The Carling Cup is probably the most useless trophy in England. There is a reason why teams talk about winning the Treble, and not the Quadruple. It usually only interests teams from the lower divisions or those who haven't won silverware in a long time(Hi Tottenham). The Carling Cup is good for embarrassing top flight teams, and that happened to a few clubs this week.On Tuesday Fulham were the first Premiership side to be knocked out by a late goal against Championship side Burnley. Much like fish, Fulham do not travel well. West Ham went down to Championship side Watford, as Zola suffered his first loss as manager. His new attacking style may encounter some problems against direct football(soccer), and it will be interesting to see how he adapts. Sunderland only progressed on pk's against Northampton, and Roy Keane was not too impressed by supporters taking the piss out of him(making fun of him).
On Wednesday the upsets continued when the richest team in the history of civilization, otherwise known as Manchester City, were knocked out by Brighton on pk's. Unlike Keane, Hughes apologized to the fans and the players surely suffered a Welsh lashing, even if it was only verbal. QPR upset Aston Villa 1-0 in what must be a major disappointment for the Premiership side. With most of the Big Four using these games to run out their youngsters, Villa probably thought this was their best shot at a trophy. Newcastle's misery continued when they were the first domestic side to lose to Tottenham. And the pendulum continued to swing for Everton, as they were beaten by Blackburn for the second time this season.
Two notable games were Arsenal's 6-0 thumping of Sheffield United, and Chelsea's 4-0 defeat of Portsmouth. Arsene Wenger always uses this competition to give his young players a game, and they did not disappoint. Carlos Vela netted a hat trick, Bendtner a brace and Jack Wilshere became the second youngest player to ever score for Arsenal after Cesc Fabregas(good company). This was also Chelsea's second 4-0 defeat of Portsmouth this season, but this time it was at Fratton Park. Portsmouth's defense is starting to show its age, and they have now lost their last two games 10-0. If things go any worse Harry Redknapp will turn into a basset hound.
One Liners
- Euro Cup extended to 24 teams in 2016, Cyprus cheers
- Fergie tells City it will take more than money to reach the top, ADUG disagrees and plans to prove this by putting stadium on top of pile of money
- Zola says there won't be firesale at West Ham, is banking on a huge increase in Icelandic biscuit sales
- Terry Venables turns down Newcastle job, ball boy now top of their list
- Croatia fined £14,920 for racism, subtle nod to Christopher Columbus
