Reviewing the Recent Change in Arsene Wenger's Approach to the Carling Cup

Some—OK, many—have questioned Arsene Wenger's decision to field largely youthful squads littered with Arsenal's top burgeoning talent for the early rounds (sometimes, all the way to the final) of the Carling Cup; others have heralded the decision as an applause-worthy testament to the confidence he shows in youth.

Whatever way you shake it, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has become known for the glut of talent at his club's youth levels. And his fearlessness at unleashing it against far more experienced sides.

But that looks as if it's now starting to change.

Arsenal's trophy drought, extended yet another year after 2011-12 (the Gunners' last title came in the FA Cup in 2005), seems to have convinced Wenger of the wisdom of fielding more experienced options in the early rounds of the competition.

My first memory of this new trend came in Arsenal's September 21, 2010 Carling Cup match away to Tottenham, when the likes of Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Eboue, Tomas Rosicky and Denilson—proven campaigners all—shared the pitch with youngsters Henri Lansbury, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere (although Wilshere doesn't really count, as he was a starter from that season's opening match away to Liverpool).

This is often the practice of most of the top Premier League teams—sprinkling in seasoned campaigners alongside unproven young talent—but Wenger has, almost stubbornly sometimes depending who you ask, avoided that option, instead resolutely sticking with youth.

It's not as if he hadn't had success with that practice.

To the surprise of many, a side built primarily of the choicest Arsenal youngsters had swashbuckled its way to the 2007 Carling Cup final.

Julio Baptista's four-goal romp at Anfield in the quarterfinals that season—a fitting foreshadowing of Andrei Arshavin's own statement game following his arrival to the club some two years later—stole the headlines, but it was Wenger's consistent team selection that generated the biggest headlines.

The likes of Mathieu Flamini, Theo Walcott, Alex Song and Denilson were chosen in nearly every game of that campaign—and even once Arsenal had reached the final, a tilt with London rivals Chelsea, Wenger stuck with Walcott (then just 17 years of age), Armand Traore, Denilson and Abou Diaby.

Contrast that with Chelsea, who started Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Mikel Essien, Claude Makelele, Michael Ballack and (don't laugh) Andrei Shevchenko.

The trend was continued in the Carling Cups of subsequent seasons—Arsenal reached the semifinals in 2008 before losing to Tottenham in a match that Walcott and fellow teenagers Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner started.

When Arsenal crashed out in spectacular fashion to Burnley in the '08-'09 quarters, just one first-team starter graced the pitch (and considering it was Mickael Silvestre, that doesn't quite count, does it?)

Arsenal once more lost in the quarterfinals in 2009-10, falling 3-0 at the Eastlands to a star-laden Manchester City side that reeked of the intent Chelsea had shown in the '07 final.

In contrast, Arsenal started that match with Traore, Craig Eastmond, Fran Merida, Aaron Ramsey and Wilshere. And that was before Wilshere became Jack Wilshere.

Then came the aforementioned shift in philosophy shown in the 2010-11 edition.

Perhaps Wenger was finally beginning to feel the heat that years without silverware creates at a club as storied as Arsenal. Perhaps he saw the Carling Cup as perhaps the "easiest" of the four cup competitions to nab and thus alleviate some of the pressure building around him.

Maybe he was livid at how he'd lost in the quarterfinals for two consecutive seasons.

Either way, the teams Wenger fielded for that season's Carling Cup were steeped in experience. In Arsenal's fourth-round matchup against Newcastle in October—a level where we'd grown accustomed to seeing some of Arsenal's youngest players given a crack at the action—first-teamers Laurent Koscielny, Rosicky and Walcott all started.

They were joined by Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson, who while not frequent starters that season, were consistent first-team selections.

Wenger continued with that shifting philosophy—in the quarterfinals against Wigan, a 2-0 victory on Nov. 30, 2010, Robin van Persie and Wilshere were in the squad—and while we know how that competition ended that season (the meltdown at Wembley that shall not be named), it was the first time in recent memory an Arsenal side fielded senior members on a consistent basis.

The contrast was positively startling when viewed in contrast with the 2006-07 edition.

While youth was once again on display in Arsenal's first match of the 2011-12 Carling Cup, against Shrewsbury Town, Soccernet called the team selection "a very strong side...looking to signal its intent for another crack at Wembley."

Arsenal's campaign would end far before the final, but Wenger continued to call upon experience up until the quarterfinal defeat against Manchester City.

At no point was it more evident than this season that Wenger had realized the time had come to amend his approach to leading Arsenal Football Club.

From the summer transfer deadline-day binge buying, to this summer's likely hefty haul of players with experience (see: Lukas Podolski) rather than unproven talent, the French manager looks like he has finally realized that, while admirable, his often-obdurate policy of building Arsenal through youth rather than spending overtly in the transfer window simply does not lead to trophies.

Jose Mourinho's—no stranger to winning trophies—team selection in the '07 final could have taught him that.

One might say the Carling Cup was the first environment where Wenger tested his new approach. On that night at White Hart Lane in September 2010, Wenger fielded a side steeped in experience. A fitting bit of foreshadowing? Perhaps.

At the very least, he's continued the trend. He's building Arsenal with that exact blueprint in mind.