I’ve just discovered what EFL actually stands for. I’d long since given up paying too much attention to all the names by which the League Cup has styled itself. I never warmed to the Milk Cup, Littlewoods Cup nor the Rumbelows Cup, and by the time Coca-Cola got on board I’d had it with the corporate name changes and just stuck the the good old fashioned League Cup. So when I first saw EFL I assumed it was probably some multi national energy conglomerate or Chinese baby food manufacturer and, like a man at a buffet table who reaches a tray of undercooked and rapidly cooling eggs, I moved swiftly on.
You may readily imagine my surprise on discovering that, far from the Ezhou First-foods Laboratories or Energie Für Leben corporation, EFL simply stands for English Football League. Why then, given this simple return to a football based name, could they not have simply called the bloody thing the League Cup? Makes you wonder doesn’t it?
This is a competition which has always ruffled the feathers. Born a only couple of years before I was it was conceived as a consolation prize for those knocked out of the FA Cup. As such it has always been a poor relation to its illustrious forebear and occupied a similar place in the football hierarchy as the Europa League does today. Worth winning yes, but very much the silver medal contest. In fact clubs often disdained even to take part, until compelled to in the 1971-72 season. The ‘big’ clubs, an amorphous description if ever there was one, only really sat up and took any notice of it when the final moved to Wembley and the winners were guaranteed a place in European competition.
So when anyone suggests that Arsenal are disrespecting a venerable competition by fielding a second or even third string team you may blow a long, wet and noisome raspberry at them. When launched back in the early sixties the average attendance at League Cup games was about that of a third division match. I don’t actually believe that Arsène disrespects any competition. In fact I’m not entirely sure an imaginary construct such as a football tournament can be disrespected. It can’t exactly take offence can it? In any event our manager is competitive by nature, prizing winners above all other sportsmen and would want to win every match, every competition in which his side takes part.
I enjoy the League Cup enormously. There is slightly less pressure around it and given the presence of fringe players and ebullient youth we have been treated to many exciting matches during Arsène’s reign. I always want us to make it to the final if for no other reason than to see the likes of Jeff, Noddy Holding, Chuba and Ospina get a good run of games. Also it is the perfect opportunity to settle new faces into the first team away from the intensity of the Premier League.
Tonight we travel to the City Ground Nottingham where we’ll face, among others, one of our old League Cup alumni, Henri Lansbury. Lansbury’s most famous moment came when he scored against the Tiny Totts in the 2010 iteration of the competition and I confess to thinking that surely here was a future star of the Arsenal first team. His, and the experience of many others before and since, is not merely a salutary warning to those of us who think we can see into a young player’s future. It also serves as a timely reminder as to just how breathtakingly good the likes of Hector and Alex Iwobi are to make it through from the youth teams to the first.
Raw talent is not enough. Scoring against frail and second rate opposition like Spurs in a third rate tournament is not enough. The blend of composure, skill, strength and whatever the magic X factor is which only Arsène can see are so rare that it is incredibly difficult to correctly predict which of the youngsters will go on to make the grade. Given our increased muscle in the transfer market, the gap through which they must squeeze has now become even more narrow.
So my advice is to enjoy watching the kids that manage to make it into the League Cup side and don’t bother looking too much farther ahead. This may be the only night or the only season they get to shine for us and so we should take their performances at face value and not project too much of a future for them. Of course, given the depth of our squad and the quality of players who cannot even be guaranteed a place on the subs bench these days there may not be too many fresh faces in the first eleven anyway.
What of our opponents tonight? Managed by Philippe Montanier, after eight Championship matches they suffer the indignity of sitting below the second best team in Bristol. They are, on their day, a free scoring side who have racked up eleven goals in the three league games they’ve won this season. They won both of their previous League Cup matches away from home and, despite setbacks at Brighton and Brentford, should not be underestimated.
Montanier has come under some criticism for his policy of rotation having used more players than any other Championship manager so far this season. While I accept that a settled first eleven which can build real and deep understandings all over the pitch is as important an element in a winning team as any other, I believe that in the modern game learning to manage and employ a big squad is a vital skill. With playing staff pushed to the absolute peak of fitness injuries seem almost inevitable. With so many matches being played and at such a ferocious pace players have to be rested in order to maximise their potential. It’s a balancing act and keeping all those plates spinning is the lot of the modern manager.
