Who says the League Cup is worthless?

There have been lots of questions asked about the worth of the Carling Cup in recent years and some of those were answered in the two semi finals.

Both ties were absolutely enthralling. The tie between Manchester United and Manchester City was always going to be a fiery with all that had gone on during the summer but the tie between Aston Villa and Blackburn also proved superb.

Volatile

The Carling Cup semi final between the two Manchester clubs was always going to be a gauge on how far City have came and they proved they have closed the gap in class on their more illustrious rivals.

Hype

The game was hyped up to the hilt by media and fans alike and often the action on the pitch can prove disappointing. However both games were superb and lived up to the hype. If you asked the United or City players whether the Carling Cup is worth it before the tie, then the unanimous decision would be yes because its against their bitter rivals.

For City it was an opportunity to attempt to win their first silverware in over thirty years. They fought like their lives depended on victory, but unfortunately for them United wanted it just as bad. It meant an awful lot to United, as Wayne Rooney’s celebration after scoring the winner showed.

It was a derby game and no matter whether it’s a friendly or a semi final both teams will give their all. Carlos Tevez showed that victory would have meant a lot to him in both games, as he received a warm welcome from his former adoring fans! He may not have got the victory he wanted on Wednesday but he tried his heart against a backdrop of hate.

Rare

The Villa-Blackburn tie proved nearly just as exciting as the second leg finished with an unbelievable scoreline of 6-4 to Villa. It might not have been a great advertisement for defending but it was a great advertisement for the competition. You could tell what the Villa fans thought of the victory when the pitch was invaded at the end of the game.

Could you really tell those fans it’s only the Carling Cup, it’s worthless? It would be hard but the competition has been much-maligned in recent years. Some of the big teams have treated it with distain at times. It’s almost became a competition for the big sides to field their youngsters.

Change

However this season, and to a lesser extent last season, has proved different with the likes of Manchester United taking the competition seriously. They could afford to play their reserves in the semi finals but a derby win meant more to them than resting their key players.

I don’t think Sir Alex Ferguson would ever contemplate playing a reserve in a derby, no matter what competition it was. His will to win would never allow it and he couldn’t let City get the upper hand. He played his best players and was rewarded with another final appearance.

Importance

Maybe with United out of the FA Cup the League Cup has taken on a bit more importance. Ok its not the Premier League title or the Champions League trophy but its still a trophy that can be won, another piece of silverware in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet. I can see Fergie playing his best team in the final against Villa and winning a second consecutive League Cup.

Overdue

Villa hasn’t been to a final in awhile and Martin O’Neill will see this as an ideal opportunity to win his first trophy with Villa. He has already won the trophy with Leicester and any trophy in the cabinet will give him some tangible reward for the fantastic job he’s done at Villa Park.

Perception

Maybe the recent brilliant semi finals in the competition will change the perception of the League Cup. Maybe the recent excitement over the cup could inspire managers to take it more seriously next season and not just surrender it for other priorities.

Probably not but for me the League Cup will always be a competition that teams should be looking to win. It may not have the glamour of the FA Cup or the Champions League but it’s a trophy worth winning, as Manchester United and Aston Villa recently showed.