Quizzed on whether bosses should always name their best team in the biggest of games, Friedel - speaking in association with HFM x Arsenal - told GOAL: “I think when you get to a final, you play your best, but it's a hard one because a lot of times when you're signing players, and they're international players and when you sign really top players, you will say to them - and I don't know if this was the case - ‘Well, the League Cup's yours from start to finish’, which is good.
“And if you have said it, you have to play them the whole way through because if you don't, then you have some real problems with integrity of management within your squad. If you've never said that or promised that, then you can play your best.
“I don't know what was said so I can't really criticise that situation at all because it could very well have been: ‘This is your competition from the beginning of the season’. He may even have said that to other players in the squad. And if that's what he had said throughout the whole time and he stuck with it, then I think that's really good management.
“I know they didn't win the trophy, I know a mistake was made in the game, but I'm saying that you can't go back on it at that time. But if you've not said it, then I think you play your best. And Raya has been outstanding. They've only conceded 22 goals all season.
“But I understand both points too because you have to - it's a marathon, not a sprint, winning the Premier League - and you have to be able to man-manage all your players. If you don't have everyone liking you, which is impossible, at least you have everyone respecting you. And then you can get things done.”