Keith Andrews says he has no plans to abandon his policy of squad rotation in the Carabao Cup after Brentford cruised into the quarter-finals with a 5-0 demolition of Grimsby Town at Blundell Park.
The emphatic win underlined the Premier League side’s growing strength in depth under their new head coach, who made nine changes from the team that defeated Liverpool 3-2 at the weekend.
Goals from Mathias Jensen, Keane Lewis-Potter, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Carvalho and Nathan Collins ended Grimsby’s fairytale run in the competition and kept alive Brentford’s hopes of reaching a first major cup final.
Andrews, in his debut season in charge, said the performances of his fringe players justified his continued faith in rotation.
“If you go back to the previous two rounds, we had players that were playing in those that have fought a way into the league games,” he said.
“We’ve got outstanding strength and depth and there’s real fight for places. The players push each other every single day. Whatever that game will be in the next round, we’ll pick the team we feel will be right to hopefully progress.”
Grimsby had already claimed two higher-league scalps, stunning Manchester United in the second round and eliminating Sheffield Wednesday in the third. But their spirited start against top-flight opposition was undone by a ruthless spell midway through the first half.
Jensen struck first with a crisp 20-yard finish after Lewis-Potter’s high press won back possession, before the former Hull winger doubled the lead with a header from Nelson’s cross. Nelson, on his first start for the club, made it three before the interval with a composed finish from the edge of the box.
Carvalho’s penalty and Collins’ header from a corner completed the scoring after the break, silencing a packed home crowd of 8,637.
Andrews praised his players for maintaining focus against League Two opponents.
“I have genuine respect for what they do at this level,” he said. “I knew it would be a proper, close game and that we’d have to be professional. I knew everybody wanted us to slip – that’s just the reality.”
Grimsby manager David Artell remained upbeat despite the heavy defeat.
“I’m proud of them,” he said. “For the first 25 minutes we were the better team. It puts into perspective what we’ve achieved – beating Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday. Nobody wants to lose heavily, but we can be proud.”
Silva halils Fulham's King
Fulham manager Marco Silva said Josh King has qualities that are “not easy to find” after the 18-year-old scored his first senior goal as Fulham edged past Wycombe on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
The League One side looked on track for a memorable upset when former Fulham player Cauley Woodrow lashed them in front inside four minutes at Adams Park.
King’s goal, flicked in cleverly from a near-post corner to equalise just after half-time, put the visitors into the ascendancy with Silva’s team creating more than enough chances to finish the tie in 90 minutes.
Instead, penalties were needed to determine who progressed to the quarter-final, Fulham spurning two chances to win it before Issa Diop struck the winning kick to edge it 5-4.
Silva, whose side were on a four-match losing run in the Premier League, praised King for his “streetwise” finish from Kevin’s corner to rescue his side.
“He has a role there,” he said. “His role was to go in front of the player. He was streetwise and that’s what I want from all of the players.
“We have a role to try and block players in that situation. He was very smart the way he finished that moment.
“I’m very pleased to have him with us. We, and himself, prepared him very well last season. Since he was 16, I spoke with him, that the season after he is going to be a senior player for this club.
“He made his debut at 17. He’s a lovely boy, he’s very humble. He has many things to improve, his finishing, but he has many good things that it is not easy to find in football at his age.
“He’s playing every game because we trust him and he deserves the trust.”
