Walk up stairs, walk across dignitaries shaking their hands, smile, lift trophy, listen to crowd applauding- the banner said it all "Not arrogant. Just better" and after 90 minutes of cup final football you couldn't really argue.
Yes I am talking about Manchester United and them winning the first trophy of the year, one often called "The Mickey Mouse Trophy", and it was a tense and exciting final against Aston Villa.
The Carling Cup had had many names down the years but it is always patronised as a competition, either by the media's name calling or managers resting vast amounts of their players. But, other than mocking for mocking's sake, does the Carling Cup really belong to Mickey or is it slightly more dazzling?
There is the obvious, that some of the best teams in the country could not care less about winning the fourth best trophy of the season, these teams do not play their best available 11 in any round. Arsene Wenger has come closest to winning the trophy that he clearly holds no feelings towards whilst playing his often over complimented "kids". This never fully works though as the poor little kiddies get kicked all over the park by the overly cynical big boys (tongue firmly in cheek). Heck back in October we witnessed the children of the Emirates take on the reserves of Anfield or wherever they usually play. Two teams who don't care about minor competitions and only care about the big ones.
Fast forward four months and perhaps both managers, or at least Rafa, may want to reconsider their stance over the trophy Sir Alex and his men picked up at Wembley. Rafa's men can only win the Europa League, and there is certainly better sides than theirs left judging on their latest performance in that competition. Whilst Wenger's men can only win the Champions League, although they are in an even worse position than Liverpool's Europa League campaign, and an outside chance for the Premier League.
Perhaps the second thing against the cup is the lack of a place in Europe for it's runners up should it's winners already be in Europe. But should this really detract from a competition that does still give away a place in Europe? I mean no one's aiming to lose a cup final.
But didn't the Premier League champions win the league cup yesterday? And last year as well? Weren't Chelsea in the two finals before then? So Wenger and Benitez don't value the competition- does that mean it has no value?
Clearly not! Ask Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers, both beat members of the 'big four' in their cup quarter finals and both led their semi finals at one point. They would have done anything to progress to the final and gave a shot at winning some silverware.
The same can be said for Aston Villa, not just content to battle for that illustrious forth position, Martin O'Neil and his players are hell bent on picking up some silverware. And had Nemanja Vidic not somehow escaped a red card they may have come away with some. O'Neil was rightly annoyed at the decision but didn't want to make the game all about it- perhaps is blow softened by the fact he still has the race for forth and the FA Cup to play for.
But the men who clearly think the Carling Cup is worth winning were the ones with the biggest smiles yesterday. Firstly the man who's been there and done that- Sir Alex himself. Having rested some players in the early rounds his selection has strengthened through the matches against Spurs, City and then Villa. Fergie understands that silverware is silverware, something Wenger seems to have forgotten, and that the momentum of a winning team will carry over to the league. Above all though Fergie still plays trophy winning rookies in the final so they know what winning in big matches is all about- every United player NEEDS to know how to win.
The second biggest smile was strung across the face of a United substitute- and let's face it that wasn't the first time this was true of a United winning team, it's just usually the sub isn't Wayne Rooney. The Englishman was dying to start but his manager was dying to rest him and so it was that he started on the bench. Unfortunately Michael Owen left early and so the inevitable match winner entered. Rooney knows how to win trophies and it all started with the league cup.
Above all else is some of the most exciting matches of this season in the earlier rounds of the league cup- the 2nd leg of both semi finals, the quarter finals at City and Blackburn, the topsy turvy giant killing of Burnley by Barnsley and Stoke's 96th minute winner against Blackpool.
Sure the League cup might not be the most important trophy but it's certainly worth winning the final, walking up stairs, walking across dignitaries, shaking their hands, smiling, lifting the trophy, listening to the crowd applauding and getting used to winning more trophies. And so the Mickey Mouse trophy is won! Will United also be the kings of the Magic Kingdom?
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