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Ian DarkeESPN.com writer
Long ago, deep in the mists of time, England would come to a standstill on a May afternoon for the FA Cup final. It was by far the biggest game of the season and the TV covered it wholeheartedly from morning to night.
The helicopter that will follow the teams to Wembley is almost like a state event, a day when the glamorous trophies every club aspires to have been demarcated. A crowd of exactly 100,000 rose-wearers – this was a long time ago when imitation jerseys hadn’t yet been invented – will gather at the iconic national stadium, which has a green, lined surface. manicured in stark contrast to the mud piles on which most of the league’s matches were played until 2000.
Those old finals have made their way into football folklore, and when TV, radio and newspapers have run out of time, the whole country knows the life story of each player and what they ate for breakfast that morning. there. So how has the world’s oldest and most famous domestic cup competition been allowed to fall into such a sad state, when many Premier League managers see it as a sideshow playing out in the Premier League? stadium with only half the audience?
During the 1970-71 season, the number of spectators watching the FA Cup totaled more than 3 million people, with houses filled all over the country. Attendance has dropped by nearly 50% over the past half-century; it’s hard to escape the conclusion that fans, seeing the kind of exhausted squad that many top clubs put on the pitch, are saying “well, if you don’t care too much about the game.” this exam, why do we have to do that?”
It feels as if the “magic” of the cup has become legendary. It’s still there for teams from the lower leagues, for whom potential bonuses and fees for live TV coverage could be a lifesaver, but for Premier League teams that money pales. compared to the huge wealth that can be earned just by staying in the Premier League.
As for public consumption, managers only talk about competitors at their press conferences, but their team selection tells a different story.
You will think Newcastle United Football Club, a club without a domestic title since 1955, it will be heartbreaking to see their vastly improved team win the FA Cup and with the money and players available in hand, that will be a realistic ambition this season. But Eddie Howe made eight changes to the in-form League One team Sheffield Wednesday and saw his side lose 2-1 at Hillsborough. It was a miscalculation as Josh Windass led with two goals.
Howe tried to rescue the game by introducing first-team star Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock and Miguel Almiron from the bench. They made a difference, but it was too late.
A shy Howe – and perhaps his first misstep as Newcastle boss – later admitted that “obviously with the results and benefits of hindsight, we could do things differently. But we have a small team and we have to defend that team for the games ahead. We feel we are strong enough to win the game.”
They do not.
half past one
Dale Johnson explains why Wolves’ third goal against Liverpool was ruled out in their 2-2 FA Cup draw.
Aston Villa is another team that discovers that the players on their team aren’t really good enough. Also making eight substitutions, they conceded two remarkably late goals against fourth-placed League Two Stevenage FC, one Memorable victory at Villa Park. You have to wonder why the mid-range Villa didn’t go all out to claim national cup glory and a much-needed silver trophy. Instead, they were eliminated in Round 3 for the seventh year in a row, and they have only themselves to blame. A day to forget for coach Unai Emery.
– England FA Cup: Watch live matches, highlights, replays on ESPN+
Maybe you can apologize Forest of Nottingham because they feel like they need to keep their best players fresh for the relegation battle. They replaced all 11 players and lost 4-1 to struggling Championship side Blackpool.
Leeds, another team worried about their peak performance, rotated their squad a lot, playing with the usual lack of intensity and losing 0-2 to Cardiff City, a team that can hardly be bought. a Championship goal. Credit to Jesse Marsch’s team for fighting back for the right to play again, but if they play their normal team and win, they’ll save themselves from adding another match to the schedule. hard.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
ChelseaPlayer of the Year in last Thursday’s loss City of Manchester is a midfielder Denis Zakaria, but oddly enough, Graham Potter decided to give him a break for the second leg of the FA Cup in Manchester on Sunday. There has been a debut for young players Bashir Humphreys in defense and a promising place Lewis Hall at left-back, but you watched Chelsea’s starting XI before the game and didn’t like their chances. It was proven, when Man City beat them 4-0.
To be fair, Chelsea have been badly injured, but is this really the best team they can face against such strong opponents, especially when Potter needs a result to stabilize his son? ship?
Tottenham, last winning the FA Cup in 1991 when Gary Lineker was still playing, made a bold choice to start the game. Harry Kane against third place Portsmouth. So did he, as he produced a stunning winner to thwart the intrepid attempt of Pompey, who brought nearly 9,000 fans to North London even as a rail strike affected travel. again.
A coach who pays homage and respect to the history and traditions of the FA Cup is Erik ten Hag, and in his first season in English football, nothing more. He wants to give a trophy to Manchester United and put out a very strong team against Everton, won 3-1. With that committed approach, United can take a big step forward.
Overall, there is an undeniable feeling that most top managers have developed a “take it or give it up” approach to a competition that, even now, always captures the imagination. at this time every year. You just have to witness what it means for Sheffield Wednesday, Stevenage and non-league Wrexham — 4-3 winner go to second-place Coventry City — and Chesterfield, who arrived within seconds of beating West Bromwich Albion in their thrilling 3-3 draw. Those great stories underline why the Cup, which has been around for more than 150 years, retains its relevance and modern resonance. It just needs a little more love and care.
For too many clubs, however, the questionable priority is to achieve a safe number of 40 points in England’s top flight or to pursue a place in the top four. purely financial point, but where is the romance in it? Imagine one day 40 years from now, a former footballer will sit on his nephew’s knee. What will the guy be most excited about: the story of how his grandfather made it to the top four, or the romantic story of the day he won the FA Cup and kissed it at Wembley?
We need to debate how to restore this precious Cup to its rightful place in the hearts of the nation. Is it controversial to give a Champions League spot to the Wembley winners instead of the 4th place team in the Premier League? Imagine a big game where the FA Cup Final would take place again if the stakes were that high.
Sadly for sentimental dreamers like me, that will never happen as the big clubs in England’s top league will witness it. But is their collective interest the best interest of the game?
