Stephen Robinson expressed his frustration about the format of the Premier Sports Cup after guiding Aberdeen to their second win out of two in Group A.
Robinson, who won the competition as St Mirren manager last season, feels the first-round group stage of the League Cup comes too early in the season.
The Dons beat Queen’s Park 2-1 at Pittodrie on Saturday, having opened with a 2-0 win at Brora Rangers on Tuesday.
“I don’t like the format of the competition. The competitive games come really, really early,” Robinson told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound.
“It’s three weeks just into pre-season where you’re playing competitive games and we have to win. You have to win as an Aberdeen manager or a Premiership manager.
“We use it for what it is, we get our fitness, we get things we’re keeping trying and we know there’s lots of things to be better at.
“It’s very difficult because there’s that many new signings. Everyone’s still getting to know each other. There’s different levels of fitness within the squad. Ultimately, it’s a pre-season game that you need to win, simply you have to win.”
The group format for the first round of the competition was introduced in 2016, with 40 clubs in eight groups. Scottish clubs playing in Europe do not enter the tournament until the knockout stage from round two.
Aberdeen travel to take on Queen of the South in Dumfries in their next fixture on Tuesday (19:45 BST) then finish at home to Kelty Hearts on Saturday.
“We have a hard game Tuesday night, another long travel,” Robinson said.
“You come to Aberdeen to win things. Cup competitions are your best chance to do that normally.
“I’ve had good success in the tournament, I know what it means to win it but you still have to give people good game time, you still have to try things.”