Suddenly, though, the English League Cup has achieved a new significance, even for Manchester United. When you're stumbling through a desert any kind of an oasis will suffice. If Alex Ferguson's men overcome Wigan Athletic this afternoon they will voraciously lap up the waters of victory and recovery.

It was back in May 2004, at the Millennium Stadium, that the pyrotechnics were last ignited to herald a United trophy. Millwall defeated 3-0 in the FA Cup in that pathetically unequal contest. Since then, a blank canvas. But is United a classic work in progress or a once-magnificent piece of art being defaced by indifferent acquisitions and an absence of quality young contenders emerging through the academy?

Ferguson is in no doubt.

He would perceive victory as evidence of his club's regeneration during a transitional period, when his midfield wall has disintegrated, following the departure of David Beckham and Roy Keane, and with Paul Scholes absent until next season with an eye condition.

The more sceptical, though, contend that if this is to be United's only trophy this season, after finishing with the cupboard embarassingly bare after the last, it is evidence of that club's decline and that only victory today - with members of the Glazer family in attendance - stands between Ferguson and a swift retirement.

Many points adrift of Chelsea, eliminated from the FA Cup and out of Europe after ignominious defeats at Benfica and Lille, while their principal rivals still contemplate thoughts of Paris in May, the Scot's features suggest his pride had been stung sorely when it is suggested to him that the season had been a painful one personally. "I don't think any manager comes into the job expecting to lose, " he retorted. "They want to be winners. That's the only thing that keeps them in a job. For me, I had to take a long view of where we're going as a club.

"There's lack of consistency, and that's what you get when you build a team again.

You don't have the same consistency every week. You notice that particularly at a club like ourselves where we're developing the club again, and at Arsenal too.

They can go and beat Real Madrid. We can go and beat Chelsea and Liverpool. Yet, we can go and lose to other clubs, like Manchester City, and Middlesbrough 4-1." Ferguson adds the scoreline, almost masochistically, as though he still can't believe that could happen to a team of his. "Arsenal lost games they didn't expect to lose.

That happens when you pick young players. It's unfortunate. But you have to wait and be patient. Over the next two years, I think you'll see our team differently."

Midfield, he concedes, particularly exercises his managerial prowess at the moment. He was asked if Rio Ferdinand would occupy a more playmaking than defensive role today. "Picking my team?" he responds goodhumouredly, before adding:

"That's a good guess"."We've had to patch up that area of the field for quite a time now, " he adds. The loss of Paul (Scholes) means we've had to change for quite a time now, almost every week, different variations and different pairings. It's not easy, but the lads in the main have handled it well.

"Over the last three months their form has been really good. We lost at Liverpool last week, but then an FA Cup tie at Anfield is a toss-ofthe-coin job. A very difficult tie."

The whole perception of United has been transformed within those two seasons.

Once they were seasoned, scarred but victorious, veterans, proudly bearing their ribbons, who strode into battle. New recruits were enticed to Old Trafford with the certain promise of honours. If there is an incongruity about United's recent history it's that Wayne Rooney is far from being alone among Ferguson's virgin soldiers who will contest today's Carling Cup Final.

"As you can see the young players that we've got, they have, without question, got excellent ability, " he maintains. "They lack the one thing that inexperienced players lack and that's maturity."

And a timescale for authentic recovery? "I hope it's next year. I hope our young players mature quickly. There's a great potential there. I've every confidence in that." He agrees that two years without trophy. "It is too long. But that's football life nowadays.

We expect that." He expanded on that theme, insisting: "Money is being thrown at the Premiership now, not just by Manchester United and Chelsea, but by a lot of clubs who are under pressure to deliver and win trophies themselves."

Even this afternoon's opponents are not exactly paupers. But they are the season's romantic lead, particularly when the FA Cup, Brentford and Colchester's exploits apart, has failed to deliver once again, both in terms of upsets and provision of a new home for its final. Ferguson concedes his respect for the Wigan manager. "It's good for someone like Paul Jewell because he's earned his position at Wigan.

He's come up the hard road, " the Scot assesses his counterpart, who has been linked this week with the Newcastle vacancy. "He's had disappointments at Bradford, he's been at Sheffield Wednesday.

But when you get those disappointments and when you're at clubs maybe fighting against resources -- Sheffield Wednesday's position today is sad in a way -- you have to battle through those circumstances. But that experience enabled him to take a bigger job at Wigan and be able to cope with it.

"It's good for me to see that because I think it's very important for young managers to come into the harder end of the game and learn the game. Too many go into the top level too quickly, " Ferguson adds.

The cynical amongst us may reply that too many stick around when their work is done. Ferguson is deternined to prove that theory wrong.

Starting this afternoon.

CARLING CUP FINAL MANCHESTER UNITED v WIGAN ATHLETIC Millennium Stadium, 3.00 Live, Sky Sports 1, 2.30