Not Worthless Anymore

[Seth]

Since experiencing the joy of Sunday a few fans of other clubs have tried to dampen my spirits with the cliched 'worthless cup' jibes. It's a secondary trophy which is beneath the big clubs and only fans starved of success with no chance of a 'major' trophy would revel in winning it they say.

This got me thinking about how my perception of the prestige of the League Cup has increased over the last few years and the value winning it now has. There's a very insightful article in the guardian (for a change) on this very subject, which provides great ammunition in any 'debate' with bitter 'fans' trying to belittle our great achievement. Check it out.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2260148,00.html

 

[Juande]

Nobody can say that it is a Mickey Mouse cup anymore

 

[GilzeansGrandad]

After the 5-1 drubbing arsenal forums were full of the usuall 'we've got bigger fish to fry' comments.

Fried fish served on a bed of sour grapes...yum! :grin:

Seriously though, it's a very astute article that sums up the situation perfectly. Viva the Ramos revolution!

 

[Defsta]

They are just jealous, or if we're talking about Chelski fans then they are just bad losers and arrogant little piece of shits.

 

[SpurSince57]

As I said on another, similar, thread, it only becomes meaningless or worthless to the 'Big Four' when they fail to win it. I think the looks on the Chavs' faces at the end showed just how worthless it was to them. Likewise the punch-up at the end of last year's final.

It annoys me no end when people on SC say stuff like 'It's only the Carling Cup'. Let alone, 'It's only the UEFA Cup'. That's putting down our own club's great achievement.

And we've now won it four times to Arsenal's two, just as we've won three European titles to their two.

 

[AngerManagement]

The only song I heard Chelsea fans sing on Sunday was 'all you've got is history', yep well that and the carling cup now!!!! (wasnt able to hear them sing anything post match as Iv failed to see head nor tail of a chelsea supporter since)

 

[Juande]

The only song I heard Chelsea fans sing on Sunday was 'all you've got is history', yep well that and the carling cup now!!!! (wasnt able to hear them sing anything post match as Iv failed to see head nor tail of a chelsea supporter since


At least we have history, not like yours that started when Abramovic arrived:clap::clap::clap::clap:

 

[TheBlueRooster]

As far as I'm concerned it's never been worthless. I love this competition as it's the first a can really remember us winning back in 71. It has the same rewards as the F A Cup and if you win it you are the first to get into Europe.

If a certain club had taken the competition seriously and put out a full squad against us in the SF they may have beaten us and their player may not be in hospital with his foot hanging off.

We did as many others have done in the past, respected the League Cup and by doing so reap the benefits of winning it.

 

[BoringOldFan]

The UEFA place it carries will mean it is always "worthwhile" to win the League Cup. Man U & The Gooners have been accused of not treating it seriously, but the Mancs put out a proper first team when they got to the final against Wigan. And no one can tell me that the Goons are not bothered about being totally gubbed by us in the semi final this year.

Chelsea treat it seriously, and so do Liverpool, except with Rafa's rotation policy it's hard to see that sometimes.

 

[Legend10]

Right now the Carling Cup is worth more than finishing 6th in the Premiership!

 

[Matthew Wyatt]

Nice link, Seth, and I agree that the League Cup's prestige has been on the up this century. About on a par with the FA these days, I'd say... two knock-out comps between teams from one of the best leagues in the world... what's the difference? (apart from the non-league obvious)

 

[themanwhofellasleep]

The league cup has one man to thank for its revival: Jose Mourinho.

Over the last decade the League Cup had been losing its shine. The big teams were fielding reserve teams and no-one seemed to care about it. It was a mickey mouse cup. Then Jose Mourinho joined Chelsea, who had won nothing under Ranieri. He realised that he needed to instill a winning mentality in his team. He didn't care whether other teams valued the cup or not, he wanted to make a statement of intent, that he intended to win things with Chelsea. The previous season, the League Cup final had been contested by Bolton and Boro, two teams who would have struggled to have reached that stage had the big boys been interested. In Mourinho's first year, the final was between Chelsea and Liverpool, and Chelsea won. And they followed up the cup win by winning the league. And suddenly, coaches and chairmen around the country realised that if you want a team to have a winning mentality, you can't ignore the league cup. Since then, every final has involved one of the big four. Neutrals may have bemoaned the fact that other teams weren't involved, but it showed that the big teams took the league cup seriously, and that far from being a mickey mouse cup, it could be a springboard for bigger success.

 

[Juande]

The league cup has one man to thank for its revival: Jose Mourinho.

