need the trophy more than Swansea

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has started the mind games ahead of tonight’s Capitol One Cup semi-final second leg, by claiming their is more pressure on Chelsea to lift this cup than there is on his own team.

League Two side Bradford City lay in wait for tonight’s winner, having eliminated their third Premier League side from this season’s competition last night with a 4-3 aggregate win over Aston Villa.

The Danish manager has claimed that one of the Blues players cost the same as his whole team, and has told his own team to relax ahead of tonight’s clash at the Liberty Stadium.

Chelsea must overturn a 2-0 deficit if they are to reach this season’s COC final, a challenge Laudrup believes the Blues are more than capable of.

“With the money they’ve spent you ask me if they need a trophy more… it’s quite obvious that they do,” Laudrup said.

“One of their players, and I don’t even talk about the most expensive one, cost the same as our whole squad.

“So I imagine when they pay £30m, £40m or £50m for a player I think it’s not just because he’s a nice boy.

“They want trophies every year; like if you’re in Barcelona and Madrid and Man Utd and Man City or in Bayern Munich or Juventus.

“In Swansea they don’t ask for that, but if we can get it, well it would be great.

“I’m looking forward to it, obviously, because I know it’s something special.

“I’ve been asked a lot in the last couple of weeks about how important I think this game is or will be and I answered every time, I said ‘I don’t think I’m the right person to ask that question’ because I’ve only been here for seven months.

“I think it would be much better to ask that question to people who have been five, 10, 15 or 20 years or even more because they have something to compare with.”

Michael Laudrup went on to play down reports suggesting his team were favourites, albeit trying to take the pressure off his unexperienced squad.

The Dane added: “Are we the favourites? Well, let’s see – they won the Champions League last season, no? Ok, I don’t think so.

“Obviously I imagine your question is because we are 2-0 up after the first leg.

“But still I think that we have to be honest. We know what team Chelsea have.

“The only thing I asked for when I saw the draw was that at least at the same game, the second leg, we had the possibility, the realistic possibility, of going to the final.

“And I think we can say that it’s a case of we have a realistic possibility… but to go into a game against Chelsea saying you are favourites, that’s some way to go.”

I have not given up on this cup just yet, and would not be surprised to see their lead disappear before the half-way stage. It is no secret that we have struggled at home of late, but this game will be played in Wales.

Chelsea have won their last 6 games played away from home, 3 of which they won by 4 goals, and I would expect another bold showing from the Blues tonight. I would not put you off the 11/4 on Chelsea to lift the cup…

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