We spoke to The Slow Readers Club's James Ryan (Manchester United) and Sleaford Mods frontman Jason Williamson (Nottingham Forest) ahead of the Carabao Cup showdown!
James Ryan from The Slow Readers Club said
Ten Hag just seems like he’s on a mission to get United back competing. I’m not going to say back to where they belong because no one belongs at the top, but when you watch a game now there’s something on it. It’s not just about hoping to get the three points, we’re competing for trophies and right at the top in the Premier League.
This Semi-Final is where we belong and I love the fact that we’ve put so much on it. Players always say they want to win trophies. I’m not a professional footballer but if I was I’d want something to show for my career instead of just a big wage packet.
If we won the Carabao Cup it would be a positive for the whole Club because it would create that mentality of being winners again. You hope it would push them on to win another trophy after it as well.
I’m confident that we’ll get through. I was at the 2017 Final so to get to Wembley again would be special to witness.
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Jason Williamson from Sleaford Mods said:
On the whole it means the world to Nottingham Forest fans to be in the Carabao Cup Semi-Final. It’s the fans identity to be at this level now and playing on this stage.
My first memory of watching Forest was against Everton in the late 1980s. It was everything to go and watch them in the beginning and they were brilliant obviously around that time under Brian Clough – we were revered as one of the big teams.
People still can’t believe that we’re back in the Premier League and that the team is now starting to finally gel together. A lot of us thought it was strange to not go more with the side that got us up but you can now see why they’ve had the investment.
There’s been so many years of disappointment and darkness but we’re out of that now and just to be here in the Semi-Final is so important. It’s so important for the psychology of the city as well. I live two minutes walk from the ground and now it’s just absolutely buzzing. This team really brings everyone together. If we were to get through to the Carabao Cup Final there’d be even more jubilation.
'Listen to ‘Modernise' by The Slow Readers Club on the EFL Sounds playlist and Sleaford Mods’ latest track ‘UK GRIM’ is out now.