Over the last decade the League Cup had been losing its shine. The big teams were fielding reserve teams and no-one seemed to care about it. It was a mickey mouse cup. Then Jose Mourinho joined Chelsea, who had won nothing under Ranieri. He realised that he needed to instill a winning mentality in his team. He didn't care whether other teams valued the cup or not, he wanted to make a statement of intent, that he intended to win things with Chelsea. The previous season, the League Cup final had been contested by Bolton and Boro, two teams who would have struggled to have reached that stage had the big boys been interested. In Mourinho's first year, the final was between Chelsea and Liverpool, and Chelsea won. And they followed up the cup win by winning the league. And suddenly, coaches and chairmen around the country realised that if you want a team to have a winning mentality, you can't ignore the league cup. Since then, every final has involved one of the big four. Neutrals may have bemoaned the fact that other teams weren't involved, but it showed that the big teams took the league cup seriously, and that far from being a mickey mouse cup, it could be a springboard for bigger success.

:clap::clap::clap::clap:

 

[DC_Boy]

it never was a mickey mouse or worthless cup - when we won it in 99 it was absolutely fantastic to be there -

yes its stock has risen recently - but it's always been well worth winning - I remember so vividly being there in 71 - astounding scenes

 

[Seth]

it never was a mickey mouse or worthless cup - when we won it in 99 it was absolutely fantastic to be there -

yes its stock has risen recently - but it's always been well worth winning - I remember so vividly being there in 71 - astounding scenes

I take your point about the significant history mate. I used the phrase 'worthless cup' as it was a phrase which was coined during the Worthington sponsorship, when the competition began to be somewhat derided. And which manager came to the prem at that stage? Hmmm

Some good posts above pinpointing the arrival of Jose as the turning point in increasing perceived value of the cup. Perhaps it was at the start of Wenger's tenure and his arrogance towards the competition that the issue began in the first place.

 

[worcestersauce]

The league cup has one man to thank for its revival: Jose Mourinho.

Over the last decade the League Cup had been losing its shine. The big teams were fielding reserve teams and no-one seemed to care about it. It was a mickey mouse cup. Then Jose Mourinho joined Chelsea, who had won nothing under Ranieri. He realised that he needed to instill a winning mentality in his team. He didn't care whether other teams valued the cup or not, he wanted to make a statement of intent, that he intended to win things with Chelsea. The previous season, the League Cup final had been contested by Bolton and Boro, two teams who would have struggled to have reached that stage had the big boys been interested. In Mourinho's first year, the final was between Chelsea and Liverpool, and Chelsea won. And they followed up the cup win by winning the league. And suddenly, coaches and chairmen around the country realised that if you want a team to have a winning mentality, you can't ignore the league cup. Since then, every final has involved one of the big four. Neutrals may have bemoaned the fact that other teams weren't involved, but it showed that the big teams took the league cup seriously, and that far from being a mickey mouse cup, it could be a springboard for bigger success.

I was paging down to write a quick bit of respect to chelsea (most unlike me) for taking the CC seriously and found your piece manwhofelzzzz.

Well Said.

 

[DC_Boy]

I take your point about the significant history mate. I used the phrase 'worthless cup' as it was a phrase which was coined during the Worthington sponsorship, when the competition began to be somewhat derided. And which manager came to the prem at that stage? Hmmm
.

yep Seth - you're right some people started deriding it - but it was the Worthington in 99 when we won it - and as I say it was a fantastic day out - the singing went on long long after the final whistle - not the greatest of games but it meant so much to win

and just as this lge cup win has created legends in Keane King & Berbs (plus Ramos & Poyet) that victory ensured legendary status for Ginola

during the run to the final we beat Man U - now they rested a few players but at one time or another they had players like Keane Beckham Neville Schole Giggs Sheringham (from memory) and other stars on the pitch - they just didn't have the resources to do the quadruple that year but we beat them with superb football and they didn't want to lose that's for sure -

similalrly our performance in winning at Anfield during that run was truly epic a bit like the Maine Road win this time -

when we were drawn at pool I expected us to lose and it took a tremendous performance to knock them out up there

oh and the atmosphere in the semi at Selhurst was absolutely awesome

 

[Houdini]

It's the League cup with a sponsors name attached to it, maybe that 'cheapens' the name or lowers it somehow!
But it seems that, it's only those who dont win it, or lose in the final that come up with this, "It's only" all the time, it's a route into Europe the same as the Inter toto, but i guess those in the CL say the same about the UEFA Cup!:shrug:

 

[AW?]

It puts us in Europe which many thought was a slim possibility i'm sure this year. If your mates aren't supporters of any top four teams then they are talking shit. If they are they are still talking shit anyway. You only have to see how fucked off Chelsea were not winning it. If Wenger and certain others showed it more respect than it's importance wouldn't be in question. Wenger has done so much damage to English football, he's a fucking disgrace.

 

[DoublePivot]

And let's not forget to win this cup, we had to beat Boro, Man City away (who hadn't lost at Eastlands to that point), Arsenal and Chelsea. That's four Prem sides in the top 12 with only two of those games at home. We won those games aggregate 12-3.

Now let's contrast that with Chelsea's probable final in the FA Cup. They will most likely coast to Wembley in the "meaningful" tournament and face only Wigan before having to play United. Of course we can always dream that they pull a Liverpool.