One of the most popular narratives surrounding the League Cup these days is just how much Jose Mourinho loves the competition, as it represents an early chance to land some silverware in the footballing calendar.

Having won it three times over his two spells with Chelsea, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ and his pragmatic approach in delivering success to his employers looks tailor made for a tournament of this ilk.

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Still, merely discussing the notion of seeing Man United win only a second piece of silverware since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 would be entirely disrespectful to their opponents at Wembley on Sunday, Southampton.

While this season has proved to be somewhat of a mixed bag for those on the south coast, Claude Puel’s side have earned their way to the final with a wonderful run of results, and are yet to concede in a difficult route to the final that has seen them play only Premier League sides.

So, the Saints are far from rank outsiders for Sunday’s showpiece. However, they will clearly have been boosted by the fact Michael Carrick and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are big doubts for the final after picking up injuries in the Europa League last night against St Etienne.

With that in mind, here’s how Southampton fans reacted to United’s double injury blow.

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Derby County manager Steve McClaren says he won’t discuss new contracts for any of his players until the end of the season, according to the Derby Telegraph.

What’s the story, then?

Well, the Rams boss was asked about the expiring deals of Chris Baird and Darren Bent in his pre-match press conference for the clash against Preston North End on Tuesday night, but was clear on what the situation is.

McClaren told the Derby Telegraph: “The key message we want to get out is that we are focusing on the rest of the season.

“There will be no negotiations of contracts until after the season finishes, that goes for any player.”

Is this statement a surprise?

No, not really.

Derby currently lie 11 points from the play-off positions with 11 matches of the season remaining, and while a spot in the top six looks unlikely, they are by no means out of the race – although they may need to win the majority of their final league fixtures.

What’s the situation with Bent and Baird?

Well, both players moved to Pride Park on free transfers in the summer of 2015, signing two-year deals – with the option of a third year.

Are they likely to stay, then?

It really could depend on which division Derby find themselves in next season.

At 35, Baird is certainly getting no younger, and it depends on whether McClaren wants to stick with experience, or bring in a younger head.

It may be a different story for Bent though. The 33-year-old has scored nine Championship goals for the club this season, and it was perhaps rather telling that the Rams have failed to score in their last two league matches – fixtures that the striker missed because of injury and illness.

Losing to Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16 of the Europa League is hardly the ideal way to spend your birthday week, and spending the big day watching your triumphant opponents draw Besiktas in the quarter-final can’t have been great either. With Roma now out of European competition, they’ll have to make sure they don’t spend the rest of the season looking over their shoulders as others chase them for Champions League qualification.

Edin Dzeko will be important for that run-in. After a poor season last year, he seems to have found his form again: 20 goals in 28 Serie A appearances so far this season is top form, with 30 goals in all competitions.

In fact, the Bosnian is well on course to make this the most prolific season of his career, even at the age of 31.

In 2009, he was part of the Wolfsburg side that won the Bundesliga in what proved to Dzeko’s breakthrough season. His 36 goals in all competitions that season meant that he scored two more goals in that one title-winning year in Germany than he had in his entire professional career up until that point.

When he’s on form, he’s on form, it seems.

Often seen as a “super sub” during his time in England, Dzeko’s contributions to Manchester City’s title wins whilst he was at the club are difficult to understate. Important goals coming off the bench were enough to clinch the Blues’ narrow title triumphs, but the name he was stuck with always rankled with the Bosnian: “I will never be a super sub. I want to play,” he told The Guardian.

His attitude as well as his importance during a fruitful period for City are what make him a cult hero at the Etihad. Rarely complaining as well as coming off the bench to score vital goals is the stuff that cult heroes are made of, but when it comes to Dzeko, it’s clear that his best form comes when he’s getting games.

Last season, Roma fans were wondering just what their club has wasted their money on, but the Bosnian has bitten back with a hatful of goals. Not a super sub, but a regular starter who can be relied upon to score. Even though they’re out of Europe, eight goals in eight European appearances prove that.

It’s a shame that Dzeko had to play second fiddle to the likes of Sergio Aguero for so long at City. What City lost in his prolific scoring they gained in his willingness to work for the cause, but Roma are starting to see the goals flow in. And when they do for Dzeko, they’re hard to stop. Maybe City missed a trick here.

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According to an interview on Sky Sports, Everton winger Yannick Bolasie says that teammate Romelu Lukaku has made his decision on his future and that the club can’t stand in his way if he wants to leave.

He said: “I speak to Rom [Lukaku] every day and when a man has his plan, he has his plan. You can’t really stop that.

“Players have ambition, as players they want to play in the highest team possible and Rom for me right now, at his age, is a world class striker and there aren’t many about like him.

“I’m not surprised but I’m sure that Everton are going to find a way to deal with it.”

