FA Cup

[Kadilo]

Just been listening to Roy Hodgson’s interview pre today’s FA Cup game and his assessment of the competition which came across to me as a bit arrogant. Some of his interview said:

 

"It's nothing like the glittering prize it was in my youth because we have the Champions League and Europa League now. Not many have the ambition to win the FA Cup.

"The FA Cup is still being won by the top teams, and our position in the table [14th] isn't as good as we'd like it to be.

"What is my ambition? To advance in the FA Cup and get to the semis or the final, or stay in the Premier League? My ambition is to stay in the Premier League."

 

Whilst one can understand the necessity of staying in the Premiership, to many smaller clubs it can be a lifeline so how do you view the importance of it in terms of your teams priorities. Has it lost its appeal to you and has it changed over the years? As a fan, Is he right in saying not many now care about winning it.?

[Kadilo]

Obviously the competition means <deleted> all to me ????

[mrbojangles]

I think he's probably right. When I was a kid it was a huge event (no matter who was playing) where we all sat round the TV to watch it (yes I am young enough to have had a coloured telly in my juvenile days). It was almost a full day event. It still is a major comp that most teams want to win but it isn't the biggest prize

[Kadilo]

1 minute ago, mrbojangles said:

I think he's probably right. When I was a kid it was a huge event (no matter who was playing) where we all sat round the TV to watch it (yes I am young enough to have had a coloured telly in my juvenile days). It was almost a full day event. It still is a major comp that most teams want to win but it isn't the biggest prize

Yeah I remember those days too. And the final was an all day event whoever was in the final. Used to love the build up, the interviews, I guess the romance of it all. Sadly it does now seem to have changed and now undervalued. 

[Kadilo]

4 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

I think he's probably right. When I was a kid it was a huge event (no matter who was playing) where we all sat round the TV to watch it (yes I am young enough to have had a coloured telly in my juvenile days). It was almost a full day event. It still is a major comp that most teams want to win but it isn't the biggest prize

I wonder as a Palace fan you may feel a little disappointed that he isnt going balls out to win it, well verbally anyway, as their fans deserve a big day out. 

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

I think he's probably right. When I was a kid it was a huge event (no matter who was playing) where we all sat round the TV to watch it (yes I am young enough to have had a coloured telly in my juvenile days). It was almost a full day event. It still is a major comp that most teams want to win but it isn't the biggest prize

That was when we only had 3 channels on television and there was nothing to watch on BBC 2 either

[RickG16]

We are talking as supporters of PL clubs. For the clubs further down the pyramid it is still massive and the romance is still there to a degree. 

 

For those in the CL it's the 3rd most important comp. But that's not changed.... I'm sure whoever played in the European Cup pre 1990s also regarded it that way. What's changed is that there's 4 clubs in the CL.

[mrbojangles]

17 minutes ago, sanemax said:

That was when we only had 3 channels on television and there was nothing to watch on BBC 2 either

It was manual switch over as well. And I was my dad's version of an early remote control

[Rc2702]

Yh fair play to Wigan, they were the last team to make it a bit special. Going down the same season took the gloss off obviously but the David v goliath factor was a pleasure to watch. I've not seen any fa cup matches over here. I've usually got channel 100 on which is a split screen channel and the main screen says it is channel 676. Truevisions bein 1

Edited January 27, 2019 by Rc2702

[Bredbury Blue]

8 hours ago, sanemax said:

That was when we only had 3 channels on television and there was nothing to watch on BBC 2 either

3 channels? You were lucky. In our hole in the road ....

[Bredbury Blue]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/17/fa-cup-final-tv-build-up

[Kadilo]

It looks like Roy’s comments pre match were pretty much the thoughts of Pochs too. Partly due to their injury situation but 7 changes to a side who lost their previous Cup game 4 days earlier in a game that many saw as their best chance of winning silverware shows where his priorities still lie. 

 

There seemed to be mixed feelings on that decision on the Radio 5 phone in after game where many Spurs fans felt he got it wrong with one fan of 39 years even saying he should actually go as he is a “loser” and they need someone who wants to win something. A bit extreme in the least but shows that some fans still feel passionate about the FA Cup and to be of some importance, while some other Spurs fans saying they would rather win a Trophy even if it meant putting the 4th spot in jeopardy. So the Cup can still divide opinion even for the bigger sides. Some made the point that resting players like Eriksen for this match when their next 3 Premier fixtures are against Watford, Leicester and Newcastle didnt justify his selection and he missed a golden opportunity to progress. 