Apart from Henri Lansbury another familiar name on the Forest books is Armand Traore. Still only twenty six, Traore was another League Cup player from our academy who never quite bridged the gap to the top level. Oh and there is one other you may remember. Six feet four inches tall, twenty eight years old, former star of both Tårnby Boldklub and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, Danish international, top knot wearing, tattooed, hat-trick scoring star of one of our greatest ever League Cup triumphs, the five nil drubbing of Leyton Orient. I speak of none other than Lord Bendtner of Copenhagen.
Love him or really love him, I will always remember with great fondness his winner against Spurs after coming on as a substitute way back in 2007. He high fived Emmanuel Eboué, trotted into the penalty area and scored with a Roy Of The Rovers header. Timed at 1.8 seconds (the clock only started ticking when the corner was taken) it remains the fastest ever goal from a substitute.
Well, that’s enough from me. Enjoy the fun and games if you can, I’m not sure who if anyone is screening the match. I have a band practice tonight so will be going dark until the highlights are posted online. Ciao for now Positivistas.
Positively Arsenal 
Mouth watered , job done Stew, Thanks.
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As long as you like it George then my work is done.
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Grazie Stew per il rapporto.
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sei Millsey benvenuto
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as you say steww a young mans great performance in the league cup might not mean he becomes the star we think he can, just as a poor performance might not mean the end for them at Arsenal either. Moirtz Voltz who is scouting for Arsenal in Germany, seen his promising Arsenal career end mainly due to his 2 league cup games, a year apart, he had problems breathing on his debut, and something similar in his second and last appearance for the club, it was a reaction to the pressure of playing for the Arsenal. He had been considered a cert to graduate to the first team, but its the one major unknown, how will a lad react to playing with real pressure of first team football in front of 60,000, till they get a go no one can truly know. It is not unusual for young lads on their debut to struggle for breath but it normally passes, as they say they get their second wind and all is fine, but for some the second wind just don’t come. Going out on loan and getting first team experience often fixes the problem, but for some it don’t and its a career, if they are lucky, at a less pressurised club for them. He went on to have a career of over 200 first team games, including 5 seasons in the BPL playing for Fulham,
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Eddy – that’s a very interesting point – I hadn’t heard Voltz’s story. Glad the club found work for him. I suppose it’s similar to some musicians who have to give up touring because they suffer a debilitating anxiety response to being on stage.
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Chippy Vela anyone? I was dead certain he would become a legend.
“So my advice is to enjoy watching the kids that manage to make it into the League Cup side and don’t bother looking too much farther ahead. This may be the only night or the only season they get to shine for us and so we should take their performances at face value and not project too much of a future for them. Of course, given the depth of our squad and the quality of players who cannot even be guaranteed a place on the subs bench these days there may not be too many fresh faces in the first eleven anyway.”
Steww is a smart man. Keep the boss happy.
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Nicely done Steww and I have to confess a genuine fondness for the League Cup as, following my visits to the ground as a child in the ’70’s, it presented my first opportunity to see Arsene and his squad play live, right in front of my eyes at dear old Highbury. Not being a season ticket holder I was lucky enough to sit all around the ground prior to it’s partial demolition.
It was a thrilling time, our first team was playing football like nothing we’d seen before, talk of a new stadium was rife and there was, of course, the Messianic (in my eyes at least) Arsene. ‘Just’ watching the stars of tomorrow debuting in the LC was wonderful and I ended up doing this so often (and watching the reserves) that I felt pretty confident in calling out the stars of tomorrow. How wrong, and how OFTEN I was wrong, as Stew rightly says, is a testament to the stunning difficulties any new player has to overcome in order to ‘make it’.
Most recently I felt Bellerin and Gnabry were nailed on winners – certainly at 16 they were head and shoulders above their peers. So I was shocked when Gnabry slipped through our fingers in the summer. Such is life. The hours invested watching the 16 year old Fabregas never made his subsequent demise any easier to bear.