The Belgian – who has scored 21 Premier League goals this term – has told the Merseyside outfit that he won’t sign the new five-year contract that is on the table, which would make him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

While Toffees fans were understandably upset at the piece, Bolasie was quick to take to Twitter to suggest that the quotes were taken out of context, and hinted at a criticism of some supporters that had chosen to ignore the positive comments.

However, supporters hit back at him via social media saying that he shouldn’t be speaking on the matter at all.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the story…

Not everyone was annoyed with the winger though…

Derby County will look to keep their faint play-off hopes alive when manager Gary Rowett faces former side Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Saturday.

The Rams kept in touch with the top six as they beat fellow contenders Fulham 4-2 at the Pride Park Stadium on Tuesday night – they are now seven points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday with six matches of the Championship season remaining.

Rowett will know that his men will possibly have to win all of those to have a good chance of snatching a play-off spot, and Birmingham are the first team to stand in his way.

When the Midlands outfit sacked Rowett in December – despite the fact that they were just three points adrift of third place – there was a lot of shock in the football world as Gianfranco Zola quickly succeeded the 43-year-old at St Andrew’s.

While things haven’t gone brilliantly for the Italian so far, here are THREE reasons why Birmingham will end Rowett’s play-off dream this weekend…

Birmingham are improving

While Gianfranco Zola and the owners would have hoped that the Italian could keep the Blues fighting at the right end of the table following Rowett’s sacking, it hasn’t quite worked out like that.

The 50-year-old didn’t pick up his first win until the start of February, and he has won just two of the 19 Championship matches he has taken charge of this term.

That said City are looking as though they are finally turning the corner with three draws from their last four matches, and they could take that momentum into this clash.

Derby’s frailties

While Rowett has won two and drawn one of his three Championship matches in charge, his side have shown frailties at certain points that will have worried him.

The first half performance and last-gasp equaliser they conceded in the 2-2 draw against arch-rivals Nottingham Forest at the City Ground was disappointing, and they let in two again in the victory against Fulham during the week.

The 43-year-old will want to see more resoluteness from his backline at St Andrew’s on Saturday – otherwise they could be in trouble again.

Zola will want to beat Rowett

When the Italian replaced the popular Rowett in January, it would have left a lot of neutrals wanting the club – and perhaps him – to fail because they believed it was such an undeserved dismissal.

Zola will be itching to prove those people wrong on Saturday when he welcomes the former Blues boss back to St Andrew’s for the first time, and the 50-year-old will be keen to show the owners and supporters that he can build momentum for a potential promotion push next term by taking all three points against Derby.

Do you agree, Rams fans? Let us know below.

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Not since 1st May 2008 have Rangers fans gone into a match with as much anticipation as Sunday’s semi-final against Celtic at Hampden. That was the night they travelled to Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup semi-final with the tie poised at 0-0, needing some sort of result to make their first European final since 1972, which they duly managed.

Since then there have been highs, three SPL titles in a row for instance, and lows, having to rebuild almost everything from the bottom tier of Scottish football.

No match though has had quite as much on the line as this weekend’s match. On their promotion to the Scottish Premiership last summer, many fancied Rangers to be a lot more competitive than they’ve turned out to be. Mark Warburton failed to cope with the challenge of Celtic, faltering on multiple occasions before eventually departing.

It leaves the Hoops on the brink of an unprecedented season, not only having the chance to win a rare domestic treble of trophies, but also go the entire campaign undefeated.

Rangers are one of the few teams remaining standing in their way and supporters have a desperate need for their team to produce one incredible 90 minutes and burst the Brendan Rodgers bubble.

Here are three reasons why this game is the biggest since that fateful night in Florence…

Stopping the treble

Trebles come along rarely in Scottish football, which may be surprising to outsiders who consider Rangers and Celtic to win every trophy between them every single year. The Scottish Cup has been surprisingly competitive over the last 10 years with 7 different winners and the League Cup is often a competition that the likes of Celtic can take for granted.

When the chance of a treble does come along though, supporters crave it like nothing else. There’s nothing quite like rubbing it in to rival supporters than with the three domestic trophies in the cabinet.

On the other side it hurts too, Celtic fans know how it feels when Rangers win the treble, which is why they’re so excited about potentially winning it this season.

If the Gers don’t stop them then who will? They’re the only side left in the competition who has even drawn with them this season. Hibs or Aberdeen would give it a go in the final but it’s truly the semi that the Hoops are most at risk in.

If Rangers can pick up a win, it’ll be won supporters have celebrated like no other since that UEFA Cup semi-final in 2008.

Laying the foundations

Even casting aside the ambitions of Celtic, the situation of Rangers alone right now makes Sunday’s match-up absolute massive.

Pedro Caixinha has just arrived with the task of bringing the Gers closer to Celtic over the next 12 months in the league and cups. While on paper they are still miles off the pace of the Scottish champions, a win at Hampden would put down and marker to the rest of Scottish football that the Rangers they once feared have returned to compete for the big trophies once again.