 

Also disgruntled were some Watford fans who travelled all the way to Newcastle to find 11 changes to their side in a team that are pretty much safe from relegation and felt totally disrespected. I guess the flip was they still won but that didnt stop the fans feeling cheated. 

 

So Ricks comment earlier seems true, it’s still appears a dream for lower clubs but seems more and more Premier sides are discarding it as almost an inconvenience. 

 

As as an aside the use of VAR is a joke whereby Everton who ironically did actually field a strong side were cheated out of the Cup because VAR wasn’t used in that game whereby Wednesday’s penalty last night was overturned in the Chelsea game because it was. That decision could down the road contribute to the Everton manager losing his job as he is already under pressure.  Can’t see how you can have a different set of rules in the same competition. Either it’s in or it’s out and a level playing field for all. 

 

Lastly a a big shout out for the Wednesday fans in that game. They showed why the Cup is still important for many clubs. 6,000 travelled to Chelsea and never stopped singing the whole game despite being comprehensively outplayed. A credit to the their side. 

 

 

[Kadilo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47035494

 

Refreshing view from OJS on the FA Cup in contrast to how some other managers see it. 

 

"If you win trophies, that's a fantastic day for everyone in the club," said Solskjaer, who won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League as a player at United.

 

"It's just the best time of your life that day when you win because you never know when the next one is going to come, the manager always said enjoy this whatever trophy you win."

Edited January 29, 2019 by Kadilo

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, Kadilo said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47035494

 

Refreshing view from OJS on the FA Cup in contrast to some other managers. 

He's really not put a foot wrong in press conferences. He didn't downplay the significance of getting top 4 either, but the result of what he said is a positive headline!

 

Funny that the media loves you when you are winning games. Just about keeping this run going now. From what I can see, tonight he can beat the record for the most amount of games a new manager has won in a row in the PL.

[Kadilo]

7 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

He's really not put a foot wrong in press conferences. He didn't downplay the significance of getting top 4 either, but the result of what he said is a positive headline!

 

Funny that the media loves you when you are winning games. Just about keeping this run going now. From what I can see, tonight he can beat the record for the most amount of games a new manager has won in a row in the PL.

Clearly I’m sure getting into the top 4 is still any clubs priority but what I think he is trying to say the good feel good factor that you get by winning games in any trophy can carry the momentum going forwards. 

 

The message he he has sent out is a positive one for the club and fans in contrast to some of the more negative comments re the FA Cup recently stated by other managers. 

 

Both a clever interview and an honest one. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Kadilo

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Clearly I’m sure getting into the top 4 is still any clubs priority but what I think he is trying to say the good feel good factor that you get by winning games in any trophy can carry the momentum going forwards. 

 

The message he he has sent out is a positive one for the club and fans in contrast to some of the more negative comments re the FA Cup recently stated by other managers. 

 

Both a clever interview and an honest one. 

If you watch the press conference, the journalists were trying to trap him. About 3 of them in a row tried to get a rise out of him on the same point - basically trying get him to say definitively that the cups are more important than top 4, or vice versa. He didn't fall into the trap, and basically found 3 different ways of saying that they are both important.

 

The result is a headline slightly less juicy, but a positive one for the club. 

[Kadilo]

3 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

If you watch the press conference, the journalists were trying to trap him. About 3 of them in a row tried to get a rise out of him on the same point - basically trying get him to say definitively that the cups are more important than top 4, or vice versa. He didn't fall into the trap, and basically found 3 different ways of saying that they are both important.

 

The result is a headline slightly less juicy, but a positive one for the club. 

I’m sure they are all sharpening their knives for when (if) his fortunes take a down turn but up til now he is definitely showing he has learned a lot from upstairs, not just in the coaching/ management side but in the media side too. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Kadilo

[RickG16]

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

I’m sure they are all sharpening their knives for when (if) his fortunes take a down turn but up til now he is definitely showing he has learned a lot from upstairs, not just in the coaching/ management side but in the media side too. 

Yeah... I can hear a little bit of Fergie in some things he says. But he can be his own man too.