Arsenal vs Ipswich Town | Carling Cup 25/1/11

[Reverend Gooner]

I don't think you can just call it an admission of failure. Yes in the first 10 years of his arsenal career he treated it like a second rate competition but apart from the odd year look at the teams who were winning it..

Villa, Leicester (X2), Spurs, Blackburn, Middlesborough, Chelsea (when they were very good but not great).

Even before then we have Liverpool (when they were not a top team), Villa, Forest (x2), Luton, us (when we hadn't won anything for ages), Oxford and Norwich.

From 1984 to 2005 the League Cup was a team for the second and third tier teams to fight it out for a win. It is not a coincidence that it was those level of teams that were winning it in that time period, they were winning it because that is the kind of competition it was.

Now look at who has won it since 2005

Chelsea, Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs, Man Utd, Man Utd, (and hopefully now us).

The competition has changed, just like 1977 to 1984 it is a trophy for those who are challenging for the title and in the Champions League. Wenger is responding to that and taking it more seriously.


The fact that we haven't won anything for 5 years comes into it of course, it would be naive to think otherwise, especially with the pressure Wenger is under from the fans but I don't think that is all there is to it. The competition has changed in this half of his managerial career.

[TRA Dial Square]

It's like this:

"We've won nothing for five years Mr. Wenger"

"I can see this... But the reason we haven't is because, for many, many years I looked at The Carling Cup as a Trophy we were too good for"

"Okay... And now?"

"Now I realise this Trophy is not beneath us actually winning it, rather than a competition for my young boys who let's face it I have none of anymore, really. They've all come of age and it's our time to actually say... Hey we're claiming this cup".

If that doesn't make sense it's because it would be AW saying it; I can barely make him out at the best of times

[StLGooner]

Wenger even says himself that it will ease the pressure. Which to me means, one of the main reasons why he went for this a bit more than usual.

© http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... e-pressure

[Libertine]

From 1984 to 2005 the League Cup was for the second and third tier teams to fight it out for a win.

I think you're way off the mark there Rev.
Perhaps from around 1998, when we started fielding a reserve team in the competition, the League Cup stated to become a bit of a joke but in the early 90's and especially the 80's, it was regarded as a proper competition and a fine trophy to win.

[Libertine]

Well whoopy f***ing do.

I would get all excited about a 'trip to wembley' but for that i am not eight, I am not a Spud or a Newcastle fan, and most importantly i have an ounce of self respect.

f**k me UFGN, cheer up!

If you can't get excited about having a day on the piss with your mates at a cup final at Wembley, then when can you?

[Git]

Can't wait myself.

Nothing like the feeling of a cup final, especially winning at the end. Gives you a high for weeks, that you just can't get anywhere else.