Why Martin O'Neill needs to win the Carling Cup this season

By James Nursey

Published 08:00 14/01/10

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Martin O'Neill enjoys something of a special relationship with the League Cup.

And how the Aston Villa boss must be hoping that continues this season.

Former Nottingham Forest midfielder O'Neill, 57, won the competition twice as a player, in 1978 and 1979, with Brian Clough's team.

And since moving into management, O'Neill has had his hands on the cup twice more, at Leicester in 1997 and 2000.

But for a man whose career has been defined by trophies, O'Neill is yet to win anything with Aston Villa.

Such thoughts will probably be on his mind this week as Villa prepare for Thursday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg away at Blackburn.

For O'Neill is clearly desperate to get to Wembley with Villa and lift his first silverware with the Midlands club.

Successive sixth place finishes in the Premier League have been admirable since Villa finished 11th in O'Neill's first campaign in charge in 2006-2007.

But O'Neill has admitted that managers are judged on trophies.

That clearly doesn't mean to say O'Neill has been a bad manager at Villa.

But he wants to be known as a great manager - and the only way to do that is by lifting a trophy.

The Premier League and Champions League are not viable options for anyone other than the established top four.

Yet the FA Cup and Carling Cup are attainable alternatives.

So it has been no surprise to see O'Neill field a strong side in both Cup competitions this season.

And the Ulsterman has a real chance of getting his hands on the League Cup once more.