The 105 Sports boys got together to discuss the FA Cup, the future of the tournament and what it really means these days, Matthew Robinson (MR), asks Jack Swindlehurst (JS) & Lewis Jones (LJ) to join him in debating the big cup questions.
Q: Evening gentleman, how are we all?
JS: Very well thank you Matthew.
LJ: I’m alright cheers mate.
Q: So this weekend we have the FA Cup 6th round, Middlesboro host Man City, Lincoln travel to Arsenal, Spurs entertain Milwall in a London Derby and we top it off with Chelsea v Man United. Who do you see progressing?
JS: There have been quite a few shocks in this year’s cup but I think this is the business end of the competition and I expect to see Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea in the last four.
LJ: For me I think City will have enough to take a resolute Boro defence, Spurs will easily take Millwall and Chelsea will edge United in a closer run fixture than earlier this season in the league. However I think Lincoln are going to make the dream continue against Arsenal. Why the hell not? They’re organised, mentally strong and committed, everything Arsenal aren’t.
MR: I think we’ll go with form on this one, with maybe Milwall pulling off a shock and for me United v Chelsea is too close to call, Jose loves a cup.
Q: How much does the cup, or a cup run, mean to you as a fan of your team?
JS: I suddenly have a vested interest in this year’s cup. As a Spurs fan I’d love to win it, but really I want to see us win at Wembley (our homeground for next season), more than I care about the cup. It’s turned into a cursed ground for us and I feel we need to shake that before next season.
LJ: As a Manchester United fan, the cup means a lot to me. It’s woven into the history of the club. It kept Fergie in the job in 1990, produced one of the best games and goals I remember as a child in the 99 semi final replay and I want to win it this year to get the joint most wins back of Arsenal!
MR: As a Leeds fan a cup win isn’t a realistic option for me, and in the past I’ve enjoyed cup runs, when we beat Man Utd at Old Trafford a few years back (sorry LJ), well that remains a very fond memory for me. This year we were embarrassed by a non-league side and whilst in the moment it was frustrating, honestly it didn’t matter. The cup is a thing we enter but at the end of the day the money and the glory of being a Premier League side means more to teams in my position, sometimes it’s a distraction and I’m sure if the other lads had the league to play for they’d agree.
Q: Do you think the magic of the cup is still alive or as strong?
JS: I think the magic of the cup has certainly been brought into question in recent years. I remember in my earlier football years, the likes of Wycombe and Chesterfield going on impressive giant-killing runs, and of course Millwall reaching the final in 2004. We have seen lower league teams slay higher opposition this year – Lincoln beating Burnley was a highlight for me, but the buzz around the games and the competition itself seems to have changed.
LJ: No doubt for me. It’s always there. The success of a few minnows this year has show how much it can mean and I think the coverage of the last few seasons (especially the BBC’s on Salford City last season) has really made it an enjoyable competition again.
MR: I’m with Jack on this one, it’s not gone but it’s certainly not there, I remember the FA Cup final was a day in the calendar where that was your day and you were watching it whereas now, I can give or take the final.
Q: With the magic fading to a lot of the public, do you feel teams take the cup seriously anymore? In the fourth round the 13 Premier League clubs made 98 changes between them, that’s 7.5 per team. Do these changes dilute a victory for the opposition?
JS: To a certain extent but I think the hunger is still there for the lesser teams to get that scalp and I also think more than ever that the strength in depth of the top teams is so strong that they can often afford to rotate their players – especially with how thick and fast the games now come.
LJ: I don’t think so. The cup remains a good opportunity for bigger sides to blood young talent and to get a little rest in during the busy Festive season. The changes will happen and I think they just make the giant killings more likely to happen and that can only be a good thing. A small club doesn’t care about the 11 players they best, they care about the name.
MR: For sure, to take it back to my team, when Sutton beat us we made 10 changes, the only player to hold his place was a debatable player as well, I’m an avid fan but we had youth players I’d never seen on an under 23s team sheet, sure the clubs will enjoy the result and the fans of that club, but in a World of instant information and facts at our fingers the average fan knows that it’s a weak side. The only team who made wholesale changes in round 4 and got through were Spurs, I understand there will be some rotation but this year we’ve hit a peak squad changes and it’s diluting the results.
Q: How about pay TV, now they’re covering half the televised games. The BBCs coverage of Man UTD v Wigan attracted 5.3 million viewers where as two huge upsets on BT, Sutton v Leeds – 0.8 million & Burnley v Lincoln – 0.5 million. Do these figures mean the public are missing out on the magic these days for safe fixtures?
JS: I think this for me is the main issue. My favourite thing in years gone by was having a feast of games to get my teeth into, starting on Friday night on occasion taking me through until the Monday night. It was great to be able to watch all of these games, for free, and dedicate a weekend to the FA Cup. It didn’t matter who was on, you’d watch it for the chance of an upset, to see who your team might play or just because it was on. It’s a shame that people are missing out on games like that because the nature of them hasn’t changed greatly, it’s just the platform.
