Reuters Soccer Blog

Arsenal fans must keep their faith in Wenger

Mike Collett in London on why Arsenal fans should back their manager

Arsene Wenger is the most successful manager Arsenal have ever had, but unhappy fans have very short memories and incredible as it may seem, some Arsenal supporters were calling for his head on Monday.

Irate listeners to radio phone-ins and message boards posters vented their frustrations at Arsenal’s failure to end their six-year trophy drought after they lost 2-1 to underdogs Birmingham City in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

The messages said largely the same thing. Why hasn’t Wenger spent money on buying a top class goalkeeper and two reliable centre-backs to provide a stronger foundation for a team brimming with class, talent and invention in midfield and attack?

And, more surprisingly, some said it was time the 61-year-old Frenchman moved on.

That though, would be even more calamitous for Arsenal than the mistake that cost them the final on Sunday. Arsenal still have the chance to win three honours this season — the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup.

A victory in any one of those would more than make up for this setback, devastating as it clearly was to Arsenal’s prone players at the end, although Sunday’s loss does highlight again well publicised weaknesses in the current squad.

What are United’s quintuple chances now?

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson dismissed the suggestion in his usual style.

After beating Spurs on penalties to win the English League Cup final on Sunday he was asked if United could complete a “quintuple” of trophies.

“It’s a media thing,” he shot back. “I’m not getting carried away with it. We’re keeping our feet on the ground.”

But with FIFA’s Club World Cup and the League Cup already in the trophy room and with the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup all realistic targets, it is not just a media thing. It’s a real possibility. Throw in the Community Shield and it becomes a sextuple. Or a “double treble” — which sounds good if you are winning it or even drinking it.

Former United striker Frank Stapleton is among many who think Ferguson has assembled the best squad United have ever had – and although they failed to break Spurs down in 120 goalless minutes at Wembley, they still had the nerve, guile and experience to ease to a 4-1 victory in the shootout.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp believes they can do it too.

Friday afternoon question: Should domestic cups be scrapped?

Real Madrid were knocked out of the King’s Cup by third-tier Real Union this week and Chelsea lost to second division Burnley in the Carling Cup, but which sides were really celebrating?

Chelsea would much rather concentrate on the Premier League while Real need to focus on the Champions League after two defeats.

In Italy, the Coppa Italia is fast becoming one of the biggest jokes in football. The last 16, the first round where the big clubs enter, has been spread across a two-month period for various strange reasons.

Wednesday’s game between Udinese and Reggina was played in mid-afternoon and from the television pictures I could not see a single fan in the stadium. There were probably a few die-hards behind the camera but they saw one of the most error-ridden games in history.

The Cup is realistically the only trophy Udinese and Reggina can win this season and yet even they played reserve sides. 

Top players were also rested in the other domestic cups this week, which surely diminishes the achievements of the smallers sides who cause ‘upsets’ and don’t gain as much revenue as they used to now that most competitions are no longer over two legs. 

The Carling Cup is different, that’s why we love it

In September, Mitch Phillips argued here that the League Cup should be shuffled off into retirement. Who could argue for prolonging the life of this tired, unwanted “third competition”? Well, actually, after this week’s action, I would.

Arsenal and Tottenham, who together served up such a thrilling 4-4 draw when they met in the league at the end of October, were at it again separately this week, playing the same direct, fearless, attacking football despite featuring much changed line-ups.

The two ties they were involved in provided nine goals and four came from English strikers. That’s the same number as English forwards scored in all last weekend’s Premier League fixtures, and two more than the weekend before.

Add this to the encouraging performances from British youngsters like Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Lennon and Michael Dawson, and at least Fabio Capello and John Toshack can raise a pint (of Carling) to the League Cup.

The very fact that top teams field reserves and youngsters sees the League Cup get a lot of stick but suppose for a minute everyone put out their best sides and the top four all made it through to the quarter-finals: would that make it a better competition? Don’t we see enough of these games in the Premier League and FA Cup?

This week, the League Cup brought us British players excelling at top clubs, bags of goals and a big upset against the Premier League leaders at Stamford Bridge. Who could ask for more?