This blog article by an Arsenal fan got me thinking today and have to say I have definitely changed my mind about cups and fully agree with his sentiments.

12 months ago I believed top 4 was everything and I fully supported MON’s decision to play a reserve side in Moscow. This split the Villa fans 50/50 and seen by the meal offer and the response by the club in hindsight maybe MON feels the same. So this season we strengthened the squad, could play a slightly weaker team in cup games and still win.

So we got to Wembley and you know what, that feeling even in a so called ‘mickey mouse’ cup is so much better than any top 4 position could ever be. For football fans I think we have lost what the focus of any club is about and for a Villa fan of big Mac’s heritage I do feel ashamed I lost it. Our club should be about winning cups and not about the money, money is needed of course but trophies in the cabinet means so much more and an empty cabinet since 1996 is simply not good enough.

As the article says the Carling Cup has got it’s mojo back thanks to two tremendous semi-finals, games in which league position for all 4 teams was inconsequential, Wenger has to look at himself and I hope we ever do a ‘Moscow’ again.