FA cup

They are pretty determined to ruin it arnt they. Looks like a couple of thousand at utd mind 7pm on a Thursday night that's no surprise.

 

Doesn't really look good on tv does it

 

Disgrace what they’ve done to the FA cup.

 

FA Cup 3rd round day always used to be the day of the football season I looked forward to most.

Then it became FA Cup 3rd Round weekend, and now it begins on a Thursday, with no prospect of any hard-earned replays.

Those responsible should hang their heads in shame.

 

It’s crap these days, F.A. Cup weeks are becoming as boring as International weeks(does help if your team still in comp mind ha)

 

Cardiff love playing South Yorkshire sides in the FA Cup.

 

Yes, the top teams in the Premier League being the culprits.

 

Watford goal was a decent strike

 

Think they already have mate

 

Looks like SUFC have given it the same respect they gave to the League Cup against us and got what they deserved.

 

I don’t think Wilder has any interests in the cups. I think his record in them is absolutely abysmal so it’s no real surprise that they’re out.

In fairness to him the league form normally means he gets away with it but I’d hate it if we had a manager who fielded weak teams in the FA Cup & League Cup.

 

FA Cup Winners' prize 2025: £2,000,000

Premier League Bottom Club (20th): £3,100,000

 

Greed league!

 

No replays, yet the EFL cup semi has 2 legs.

 

And the prize for finishing 17th is probably three times that - plus another £90-£100million guaranteed next year.

Similarly you can’t fault championship clubs prioritising finishing top six over the fa cup.

I remember the cup feeling special myself - up to the early to mid 90’s. Maybe to the turn of the century, that 99 semi between Arsenal and United was gripping enough. The league cup had faded well before that - and was never all that highly regarded in the first place.

Yes money has probably spoilt it - but the fa cup was relatively unique; cup competitions in other countries never seemed to have the level of prestige or excitement.

I don’t go along with the ‘greed league’ and ‘spoilt the game’ line to be honest, not completely at least. The parachute payment thing doesn’t sit well but I suppose it is what is earnt by getting promoted.

But the money in global broadcasting etc that comes into the premier league has meant that the league attracts truly top players. Megastars are always going to sign for Barca, Real, Bayern Munich - but England and the riches it offers attracts top international players now, the like of which used to be reserved for La liga and Serie A.

English teams are serially in the latter stages of European competitions. Favourites for them even.

The English national team has improved in terms of how far we get in tournaments - St George’s park helps but the individual clubs having a massive budget for academies, and the players being exposed to playing against the top players week in week out, has done that too. People argue all the foreign players reduce the chances for local youngsters - but the truth is the England national team has got better and English players have got technically better over the years, and it can’t be a coincidence that it has happened when English clubs have global stars in their teams.

We’ve had De Bruyne, Haaland, Allison, Ederson, Van Dyke, Salah, etc etc - all accepted as world class and just about the best there is in their position. Would get into any team in the world. All here and settled for years.

In the early to mid nineties we did have foreign players ‘enhancing’ the league - but we didn’t have the Maldini’s, Romário’s, Baggio’s etc - we had the Kinkladze’s, Ginola’s, Kanchelskis’ - as things started ramping up money wise we ended up getting people like Thomas Brolin when he was fat and past it, Lombardo and Mancini when they were old. Chelsea hoovered up a lot of European names.

There are some exceptions, Zola came in his peak and so on, Bergkamp too - but the number of actual top, global names in the league now compared to then is massive.

The keeper voted best in the world and who won the last World Cup plays for a team currently eighth in the league. Says it all really.

 

Put it back to Sat/ Sunday and the winners get the champions league spot ahead of the team that finishes fourth in the PL, oh and replays

 

We had one who fielded an ineligible team last season, so we're extra special!

 

Owners didn't want to be in the cup. The F.A didn't want us to be martyrs and openly admitted the game would have been replayed had we appealed.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/c93833qppnno

 

At least we can claim that we haven't lost an FA Cup game in 2 seasons despite not making the third round...