Enjoy the game tonight; wish I could get to Nottingham!!
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OK Steww I give up. Who’s in that photo? Good article btw.
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How can you not love the league cup all those epic battles between forest and pool and their respective charismatic managers and then to the Wenger era where we have seen a million young stars who used to seem to get the semis every year beating some great teams along the way. They oh so nearly produced the ultimate winning the thing with youngsters when everyone else was playing full blown pros and we were only denied by a blind lino a dogey ref and that blue team that spent billion s to win the thing. I always look forward to it even if players do move on and for them they always remember the chance they got to wear an ARSENAL shirt, just read Danny K’s book.
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Villa
Grand piece Stew and I am fond of the old League Cup as it was part of my early memories of Arsenal, particularly to the two Wembley finals against Leeds (booooo) and Swindon (shudders).
AFC had not been at Wembley in 68 for almost 20 years and a visit to the stadium to play was a once in a season event, it was not until 67 I think the final of the LC was even played there, was a huge event. It was probably even bigger cos the neighbours (hiss) were always over there.
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I’m not a fan of the TinPot Cup, but I do like the idea of seeing the potential future stars in a competitive game (rather than the ‘pretend it’s important’ U18/23s).
The problem is that it’s usually the established players that have a cr4p game and let the youngsters down, especially against 2nd or 3rd rate opposition.
Lets hope our 1st team squad players involved in it are actually ‘up for it’ instead of viewing it as a game they will win comfortably without making any effort.
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Spot on there about the epic battles – the semi final – or was it semi finals against Spuds in the late 80s were brilliant games – stampted on the memory.
The LC has some great little cameo moments and Stew’s reference to ex Arsenal players who never quite made it brought to mind young Jason Crowe. An Arsenal trainee right back who finally, at 19 was called on as sub in a LC tie at Highbury against Birmingham.
It was a tight game 1-1 after 90 minutes and Jason was given his chance as extra time started, replacing Lee Dixon.
Sadly the pressure proved too much for J and 33 seconds later he was shown a straight red card by Uriah Rennie for an abominable clog on a Brum player. I can still see his bald, skinhead dome trudging off under the lights.
The lad never, ever played for Arsenal again, the shortest ever Arsenal career and the fastest ever sending off in the League Cup. A remarkable double – Jason I salute you.
( he did go on to have a fair career in the lower leagues so it was not quite the end of the road – and despite being reduced to ten men we won 4-1 in the end – banned smiley)
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God bless ye Rocky!
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gf60 – Andy Nic is correct it is the winning Villa team with the novel trophy.
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Mills, thanks for that link. I was travelling around S.E.Asia at the time and missed all 3 of those games, but my mates did tell me about their celebrations after…
Also it’s funny to note that although the pitch would be far below championship standards for today, that was actually a very decent pitch for that time.
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Mills – didn’t realise how much I’d miss Brian Moore’s commentary style. So simple, non judgemental just enhancing the experience not telling us what to think.
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I did think of our PA scouts as Gnabbers scored that incredible goal for his new club. Fingers crossed on the buy back clause but it seems the youthful player had an idea that he should’ve been back in the first team squad last season although he wasn’t ready, not a lot you can do.
The two youth team players from the previous class that Ian and Andrew kindly tipped for us all to follow were Gnabry and Bellerin
*doffs cap*
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Andy Mack-amazing atmosphere-sure missed some great games, but Im sure traveling around SE Asia was bloody brilliant too..good to see you over from UA! A5 mentioned Leyton Orient last week( as Stew did today) and I was checking out a few of the O’s games, and was shocked at the state the pitch when they played in a cup game v Chelsea. Mind you Highbury could get really churned up to…
Stew-me too, I agree with what you wrote,I love the way he got so excited and up for the games.For some reason or other he seemed a bit under-rated in the world of commentators, I find myself often wishing he was around now,and his non-judgemental enhancement of the experience as you wrote.My commentary favourite of his is this..but “up for grabs” will be with us always…
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‘ITS UP FOR GRABS NOW’ is possibly the most sublime moment of my supporting life In Mr Moores dulcet tones.
