Remember when we played Morecambe a few seasons ago before the actual league campaign had started? I sat in the South Stand at Bloomfield Road, enjoyed the sunshine, shared some holiday banter with mates, ate a pie which am pretty sure was left over from the season before and quite enjoyed watching a game which Blackpool should have won but switched off at during the wrong times.
A few weeks later when the Capital One Cup draw was made, I looked at the draw and wondered where we were. We were nowhere to be seen because that defeat against the Shrimpers was our fleeting appearance in that season's competition. I don't remember being disappointed by the defeat, shrugged off what was reported as a 'giant killing' and instead wanted us to concentrate on the much more important league season (it was 2012 and sadly you could actually say that game was the start of the rot).
So two seasons on why does the Carling Cup suddenly take on a far greater importance? Tuesday's game against Shrewsbury isn't a 'must win' by any means - we're at least another 8 months away from that expression - however it is a 'be nice to win'. The defeat on Saturday to Forest actually paled in to insignificance compared to the debacles off the pitch but nevertheless a loss is never nice especially when the players gave so much. Thus Tuesday presents another opportunity to get Riga's first win and after a summer of bad news would finally give Blackpool fans something to smile about.
So does the cup really count? Well, we are unlikely to win it but a moral boosting win, a chance of Premier League opposition in the second round and another game under the belt for the players sounds better than a long drive back up the A49 with nothing but the memory of Mickey Mellon and co holding our Championship scalp aloft.