Whilst the Carling Cup has been much maligned over the years, Fergie appears to have found a renewed interest in it in recent seasons. We are the defending Champions and we also won it in 2006 during a time when some Manchester United fans had started to wonder if we would ever see silverware head our way ever again.

If ever there was a reason to take this one very seriously, it is now, however.

City have been stoking up the fire in recent days (aided and abetted by the press, of course)  and their new manager, Roberto Mancini,  has even started to make some noises to the effect that City will eventually be bigger than Manchester United.

Well, if he’s talking about the size of our respective wallets then City have that one won hands down already. We’re skint whilst they have a bottomless pit of money to dip into.

However, whilst the next few seasons hold more than a degree of uncertainty for us, at this moment in time, we remain a force to be reckoned with.

I have said in a previous post that the one thing City need to do more than anything else this season (even more so than finish in the top four) is win something and the Carling Cup, whilst little more than a consolation prize for those contesting for Premier League and Champions League honours, would represent City’s biggest success for 34 years.

Success breeds success and when players get that winning feeling, it is something tangible, something real and something that they want to repeat again and again, like a drug.

No one knows the power of this better than Fergie and no one will know more than Fergie the importance of denying City this feeling at every available opportunity.

With the riches at their disposal, it must surely only be a matter of time before City put an end to the trophy drought but the longer it can be extended, the better for anyone not of a Blue persuasion.

The losers of this tie might be tempted to say, “Oh well, it’s only the Carling Cup” but make no mistake about it, this represents a pivotal moment for both clubs, more so Manchester City, but with all the brick-bats being thrown in the direction of Manchester United at this moment, we cannot afford to lose it either.

It promises to be a cracking tie and may the best team win.

(It looks like we’ll be playing Aston Villa in the Final.)