You don't have to go back far to see what makes this competition less fashionable than it's big brother, the FA Cup. Last seasons final can be seen as a bit of a poison chalice. The winners, Birmingham, were promptly on a downward spiral after picking up the trophy. A few months after their big day out at Wembley they were relegated from the Premier League, lost their manager to bitter cross-city rivals Aston Villa, set about selling the majority of their cup final squad (I think it's up to 14 now that have jumped ship) and saw their owner, Carson Yeung, facing charges of money laundering in Hong Kong. All-in-all not a great turn of fortunes for the boys in blue. Giving the Birmingham support the option before the game of losing that day and staying in the Premiership, keeping McCleish and the squad together you may have got a lot of takers, but in hindsight, winning that day and the events that followed probably weren't such a bad thing.
-The Carling Cup was a highlight of the season and a great day out for all the Birmingham supporters, something that many clubs fans never get to experience. There is still a magic to walking up Wembley way alongside the opposition support on the big day, and the walk out and down the same route after as winners is a special feeling.
-Alex McCleish is perhaps the most negative manager in the Premiership and the brand of football he instilled is not missed. Chis Hughton, his replacement has done a remarkable job on domestic and European fronts this season with a completely different set of players and no where near the financial backing McCleish enjoyed. Their recent FA Cup draw at Stamford Bridge shows how far they've come this season under his unassuming guidance.
-Getting rid of the over-payed playing staff who couldn't cut it in the Premiership has meant consolidating their finances and giving a chance to younger players and academy graduates, something most clubs are afraid to do in their charge for bounce back promotions.
-If they lost they might have done an 'Arsenal'
'Arsenal'.
Last seasons Carling Cup runners-up saw the wheels fall off almost immediately after Obfemi Martins' winner a year ago. The Gooners downfall trajectory and subsequent crisis is frightening, and enough to make teams not want to make it to Wembley in case history repeats itself and flushes their teams prospects down the gary (Glitter). It's hard to put a positive spin on what has happened to Arsene Wenger and his club since that defeat, and Kenny Dalglish and his men will be keen not to follow suit.
Talking of suits, it will be the first time Liverpool will appear at 'new' Wembley having last rolled up at the old stadium in those famous cream Armani suits in 1996. The faux pas wasn't just the Spice boys choice of clobber that day as Eric Cantona volleyed home the winner to send the Reds home empty handed. Dalglish, and the clubs new owners will be eager to get their first piece of silverware, in this - his first full season back in charge.
Liverpool have been a cup team in the past decade. 2001 saw them win a treble of trophies and the Worthington Cup the first of the three, followed by the FA Cup and then the UEFA Cup (and even later and not part of the treble - The European Super Cup). Gerard Houiller created a winning mentality in that squad that fell well short in pushing for the title, but gave the club some real success in the form of 3 trophies in one season. In 2003 Houiller led his men to victory in the League cup again, followed by his successor Rafa Benitez winning the Champions League (and European Super Cup again) in 2005 and then the clubs most recent bit of silverware the FA Cup in 2006. There was a winning culture at the club. All of those finals took place across the border at the Millennium stadium in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. A shame for many fans then, that the cup is now back in London. Liverpool enjoyed great support and a good record at the Millennium and playing against the home town team this year would have made for an electric atmosphere and pulsating game. The cup sponsors will be hoping for a same kind of verve in London, but the traveling fans from both sides would have probably chosen the Millennium given the option for location more than anything!
This competition is important for Liverpool. It's important for them to get back amongst the trophies and bring back that culture of success and confidence that can once more breed through the club and go a long way to speeding up the rebuilding process. If they do win this cup, then it may give them that extra push and bolt of drive they need to push on in the FA Cup and pip their rivals to 4th place, and the final Champions League spot in the Premiership. On the flip-side defeat here could take the wind out of their sails and see them tumble down the league and crash out the FA cup as confidence and clout is sucked out of them as it was Arsenal.
Cardiff and their Scottish manager (see previous blog 'McCarthy and the rise of the Scots' for more on our northern bredin and their power in the managerial game) Malky Mckay will have something to say about Liverpool's success on the day. Although heavy underdogs they will look to last seasons final for inspiration. For where it fills Liverpool with fear of suffering an defeat, the Bluebirds will be hoping to emulate Birmingham's upset even if it does mean some hard times down the road. The Welshmen have less to lose.
They can't take trophies away from you, or the memories of a victorious Wembley final, even if it is only the Carling Cup.
'Carlsberg don't do trophies, but if they did, it wouldn't be the League Cup...'
Either way, a win is a win, and all that, and a win is what Liverpool need.
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