will qualifying for the CL mean a longer wait for a trophy?

[Wonderwall]

I cannot see Mancini and co putting the Carling Cup as a priority! We all know that the priorities will change:

1. Premeir League Position
2. Champs League
3. FA Cup
4. Carling Cup
5. Europa Cup (if we make a mess of the CL)

I think qualifying for the CL will keep that old trafford banner up there a little bit longer than if we were not in the CL. I hope Messi has a fall out with barca over the summer.... We will need a very talented squad to win a trophy next year IMO.

[CityGer]

There's an argument that says qualifying for the champions league will help us attract some top players and improve our squad so the reverse could be true. However, I agree that we will have to prioritise and that the Carling Cup may fall down the pecking order.

I'd hope that we will retain a big enough squad with enough quality through it to compete on all fronts as lots of champs league teams have done in recent years.

[Fish111]

Qualifying for the CL will inevitably mean a longer wait for a Carling Cup victory but i think the FA Cup and the league position will be of paramount importance. With the better players we will be able to attract by being in the CL then a trophy, whether that be the Premiership or FA Cup, will follow sooner rather than later. The scum & Arsenal have been strong throughout the years because they have given their kids a good go in the Carling Cup which gives them invaluable experience at the top level. We should do the same.

[Swales4ever]

Qualifying for the CL will inevitably mean a longer wait for a Carling Cup victory but i think the FA Cup and the league position will be of paramount importance. With the better players we will be able to attract by being in the CL then a trophy, whether that be the Premiership or FA Cup, will follow sooner rather than later. The scum & Arsenal have been strong throughout the years because they have given their kids a good go in the Carling Cup which gives them invaluable experience at the top level. We should do the same.

Seconded. Specially because You probably have to go to Amsterdam to find a better Accademy than City's.
Btw, I fail to understand (be said with full respect!) why a progress may be intended for a weakness or a regress, outside Vatican City I mean... :-)

[brite blu sky]

agree with Fish

i think it all depends on how much the squad is beefed up over the summer.. and also how well we do in this run-in.
The squad as it stands is good enough to win the domestic cups as long as we keep improving. It is also not too far off challenging for the title.. but to be really in with a shout of the title we need to sort the midfield out. If we did that and are in for a shout on the title, then really only the experience side would question our ability to do well in the CL (assuming we get there). With that kind of atmosphere and belief at the club then by using the squad to the full there is no reason we cant make a good stab at one of the trophies..

[Vhero]

Depends really on how big our squad will be at the start of the season and how bad injurys will be nobody knows these things and can predict. Its swinging the way of waiting longer yeah but bigger honours and more of em is more likely too :).

[btajim]

If any of the bigger Clubs miss out on Champions League qualification within their own Country then the opportunity to play for City in the real European Competition must be something attractive. A selling point for us, definitely.