LJ: Possibly. I think BTs coverage is good but clearly just isn’t reaching the numbers it should at the moment (as we have seen in the Champions League). Hopefully this will change in future and more will see what’s going on but the impact on social media and in the news is still clearly good and the magic is still felt.
MR: I think it’s a big shame for one of the Crown Jewels of English Sport to be on pay tv, and the BBC play it far to safe with TV fixtures. Manchester United have been on TV in every FA Cup since 2005 and I understand they’re a huge draw, however why are the BBC is picking up games such as Man UTD v Wigan, a game we had to endure on TV in the Premier League for many more years than I’d of liked, instead of taking the chance on the underdog story. Unfortunately BT isn’t as widely available as the free channels and even Sky Sports yet and they’re doing a big job of growing, I can’t fault them, but I want the BBC to take more chances on their fixtures, Burnley v Lincoln deserved more than half a million viewers but if you have a game on pay TV early Saturday, who is watching?
Q: How about the reward, would a Champions League place perhaps add some magic?
JS: Hmmm I’m not sure it would, I think it may just intensify the challenge of the teams just behind the Champions League places in the Premier League. They may take a lower table in the finish and focus all of their effort on the cup, to guarantee that Champions League place – I feel it would hurt the chances of the lesser teams.
LJ: I think a CL place would be a good step forward an maybe add some glamour and prestige to the competition. I think we have seen a more competitive Europa League since the CL place was added as prize and maybe that could be carried over to the cup.
MR: It’s a double edged sword for me, teams would take it seriously for sure, we have such a culture of the top 4 here and it could perhaps make the Premier League more competitive and also the Cup as you need to try hard to win both, but as Jack said it may also lead to teams taking a foot off the peddle to just win the Cup.
Q: Does the league cup and having two cup competitions take away some of the thrill?
JS: Potentially yes. Especially with the introduction of the EFL Cup with some Premier League teams fielding under 23 sides. With English football not having a winter break, and being spread pretty thin already, this glut of cup competitions can prove to be too much for a side with less resources. Once again an FA Cup run seems to have set Cambridge United’s season on a downward spiral.
LJ: Possibly but it’s been the case since the 60s so I don’t think it’s too much of a cause of the problems. I enjoy the difference though, particularly the timing of the League Cup earlier in the season and the two legged semis. The Fa Cup will always have magic though because of non league teams being involved and us hearing about how they’re all builders during the week.
MR: It’s kind of pointless at the level my team play at, we enjoyed a decent run this year losing to Liverpool, and the fans enjoyed it but it was always just a waste of time. No other top league in Europe has two domestic cups, I’d like to just go down to one Cup competition personally, I know a lot of fans who only really count the League Cup as a real Cup when they win it.
Q: Replays, for or against them?
JS: Contrary to my last point about too many games, I’m definitely for them. It’s important for the lower league teams to be able to have that as an incentive – earning a replay at a Premier League ground is so important to the fans, not to mention the financial benefits to the clubs.
LJ: For. I think I’m a bit of a traditionalist and so I’d like them kept. Maybe scrap them for a few of the later rounds but they add a bit of competitiveness for bigger teams to make sure they don’t add to their busy schedules.
MR: Completely for them, it would be unfair for an underdog to get a draw at a powerhouse to then have the chance taken away to get the second leg. I am all for LJs idea at the later rounds scrapping them but in the early stages for sure. Although I guess some League 2 clubs probably hate a round 1 replay!
Q: What changes would you like to see to the cup?
JS: This is a bit out there even for me, but I’d like super weekends for the quarter-finals – 2 on each day, back-to-back, at Wembley, festival atmosphere, on terrestrial telelvision. I think it may help reignite the excitement of the cup.
LJ: NO SEMIS AT WEMBLEY. The single worst change to the completion in the last decade and something that really has ruined the magic, for me. The one trip to Wembley really creates the magic, the second just lessens that. Further to that, all teams at the final must wear suits. And abide with me should be the only pre match entertainment, not like last year where Tinie Tempah appeared.
MR: I’m with LJ on the Wembley thing, I hate it, it’s so pointless and he’s right, you win the honour of stepping on the turf by making a final or representing your nation, I don’t care how much the boring bowl cost, stop diluting the experience. I think Jack’s rugby league idea (that’s what it is mate) wouldn’t work for football, all the teams could easily sell out their allocation making that improbably. I personally wouldn’t be against a similar rule as to whats in the EFL Cup, limiting changes teams can make from their last league fixture to try and make teams take it seriously.
Q: Finally, who is your choice to win it all this year?
JS: My heart says Spurs, but I feel like Chelsea are running away with the league but in contrast are going to sneak the cup. Would love to see Lincoln City reach the final…
LJ: I think I’m going to go for Spurs. This a team that needs to get into the winning spirit to get onto the next stage of their development and they’re very capable of making this that stepping stone.
MR: Manchester United, I think they’ll fall flat on the hunt for top 4 and Jose just loves winning stuff.
Thanks to the boys for all their opinions today, don’t forget you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and listen to us every Saturday from 3pm Online, On Digital and FM. If you’re at a match you can download the RadioPlayer app and take us with you.
Published by Matthew Robinson