But Boro weren't a bad team back then, they somehow got their way to the UEFA Cup final the following season, but rightly got spanked by Juande Ramos' Sevilla.
The League Cup was a money spinning competition back in the 80s. They realised that fans wanted more football, so they put this competition in place, getting more money out of the people. But with the money involved in the league and European Cup nowadays, this little cup is no longer on top of the big clubs' priorities.
I've always enjoyed the Carling Cup, because it gives our reserve and young players a chance to play some serious football, and it also gives me a chance to see how they are.