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Yes, Brian Moore enjoyed the game itself and put personal preferences to the side when he commentated, unlike the clear preferences showed by most (all?) commentators in recent times.
Mills, Yes S.E.Asia was a blast. I Missed our goals but certainly scored regularly….
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This competition gave me my favourite match, the Reading 7-5. So I like it.
Basically it was Arshavin’s last hurah
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I’ll never forget that one George. It was a week before I saw any of the goals as I was in a caravan and tried ‘watching’ it via Twitter. With the internet so flaky I ended up in the car getting updates from 5 live. Not ideal.
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Tell you what Millsey – pick any night from Arsenal’s history and if you could time travel back to be in the crowd I would choose that Fairs Cup game. I know most would want to sit near Mel at Anfield in ’89 (and who could blame them?) but the atmosphere at Highbury must have been extraordinary. And I’d have got to see so many of my all time Arsenal heroes.
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For George and Stew highlights-one of the greatest games ever…I emailed my bro at ht and said “Arsenal will win the game”…I was watching it on bet 365 with the radar system they have-only one inch above the impossibility of trying to view the game in your minds eye whilst listening to the radio commentary.Imagine Brian Moore commentating on that game!
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Stew-Ive spoken to a lot of people who were at the Fairs Cup Final and they said it was a really magical evening, going on the pitch afterwards and it being really muddy.Sad thing is that Sammels used to get a load of crepe form the boo-boys. Cracking goal though-certainly got old Brian Moore going!
See you in the time machine!
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Eisfeld. There’s another I thought might make it.
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Eisfeld was a good player. Its so complex and without a blueprint how it works out for a player…
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I see that that knob end Mino Raiola has got his gready hands on young Arsenal prospect Donyell Malen.
Oh well, good luck with the rest of your career young man, byeeee.
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Many if not most players, doesn’t matter if they are ‘good’, ‘great’ or ‘bang average’, they won’t be ready for the demanding and taxing PL till their mid-twenties.
The former youth player Nordtveit who joined West Ham this season is a good example.
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There are super agents and then there are special agents who have special relationships with certain coaches, clubs, hack dwarves and more. I’d prefer not to know the full extant.
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Great line up – youngsters, new arrivals, experienced regulars – fine blend
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Arsenal team: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs, Elneny, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Akpom, Lucas
Arsenal substitutes: Macey, Bielik, Sheaf, Dasilva, Zelalem, Willock, Mavididi
Copyright 2016 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160920/team-news-#ASjrpeVg0vWRe6Uu.99
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oh my, even further out than his goal on saturday, Xhaka has done it again 1-0 to the arsenal
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Are some of these commentators serious? Saw this on the BBC live text… So what about playing the likes of hazard and Drogba and co
Playing a £35m signing in the League Cup feels like basically cheating, and Granit Xhaka makes a difference with a rasping long-ranger. He whacked one in from range against Hull and he’s at it again, via a big touch from Forest keeper Vladimir Stojković
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HT: 1-0 to the Arsenal
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Eddy
Bbc also saying arsenal’s goal was against the run of play?!
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i think they have last season’s game in their heads the BBC….
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Lucas scored a penalty after Akpom was felled, and now he has added a very good second to make it 3-0, very cool once he got in on goal, went by the keeper, despite being closely marked, and slotted it into the empty net
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ha ha ha DC, forest did not have a shot on target, that i can recall, before xhaka scored.
lansbury finally booked after about his sixth yellow offence.
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the only downside so far has been how off form ox is.
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almost another goal, after a prolonged spell of passing, and the afc fans oleing each pass, lucas when with a chance himself unselfishly tried to give akpom a simple finish, but the pass was intercepted.
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8 minutes left, willock and zelalem on for reine-adelaide and akpom
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Bring on da yout dem
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4 minutes left and Bielik come on for his debut for the impressive Maitland-Niles
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sorry not bielik’s debut, he played once for us already, but it is willock’s debut
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lucas close to getting his hattrick, after good work from ox
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Yes, Ox
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ox with a fine finish after playing a one two with lucas
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Thanks Steww.
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