If the rest of this season’s League Cup is anything to go by, then this afternoon’s final could turn out to be a real classic.

So long regarded as a poor man’s FA Cup, the League Cup has proved this year it is anything but. Round after round, we had shocks, upsets, thrillers and games that were memorable for all the right reasons.

It all comes to a head today at Wembley when League Two Bradford City take on Premiership Swansea for this season’s first piece of silverware.

And I have to confess to being a little bit excited at the prospect.

The very fact that you have a team from the top flight taking on one from the bottom division shows just how entertaining and unpredictable this year’s contest has been. Rarely, if ever, has there been such an extreme David and Goliath battle in the final of a major tournament.

Obviously you don’t need me to tell you Swansea are the clear favourites. Not only are the two teams separated by more than 60 league places, but just one of Swansea’s players – I’m thinking Michu here – is probably worth as much as the entire Bradford team and their stadium too. Gulfs don’t get much wider than that.

But, and this is a big but, Bradford have proved they are not a team that pays much attention to status. So far in the Capital One Cup they have seen off Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa, who were all expected to make light work of their lower league opponents but found them tough, resilient and determined.

On the other side, however, you have a Swansea team that have spent the season defying everyone’s expectations. I, for one, thought they would struggle and suffer from second season syndrome. But manager Michael Laudrup has actually managed to build on last year’s success without making any compromises to their style of play.

In fact, it’s rather unfortunate for Swansea that they have come up against Bradford because, under normal circumstances, a lot of neutrals would be backing the Welsh club to win.

However, Bradford’s new position as England’s favourite underdogs means just about everybody who doesn’t actually support Swansea will be rooting for the Yorkshire club, myself included.

If nothing else they have put some of the magic back into English football this season, giving every club in the lower divisions the belief that fairy tales can come true.

And lifting the trophy this afternoon would be fitting reward for doing that.

Wenger’s own goal

There is only one thing to blame for Arsenal’s season coming to an abrupt and depressing end this week: Arsene Wenger’s delusions of grandeur.

His decision to rest players in the Blackburn game to save them for the Bayern Munich match showed he no longer understands the reality of Arsenal’s current status.

Barring a miracle of cosmic proportions, there is no way the Gunners were going to win the Champions League this season. The FA Cup, on the other hand, was within their grasp.

Yet he sacrificed a possible success for a near-impossible dream, throwing away his club’s only realistic chance of a trophy in pursuit of something that was simply never going to happen.

And those are the actions of a man who is allowing pride to get in the way of common sense.

Although I don’t agree with this ‘resting’ policy anyway (Lionel Messi seems to manage alright playing most games), I could understand it coming from Manchester United who have a realistic shot at both cups and a squad of certain depth.

But Arsenal didn’t have either. They are struggling on all levels. And on that basis they should have thrown everything they have at the FA Cup.

The problem is that despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Wenger still believes Arsenal are better than they actually are. He is under the illusion he has a team capable of winning the Champions League when the reality is he barely has one capable of qualifying for it.

I understand Arsenal are in transition. I wrote a few months ago about how Wenger was now trying to build a team around a core of young, hungry British players and I applauded him for that. It’s a wise plan.

But, as yet another empty season is proving beyond reasonable doubt, they are still a long way away from being the finished article. They are not a team to strike fear into the hearts of Europe’s elite and won’t be for a while yet.

Which brings me to the crucial question: how much time can Wenger possibly have left? I have been one of his most vocal supporters over the barren years. I believed his achievements in the game and his unfailing commitment to playing proper football earned him the right to a bad spell.

But eight years is stretching it.

As I said, he is half way through another rebuilding project and this is one that could actually pay dividends. Players like Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott will form a formidable nucleus in the future.

However, for the first time I have serious doubts he will be at the Emirates to see that nucleus come together. It would be a shame, as I think he is back on the right track after years of misplacing his faith in foreign starlets.

But equally, eight years of relative failure is unacceptable.

For example, had Manchester United suffered a similar spell of misery, then I think it’s safe to assume Sir Alex Ferguson would no longer be there, legend or not. Over at Stamford Bridge the acceptable barren patch is more like eight months than eight years.

It’s the very nature of football at the highest level – win stuff or get on your bike.

I still doubt that Wenger will be sacked though, despite the rumours that have been circulating last week. He is held in too high a regard by too many people for something so undignified to happen.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if he walked away of his own accord at the end of the season if they don’t make it into the top four.

It doesn’t matter how good his new rebuilding plan may be, I doubt his pride would let him hang around to see it out while wallowing in the Europa League.

(Disclaimer: Should Arsenal beat Bayern in Germany and go through to the next round of the Champions League, I reserve the right to retract all of the above, eat my hat and spend an entire 90 minutes supporting Manchester City.)

What not to wear

Barcelona may be the greatest team in the world in some people’s eyes but, dear me, they must have some muppets working in their kit design department.

Not the home kit, which is fine. But Wednesday night in the match against Milan was the first time I have seen their current away strip, and frankly, it looks like someone who spent the night drinking Tequila Sunrises vomited on them.

How on earth can they expect to be taken seriously wearing an outfit that Lady Gaga would reject for being too much of an eyesore?

I’ve seen some bad away kits over the years, some very bad ones, but I think this Barcelona strip must be among the very worst.

Maybe the 2-0 defeat to Milan was a desperate attempt by the Barcelona players to get knocked out of the Champions League so they don’t have to visually humiliate themselves in Europe again this season…

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade