Fans doubt Wenger's League Cup sacrifice

Arsene Wenger has put his reputation as a winner at considerable risk by sacrificing Arsenal’s chance to win the League Cup for the first time since 1993 in pursuit of more meaningful trophies.

Gunners fans’ hopes of another trip to the Millennium Stadium later this month came to grief at Middlesbrough last night where Martin Keown’s red card and new £17m (€24.8m) striker Jose Reyes’ own goal sealed a two-legged Carling Cup semi-final defeat.

But it was not that result which irked Highbury fans most. It was the tame surrender in the first leg at home when a young side went down 1-0, leaving a mountain to climb on Teesside.

Wenger admitted he had to consider recalling his big guns for the semi-finals after youngsters like Olafur Skulason, Ryan Smith, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Justin Hoyte and Jerome Thomas had accounted for Rotherham, Wolves and West Brom in earlier rounds.

And although the Arsenal faithful have been more than prepared to forego the League Cup before, they are frustrated at falling so close to the final.

Brian Harris, lifelong Arsenal fan from Brighton, said: “Surely Wenger must acknowledge he made a mistake by continuing to field such a young side in the first leg of the semi-final.

“On balance of play they were still just about good enough to beat Boro but lacked the experience to take advantage of McClaren’s negative tactics.

“Okay the Carling Cup is not very important. We’ve already got the European qualification that winning it brings and if you end up at the finish of the season with either the Premiership title, the Champions League or even the FA Cup, you’ve had a better deal.

“But just winning a trophy in itself is what the game is all about - especially when you’ve got so close.

Although Wenger insists it hurts whenever Arsenal lose, maybe he still doesn’t quite fully understand how the fans see the game over here.

“I know I am biased but I think we are streets ahead of Man United and Chelsea in ability. But what happens if things go wrong and you end up with nothing at the end of the season.

“Last season was some of the best football I’ve seen any Arsenal team play and I’ve been coming to Highbury 37 years. Yet somehow it was United who won the League and we ended up sweating on a 1-0 win in the FA Cup Final with an injury-hit team.”

Glenn Baker, from Holborn, added: “The FA Cup is still very important to the fans but so is the League Cup in the later stages. All fans love to celebrate a cup win and for Arsenal this one needed just one more match.

“I’m sure it will be a great day out for Middlesbrough and Bolton supporters when they meet in Cardiff.

“The Boro manager hasn’t been able to get any success for his club despite some of the wonderful players he has brought in.

“There seems to be a bit of a jinx on that club but the fact is McClaren is too defensive-minded. I wouldn’t like to see him get the England job as some people say he might one day.

“I saw Arsenal’s Premiership and FA Cup games against Boro and they were two of the easiest wins – both 4-1 I recall – they have had this season. I’m told Arsenal’s 4-0 League win at Middlesbrough was a walk-over as well.”

Arsenal have lost only four games this season – against Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev and Middlesbrough twice. They have not lost at all in the Premiership but are still only two points ahead of Manchester United, who have been beaten four times.

This Saturday, Arsenal go to revitalised Wolves who registered that fourth United defeat just three weeks ago.

And the following weekend the Gunners take on a critical fifth-round FA Cup task at home to Chelsea.

Any more consecutive defeats now will make Wenger’s League Cup team selections - based on continuing to develop young players – look headstrong.