Source: Daily_Mail
Fergie and Harry weigh up value of Wembley on eve of Carling Cup final
Placing a value on the Carling Cup is becoming increasingly difficult - especially when the prize of European football has actually become something managers like Martin O'Neill[LNB]and Harry Redknapp, for very different reasons, now consider a major inconvenience.[LNB]But here's the thing. Losing the final last year proved the turning point in Chelsea's[LNB]season. So wounded and embarrassed were they by the ineptitude of their performance against a Tottenham [LNB]side who, conversely, have struggled ever since, they called a team meeting, thrashed out their problems and went to within a whisker of beating Manchester United[LNB]to their European and domestic double.[LNB]On Friday Redknapp reflected on the impact a defeat by Burnley would have had in this month's semifinal. It would have destroyed what little confidence remained in his players. 'If we had gone out we would have been in desperate trouble,' said Tottenham's manager. 'I don't know how we'd have recovered from that.'[LNB] Countdown is on: Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp will lock horns in this weekend's Carling Cup final at Wembley[LNB]At the same time up in Manchester, however, Sir Alex Ferguson was giving the kind of press conference that succeeds only in undermining the competition. Not his fault when FIFA, UEFA, the Premier League, the Football Association and the Football League asked his English and European champions to compete for seven trophies at the start of the season. But the damage was nevertheless done, as much by what he said as what he did.[LNB]Sunday might be a Wembley final, and the 25th final of Ferguson's incredible career, but the United manager does not consider it worthy of Dimitar Berbatov and Edwin van der Sar. They will not even travel as part of the United squad, Ferguson opting instead to rely on secondstring players like Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson and Ben Foster. Modric v Ronaldo - Will the Spurs star or United golden boy deliver the Cup? [LNB]Spurs v Manchester United: all the team news ahead of the Carling Cup final[LNB]Pavlyuchenko bombshell - I dream of playing for United and Berbatov is an 'arrogant snob', says Spurs striker Roman [LNB]ALL THE SPURS FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]ALL THE MAN UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB]They are, he would no doubt counter, the players who got United to the final, and tomorrow is another opportunity to demonstrate the club's remarkable strength in depth.[LNB] Earning their Spurs: A jubilant Tottenham Hotspur team celebrate their 2008 Carling Cup success over Chelsea[LNB]But when Ferguson refers to the competition as 'a bonus' and nods approvingly at questions which refer to this game as 'the next step in the progression of the younger players', it does not say much for the positioning of the Carling Cup in the football calendar.[LNB]Carling do not seem that bothered, even if they have spent millions sponsoring the competition. The association, say their PR company, has been good for the brand's 'personality' and the fact that their deal has been extended to 2012 would suggest they are fairly happy with their lot. By 2012 their partnership with the League Cup will have lasted 14 years, having started with Worthington.[LNB]In terms of promoting the competition, however, they have been tied up by red tape. E.ON, who sponsor the FA Cup, are impressively proactive, with the assistance of the FA, using all sections of the media to raise the competition's profile. Yesterday both Carling and the Football League explained that the clubs are under no such obligations with the League Cup, mainly because there is nothing in the competition rules to that effect.[LNB] So weak is the position of the Football League, they are just relieved to see the big Premier League clubs taking part in the first place, mainly because the Carling Cup is so important to the 72 Football League clubs for raising revenue - about £50million, with around 60 per cent going directly to the Football League.[LNB]'It was easier when all the clubs came under the banner of the Football League,' said one observer last night. 'But ever since the Premier League was formed the main concern has been making sure the Premier clubs are in the competition in the first place.'[LNB]Which means they are prepared to put up with just about anything: weakened teams, devalued finals, Welbeck rather than Berbatov.[LNB]If they win, United will no doubt celebrate as much as they did in 2006 and their accountants will gratefully accept the £1.5million in gate receipts. No matter what the result and no matter who plays, because all that actually matters is that punters continue to pay up to £80 for a ticket.[LNB] European holiday? UEFA Cup football could be an inconvenience for Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa side[LNB] The question now, though, is how much longer they will continue to do so when the managers appear to store so little importance in the game. 'We know what our priorities are and that will reflect in my team on Sunday because we have a game against Newcastle on Wednesday,' said Ferguson. 'The priority, as always, will be the league and the Champions League.[LNB]'It's the same for Harry. He has Middlesbrough on the Wednesday and there can be no doubt that, in Harry's mind, survival in the Premier League is all that matters.[LNB]'We hadn't even planned to be in the final when we put the young players in we thought, "Yeah, get a run, get to the quarters, semis, whatever, see what they're made of".'[LNB]Redknapp tried to sound more positive. 'It would be fantastic for us to win and give the whole club a terrific boost,' he said.[LNB]But the previous evening he joined Aston Villa in throwing in the towel in the UEFA Cup. O'Neill wants Champions League football. Redknapp wants Tottenham to avoid relegation.[LNB]And the Carling Cup final? United and Tottenham will do the best they can in the circumstances.[LNB]Probable line-ups:MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): Foster; Neville, Vidic, Evans, O'Shea; Welbeck, Gibson,Scholes, Nani; Tevez, Rooney. [LNB]TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-5-1): Gomes; Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, King, Woodgate; Zokora, Jenas, Lennon, Bentley, Modric; Pavlyuchenko.[LNB]Referee: Chris Foy.[LNB]TV: Sky Sports 1, 2.30pm (kick-off 3.0). Modric v Ronaldo - Will the Spurs star or United golden boy deliver the Cup? [LNB]Spurs v Manchester United: all the team news ahead of the Carling Cup final[LNB]Pavlyuchenko bombshell - I dream of playing for United and Berbatov is an 'arrogant snob', says Spurs striker Roman [LNB]ALL THE SPURS FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]ALL THE MAN UNITED FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB] [LNB] [LNB]
