Shocks are no longer shocks... Remember watching my first final in 77 United V Liverpool - was a massive occasion back then. Climax tonthe domestic season - 3 o'clock kick off on a Saturday afternoon. Both main channels had the game and there were special FA cup programs on from early in the morning. My first shock was being beaten 2 0 at home to Blackpool but bigger shocks followed - Wrexham , Sutton again all pulled off massive wins against a first division team playing a first team line up. What have we got now - second string teams - 10 changes for Leeds today - not very shocking results. Fa need to sit down and sort this out before we lose this cup competition for good!
I agree. Our FA Cup used to be the envy of the footballing world, and players of every nationality would dream of playing in it... Only way they can rekindle the "magic" is to make reward for winning it greater to really motive the big clubs. Maybe give the winner our 4th Champions League spot to keep everyone interested. I'm sure the likes of Man Utd would and Arsenal would play full teams then...
That would be a good idea, but I suspect it's not allowed. To be honest, the expansion of the Champions League has to take a large amount of the blame for the demise of the FA Cup. Making first the Cup Winners Cup and then the Europa League into proper second rate competitions which many clubs regard as a booby prize. Having said that, quite incomprehensible that Leeds saw fit to field their reserves away at a decent non-league outfit. Only got themselves to blame for what happened, and in any case the side they had out should still have been able to see off Sutton comfortably.
Blame sky and the premier league. Unless the FA suddenly pump 100 million to the winners teams aren't arsed.
Champions league spaces should be reserved for the winners of each competition ONLY. If you finish fourth in the premiership then by who's definition exactly can you count yourself as a champion? You are the third LOSER not the fourth WINNER. We should be given a champions league space for the winner of the premier league, one for the winner of the fa cup and if they really must then like with the football league they could give one out for the winner of a 2nd to 5th premiership play-off to keep the league exciting to the end. The fourth (and potentially 5th) champions league places should be handed back to the smaller European countries who disgracefully don't even get automatic entry despite being champions. If that upsets the so called big teams in the premiership then so be it. Football is about hundreds of football clubs in this country, not the 4 or 5 with the most money.
Instead of man city having to go through the qualifying rounds like this season they will in future get straight in. They are doing it to stop a breakaway super league. Personally I think that a breakaway superleague for a few teams from each country would be the best thing that could happen to English football. Interest in those top 4 (at a guess) teams who breakaway would go through the floor. After a few years of never seeing Manchester united play except rare games hidden away on BT sport against juventus would anybody care? Their own fans would hate it, imagine ALL away games being in another country. No local derbies, no rivalries, no hatred or passion, just games against teams in Spain which nobody can afford to travel to. I would laugh my **** off. The impact on English teams would be immense, focus would shift from these few teams to the rest, the money would filter down, their fanbase would dwindle and kids would support other teams instead, smaller teams would take their place in the premiership and that would go all the way down. Teams who were just slightly too small for promotion to each league would see a boost. Get on with it I say. Sign your own death warrant and save English football
Just seen some highlights. Alan Shearer just said clubs care about money but fans care about cups. People like him, and his massive wages are the reason clubs have to chase the money. Millwall v Watford, half empty stadium for a league one club playing a premier league club in what's pretty much a local derby. In years gone by that would have been a sell out. Sent from my SM-G850F using Tapatalk
I agree with all this... In an ideal world, I'd go back to the European Cup format. Winners of each league in a straight 2 leg knockout competition with absolutely no seedings. If Real Madrid and Munich get drawn together in the first round, then tough...one of the big guns are going out early! But will obviously never happen as there wouldn't be enough money in it for the teams.
I'd agree with all that. The thing is, fans in India, China, Thailand etc want to see Barcelona vs Chelsea as a regular fixture, while us in England couldn't give a rat's ass. The thing is, under the old format, you may have got that game once every ten or fifteen years, and it really was a special occasion. I'd be interested to see what would happen by way of reaction from fans if a breakaway league was proposed. I know old school Man City fans who've lost interest since the Sheikh's family took charge. Long-time fans who have missed out on FA Cup final tickets due to people who'd only ever been to Maine Road for an Oasis concert getting tickets ahead of them.
