I have to say, I agree with Rock. We've got to win this thing to get the monkey off our back, pick the best team and get it done. However, like previously mentioned, I really don't think it will do much for the club internally in giving them belief or making then "winners", but its effect would hopefully help us shake this loser image that we now have.
I also agree with Klausie, in the sense that Wenger hasn't been alone in disregarding the importance of the Carling Cup. It's a crap competition, that lots and lots of teams show complete disrespect for. However, winning it will shut most of the morons up and will also give our fans something to cheer about - which is badly needed.
I think Wenger will find it very difficult to suddenly tell Szczesny, Djourou, Gibbs, Denilson, Walcott etc. That they're not playing at Wembley because he's picking Fabianski, Vermaelen, Clichy, Fabregas, Arshavin....I think he probably should, but I'm not sure it's in his nature.
If it was Fergie or Mourinho in the same spot, getting stick from all directions for not winning anything, they would have been going all out from the 3rd round - Wenger, for better or worse, has more patience than that, and the trust/loyalty he has with his young players is more important to him than a missed trophy here and there. In some ways that's a good thing, in others it's clearly not.