There are still some question marks around the new boss and a win could lay the foundations for genuine progress under the Portuguese, building momentum and a good feeling that would be hard to compete with. There’s nothing quite like Ibrox packed full with 50,000 fans all pulling in the same direction.

A win on Sunday would go a long way towards making that happen.

Major silverware again

Rangers haven’t won the Scottish Cup since way back in 2009. For most supporters who grew up with the club in the late 80s, 90s and 00s, going that long without success in the tournament is unheard of.

A win against Celtic, like last year, would put them within touching distance again of a major honour once again. They lost out last season against Hibs in a heartbreaking final but the players would surely redeem themselves this time around.

Winning competitions like the Scottish Cup has been what supporters have been dreaming of over the last few years as the club rose through the lower leagues and best Celtic for a second season in a row in the competition would surely provide the springboard for that to happen.

According to reports from The Daily Mail, West Ham could face a fight to hold onto winger-forward Michail Antonio this summer with the fan favourite amid a contract dispute at the London Stadium – although his current terms don’t actually expire for another five years.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic season with the east Londoners, bagging nine goals and three assists in 29 Premier League appearances whilst featuring as a winger, a full-back, a No.10 and a central striker.

However, Antonio is reportedly unhappy with the terms of the new deal being proposed to him and apparently remains aware of interest from other clubs – not least including Premier League champions in waiting Chelsea.

The dynamic attacker would certainly be an interesting fit for Chelsea’s right wing-back role as a similar kind of player to Victor Moses. So, Blues fans, would you back a transfer swoop for the former Nottingham Forest star this summer? Let us know by voting below…

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Arsenal have joined Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign £35m-rated Everton midfielder Ross Barkley this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 23-year-old’s contract at Goodison Park next summer but he is yet to commit his future to the club.

If the England international isn’t willing to do that then the club could cash in on him at the end of the season to avoid losing him for nothing in 2018, which has alerted a number of clubs.

Spurs are the favourites while the Premier League leaders and Pep Guardiola’s side are monitoring developments, but now Arsene Wenger is understood to have thrown his hat into the ring.

How good has Barkley been this season?

He has been good, but has perhaps been distracted by talk over his future at certain points.

The 23-year-old has scored four goals and provided a further eight assists in 33 Premier League appearances this season, while he has created 36 more chances than any other Toffees player.

Despite that, he was dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the trip to Swansea City on Saturday as the Merseyside outfit’s form has dropped in recent weeks.

Where would he fit in at Arsenal?

Good question.

If Arsene Wenger is to persevere with the 3-4-3 formation next season then Barkley would either feature in the middle of the park or on the left or right side of the front three.

It doesn’t seem to be a formation that suits him too much though, which could put the move into doubt.

Would Arsenal pay the £35m fee?

They may feel it isn’t good value for money considering the England international’s contract runs out in a year, but Arsene Wenger is also aware that he needs to significantly strengthen his squad after a disappointing season.

He will have to pay good money to get the players he wants if he is to do that.

What’s the verdict, then?

While he is clearly a talented player, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal would sign a player that still struggles with his consistency.

Chelsea confirmed their second Premier League title in three years, and their first under Antonio Conte, with a nervy 1-0 win against Tony Pulis’ West Brom on Friday night, thanks to a goal from unlikely hero Michy Batshuayi.

The Belgian, off the bench to replace the under par Pedro, sealed the win late on with the Blues’ 23rd shot on target at The Hawthorns, after it had long looked like a goal would not come on their big night.

Back in London there were undoubtedly celebrations in the west around Stamford Bridge, however, in the north of the capital there will have been a different mood as the result confirmed that Tottenham’s title challenge, for another year, was over.

Their north London rivals, Arsenal, were quick to jump on the Blues’ celebrations and mock Mauricio Pochettino’s side on social media.

With Tottenham having finally finished above the Gunners for the first time in Arsene Wenger’s reign this season, fans from the red half were happy to take aim…

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho rounded off his maiden season as Red Devils boss in typical fashion last night, lifting the Europa League after a final win over Ajax in Stockholm.

Goals from summer signings Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, giving United a 2-0 win, will have been particularly satisfying for the former Real Madrid boss, who will be back in the Champions League next season thanks to the Europa League victory.

Talk, almost immediately, after the win turned to the prospects for next season and what Mourinho’s plans for the summer will be.

The Special One was typically upfront in his response to questioning on BT Sport over the issue, making it abundantly clear that he was now on holiday and revealed that the task now lays with vice chief-executive Ed Woodward, after he handed the official a list of his transfer targets two months ago.

“Ed Woodward has had what I wanted for the last two months,” he told BT Sport’s Des Kelly.

“Now I will just wait.”

The wait then, for fans and manager alike, is on to see who will be arriving at Old Trafford before the start of next season, when a push for more silverware – both at home and on the continent – will be the priority for Mourinho once again.