Carling Cup - Wenger best chance for silverware...better take it seriously!

The Carling Cup....the competition that Wenger has regularly used to test his youth and really not seen it as a trophy worth winning. That needs to change this season. Rather than rolling out players with numbers like 50 or 40 on the back of their kit, Wenger needs to make players with numbers like 8, 4, 10 or 6 on their kit. I realize the Carling Cup is a distant 3rd when it comes to domestic silverware, well behind the Premiership title and the FA Cup. But it is still a trophy, a real trophy...the Emirates Cup is not a real trophy.

In Arsenal's future?

Arsenal has not won any silverware since Pat Vieira wore the #4 shirt as well as the captain's armband....that is a long time ago, 2005 to be exact. Arsenal beat Manchester United that day in penalty kicks, where the aforementioned Vieira struck home the last kick for the victory. With the likes of Van Persie, Cesc and Clichy being the last remaining players to have enjoy the joy of winning silverware with Arsenal, Wenger must focus on the Carling Cup and the opportunity that is at his finger tips to give this latest generation of Gunners a taste of success. With a 2-0 defeat of Wigan, Arsenal are in the semi finals and are clearly the favorites now that Manchester United were thrashed by West Ham (the other semi finals have Birmingham v Aston Villa and Ipswich v West Brom). Arsenal are favorites versus any of the teams they might face...unless Wenger decides to roll out his B side. I do believe that Wenger is more serious with the Carling Cup this year than in the past, the fact he rolled out Nasri into the game with Arsenal up 2-0 tells me he will want to ensure his side does not squander away the opportunity for a trophy. It will be interesting to see who Arsenal draw in the semi finals, regardless I would like to believe Wenger will maximize his opportunity and will roll out a strong side with more first team options.

Arsenal have a legitimate chance of winning the Premiership this season, start by finding success in the Carling Cup to show this squad what it means to win silverware and to aspire to greater achievements.