As the Carling Cup semi-finals get underway this week, the old adage of the competition being second rate seems far from the truth. All four teams left in the cup will see it as a massive chance to win some silverware. Considering the debate over the importance of the much loved FA Cup which accompanies the third round every year, are we looking at the new trophy to win?
If you ask any fan up and down the country, they will tell you they would much rather see their side lift the famous FA Cup, I’m sure the players would as well. History would prove though, that as the big teams become stronger, any club outside of the top six stand very little chance of making it anywhere near Wembley.
So realistically, do the rest of the club managers look more favourably upon the Carling Cup? The likes of Chelsea rarely play their best team so the chances of beating them are automatically increased. Manchester United may have won it twice in the last two years, but in both seasons, the likes of Tottenham who faced them in the quarter-finals in 2010 saw it as a chance missed given Sir Alex Ferguson’s team selection.
Speaking to a Man City fan, he often wonders why Roberto Mancini hasn’t done more to try and get the trophy to Eastlands as it would send out huge signals that Manchester City are ready to win silverware. Until they do manage to win a competition, they will have to live with the burden of spending so much with few rewards, so why not the Carling Cup?
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So for Birmingham City, West Ham and even Arsenal, this week’s fixtures could be the biggest of the season. What would it say about how far Birmingham have come in the last few years if they could make it to a final of a domestic cup? Likewise it would provide a welcome distraction and maybe even a boost for West Ham after a disastrous season whilst as little as he may think of the cup itself, Arsene Wenger needs a trophy sooner rather than later. This isn’t to rule out Ipswich Town altogether – similar to West Ham it would certainly take their mind off league matters but as good as it would be for the game if a Championship club could make it to Wembley, they have a very tall order.
And what about the players themselves? Will there ever be a better chance for the likes of Mark Noble or Steven Carr to win a major honour?
The competition was introduced with an American format in order to increase the excitement of a knock-out competition. There has to be a winner on the day of every round, apart from the two-legged semi, of course. It never did achieve such status as the fixtures fans dare not miss, but are we now starting to see the importance of the cup often disregarded?
You will often hear the Carling Cup described as the ‘Mickey Mouse’ competition but for all teams involved, there is nothing funny about getting through to the final. Whichever of the four sides go on to lift the trophy, I’m sure they will agree that the Carling Cup is definitely worth being part of.
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