Carling Cup Final: Arsenal v Birmingham; Match Preview
Six years is a short time in the scope of many different things. But for a team and fan base used to winning at least one piece of silverware on a regular basis, six years is a long time in between trophies. When Arsenal take the pitch against Birmingham in the 2011 Carling Cup Final, it will be with one singular purpose – ending that six year silverware drought.
After a long run of promise, Arsene Wenger finally gets the chance to show what his policy of prudence and youth can do. A win and let the vindication begin. Lose and the questions will continue this time probably at a louder din.
Since our last cup win in 2005 and the start of the dismantling of the invincibles, we’ve been told that Arsenal’s young guns were going to deliver. For the last 5+ seasons we’ve had promise only end in failure. But maybe our past successes tainted our expectations of what Wenger was trying to accomplish. Maybe, just maybe on the pitch at Wembley we will begin to see the start of the culmination of Wenger’s vision.
It’s important for Arsenal to win on so many levels. Looking at its impact on this season, a win tomorrow will solidfy in the minds of the players that the are winners. The mentality of a winner cannot be underestimated in the psyche of player. Winning begets more winning. More importantly it forms a picture of positivity in the mind of the player that can sustain them.
For the club a win can propel them on to more glories in this season. Wenger has been chastised for diminishing his focus on this competition. Instead he focused in on the League and the Champion’s League glory always coming up short. Mourinho had the same focus as Wenger but he went for the Carling Cup in ’05 and it was the launching pad for a succesful run for Chelsea that is just ending now. Winning the Carling Cup against Birmingham tomorrow can act as a similar catalyst and have more immediate effect as the Gunners are still in the hunt for three other competitions.
Finally, its important for Arsenal to win because it can prove that a winning team can built from within and with youth as the focus. Arsenal and Wenger have been chastised for the over reliance on youngsters as the core of this team. If Arsenal win it has to serve as validation that the policy works. It also goes along way to supporting the financial vision of the club as well.
So here are at what I hope is the beginning of something really special. So how did we get to Wembley? Let’s take a quick look back at the Carling Cup run:
Tottenham 1 v Arsenal 4: Our opening moment in the cup was a tie against North London rivals Spurs. Beating Spurs in any format is always special beating them on their own ground was more special. Showing a sign of things to come the squad was a fair balance of reserves and first team.
Newcastle 0 v Arsenal 4: Okay so do you remember we actually scored four against the Geordies and didn’t concede another four
Wigan 0 v Arsenal 2: The score seems slight but from top to bottom it was complete control from the Gunners.
Ipswich 1 v Arsenal 0 (1st leg): The only fly in the ointment in their run up to Wembley. A lacklustre performance thatraised some doubts that Arsenal would progress
Ipswich 0 v Arsenal 3 ( 1-3 agg): Well it was dicey for a while but it was finally broken open by a player I criticize a lot – Nicky Bendtner
The Injuries:
Arsenal will be without 3 key players available. Thomas Veraelen hasn’t featured in the run up to the cup and while he seems to be a mere two weeks away from rejoining the squad he is out. More depressing is that Theo Walcott will be unavailable having sprained his ankle in the rugby match against Stoke in the middle of the week. Theo was in tears coming off the pitch. He knew what being injured meant. The lad has had a good season and hopefully the injury is not long-term.
More than that though is the injury to Captain Cesc Fabregas. Maybe more than any person on the team (aside from Van Persie) this final means the most. Pulling up with a thigh injury within 14 minutes of the tie against Stoke, the anguish was all over his fate. On Friday Wenger declared that Fabregas won’t feature in the squad. But mark my words Gunners, I have a feeling Cesc will be on the bench and will sit there as an unused sub. Cesc was an important cog in the run up to the final. He needs and wants to be part of this final. Somehow the club is going to find a way to do it.
So now that I have tried to wax poetic lets look at this is all going to go down and who will feature in each squad:
How the Match Plays Out:
This not a league tie. Its one and done for both sides. Parking the bus is not going to be an option. With the width of Wembley to play on you have to think that it will favour an open match it also is not a place conducive to set pieces which may take out Brum big man Zigich. This in turn favors the Gunners. For me scoring early is the key. If Birmingham manage to either snatch a goal or go into the half drawn, doubt will creep into the Gunners heads. We are the only big side to have gone into St Andrews and control Alex McLeish’s side. Even with the hanky panky of some of their more repugnant players, we controlled the match from the get go and never let the blue and white in it. That is what is needed again and even without Theo and Cesc, I suspect it will work out that way again.
Arsenal Player to Watch:
Samir Nasri. Simply put, next to Van Persie he is the best of the squad this year. He is even better when Cesc Fabregas is not in the squad. Look for him and Van Persie to bring it home.
Project Starting XI:
Broadcasts:
US: FSC 11:00AM EST
UK: BBC 1 1600 GMT
Match Officials:
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant referees: Ron Ganfield & Mike Mullarkey
Fourth official: Kevin Friend
GAMEDAY CHAT will be open. www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3
Birmingham: 1
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