FA CUP FINAL

[Loafer]

Four hours of Liverpool vs Chelsea at Wembley without a goal. Four hours

Wouldn’t have happened with Spurs eh?

Yid army!!!!!

[Royal Rother]

Although it was gripping in its way, cant say I really enjoyed the game.

The 2 keepers each made a couple of good saves but were largely untested because neither team could hit the bloody target.

As the years go by I dislike penalty shoot outs more and more.

Bring back replays!!!

[From Despair To Where?]

Didn't watch it. Did Kepa get to fcuk up another shoot out?

[Royal Rother]

No, he didn’t come on.

[Loafer]

Didn't watch it. Did Kepa get to fcuk up another shoot out?

No

[South Coast Royal]

Didn't watch it. Did Kepa get to fcuk up another shoot out?

Nothing personal but that sums up the standing now of the FA Cup-what football fan would ever not watch the FA Cup final in years gone by
I wonder?

It has been mooted before but there has to be some merit surely in our 4th finishing spot (the battle for slightly less mediocrity as in the case of Spurs/Arsenal) in the Premier League ,as qualification for the Champions League, being surrendered in favour of the FA Cup winners.
That might mean that clubs like Southampton, Brighton (and Reading!!) and so on might put out their first team in the competition rather than a makeshift side as their makeshift sides will still be beaten by the makeshift sides of Liverpool, City or Chelsea.

It is one of the oldest and renowned competitions in world football but it has just become nothing more than a wider entry version of the League Cup which I feel is a shame..

[Franchise FC]

I’ve always wanted a CL place for the FA Cup. At least it would be a team that won something rather than the also-rans

Ironic that the European Cup was for champions only and the Champions League is for all sorts of non-winners

[edit] I’d even take the FA Cup winners only if they are in the Premier League (at the time that they win it), as an option.
Would mean that a second tier or lower team could win the FA Cup but not qualify for the CL, but that’s OK by me
Who were the last non PL team to win the FA Cup ?
[edit 2] West Ham ? 42 years ago ?

[From Despair To Where?]

I guess Wigan won it and got relegated.

Last non top flight winner? West Ham in 1980?

Southampton and Sunderland managed it in the 70s. But those 3 are the only ones since the War.

Happened 8 times in total including Spurs in 1901. They were nominally non league but the Southern League was a rival to and as strong as the Football League.

Only 25 non top flight teams have ever reached the final since 1889 when the Football League was formed, 11 since 1945.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Guilty as charged

Liverpool v Chelsea final, all a bit meh

Once Reading are out, and any lower leaguers get out-spent by the big boys (eventually fielding their first teamers), it becomes just another £remiership game. The semis being played at Wembley (bar one game in particular ) just lessens the interest further.

Yes, bring back the Euro qualifying bounty to the cup by all means.

[BROB0T]

I’ve always wanted a CL place for the FA Cup. At least it would be a team that won something rather than the also-rans

usually won by teams that will get CL qualification or the occasional team that got very lucky with the draw rather than being any good

[Sutekh]

Didn't watch it. Did Kepa get to fcuk up another shoot out?

Nothing personal but that sums up the standing now of the FA Cup-what football fan would ever not watch the FA Cup final in years gone by
I wonder?

Used to watch every final until the mid/late 90s when it started getting obvious the big sides don’t take it seriously. Nowadays it’s even worse with not only a lot of PL also-rans making wholesale changes for cup ties but a lot of Championship sides too. And to be honest it’s just so boring with one or two of the big six making the final every year anyway.

And as for CL qualification from the FA Cup well UEFA won’t allow that unless the winner meets some co-efficient of theirs, I mean who wants to risk some famous name getting belittled by a club in their first ever outing in Europe.

[Sanguine]

Thing is, in spite of the competition not awarding a CL place, we've had a few 'smaller' sides in the final in recent times. In the last decade - Leicester, Watford, Palace, Villa, Hull, Wigan, albeit only with two of those six winning it. In the decade up to 2012 - Stoke, Portsmouth, Everton, Cardiff, West Ham, Millwall, Southampton, although none of those sides won the final.

So I'd argue that the current setup isn't stopping clubs outside of the traditional big 6 reaching the latter stages, and (for the sake of arguing the other side) that awarding a CL place to the FA Cup winner would only see the bigger clubs juggle their squads differently and start to monopolise the semis and final once more.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Aren’t they already doing that?

Let the pawns do the aways to Shrewsbury, Walsall and the likes let loose the back row when the Wembley hoop is in sight.

[tmesis]

Thing is, in spite of the competition not awarding a CL place, we've had a few 'smaller' sides in the final in recent times. In the last decade - Leicester, Watford, Palace, Villa, Hull, Wigan, albeit only with two of those six winning it. In the decade up to 2012 - Stoke, Portsmouth, Everton, Cardiff, West Ham, Millwall, Southampton, although none of those sides won the final.

So I'd argue that the current setup isn't stopping clubs outside of the traditional big 6 reaching the latter stages, and (for the sake of arguing the other side) that awarding a CL place to the FA Cup winner would only see the bigger clubs juggle their squads differently and start to monopolise the semis and final once more.

I think a large part of the problem is that even if a non big 6 team makes it to the final, it's almost taken for granted that they'll lose.

In contrast, I think for non-league clubs and lower league clubs on a cup run, the cup is almost as good as it's ever been. The thought of a giant-killing still brings the fans out in their thousands. When they've gone though, the cup just loses something, and I find I barely pay attention after the 4th round any more.


Jaded cycnicism also plays a part for me. From having a "I'd love to see them win it" attitude to a lot of 'lesser' clubs, I find myself thinking 'I don't want that club, and their insufferably smug fans to win it', now that nearly every club in the league has annoyed me in some way.