Cup of little cheer

So its Carling Cup Final time.

As Steve "Stan" Staunton once said, "Can you feel it?"

In this case, yes I can and I believe it is called boredom.

At least this year it is relevant to one of the teams. In recent years it has been the lowest of all consolation prizes.

It was celebrated by Mourinho in 2005 and 2007 but he counted a Community Shield amongst his trophies so he was only interested in silverware, no matter how base the metal.

It was celebrated by Middlesbrough in 2004, mainly by Steve McLaren, who won the only trophy he will ever win, and used the money to get veneers for his teeth and dazzle the FA into giving him the England job.

In 2006 United took it as a consolation for failure in all other competitions.

Only the hardest of hearts would begrudge some of the Spurs players some glory. Good pros like Robbie Keane and Ledley King deserve some silverware in their career and Ramos could win his first trophy in England in the Carling Cup just like Jose.

But so could Avram Grant. However his attitude to the Cup is illustrated by the news that he will possibly rest Terry and Lampard from the final. It was thought he rested them from the Champions League game against Olympiacos to prepare them for the Carling Cup Final.

This is less believable than the plot of "Jumper".

Of course Grant would like to win it but he won't jeopardise his season for it. If fully fit they may play but Grant won't risk them for the League cup.

And perhaps it should be renamed as just the "League Cup" and exclude the Premier League teams from it altogether.

They all complain about it, they all rest players and only Arsenal seem to use it to their advantage.

Why not let the 72 lower league teams battle it out and just have a large cash prize for the winner. Imagine the trophy just stuffed with notes, so as the captain of Wolves lifts the trophy he is showered in used tenners.

It would be more fitting, more real and just more plain entertaining than Chelsea winning another cup.