Up for the Cup
Wednesday, 11 March 09, 09:06 AM · Comments(0)
by Joel Abraham
Some people are never happy. Ask a pundit about the FA Cup, and there'll either be too many or too few big teams in it.
Let's take a look at last year's semi finals:
West Brom v Portsmouth; Barnsley v Cardiff (which yielded a paltry 2 goals)
And this year's: (Arsenal v Hull pending)
Man United v Everton; Arsenal v Chelsea
Which would you rather watch?
How can critics say the FA Cup isn't taken seriously when four of the last five teams in this year's competition are in the top six of the league? They sent out strong teams in the last round and see the FA Cup as a valuable piece of silverware. Just ask Arsenal fans, trophiless since 2005.
Try telling them the FA Cup is worthless
There might be ways to improve the format, each with their own set of problems. Abolish replays? Unfair on the smaller teams, who often rely on them for a much-needed financial boost. Have the lower ranked team play at home? If it becomes the Away Cup for the top five, don't be surprised if they start to see it as more trouble than it's worth.
The disparity between last year's and this year's final four is testament to the appeal of the FA Cup. The big teams want it, but with a bit of luck, a trip to Wembley is within anyone's grasp. The prestige is still there. Just watch this year's semis and judge for yourself.
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On Wenger's experiment: The good, the bad and the Verminator
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Freddy said:Interesting to revisit this after 4 of 6 matches. Liverpool clearly are struggl...
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