SIGNS THE FA CUP'S DEAD

I noticed last season Middlesbrough shunned the FA Cup completely so they could go for all the glory instead. Glory for any serious footballer means success in international competitions of course.

It is a nice surprise that a team like Reading would try to focuse in getting a place in the UEFA Cup. One expects the "big teams" to field subs in the "in case shit happens" competitions, but I for one didn't expect Reading much like Middlesbrough to basically -with their approach- dump the FA Cup in a trash can.

Folks, I've watched briefly a couple of FA Cup games this season (only because there wasn't any other games in Europe), and it's a dire competition.
When a team like Reading shuns the FA Cup you know that competition is dead. The media can hype it all it wants, but Reading isn't listening at all.

To be honest i agree. I think they need to cut the carling cup, and add the scottish teams to the f.a cup. so the winner will be the best of britain type thing.

the Cup is all about hype alright

imagine the proportions the media excitement will reach when the first final is played in the new Wembley

@puro

what did you Inca make of Apolcalytpo ?

The FA Cup is 3rd on the priority list of the big teams, behind the Champions League and the Premiership.

But many clubs (such as Reading) may use it as the perfect opportunity to guarantee a place in Europe next season.

I'd have thought this year's Cup would have proven it's still worth something, with 3 out of the 4 "big clubs" still left in it.

L r d wrote:To be honest i agree. I think they need to cut the carling cup, and add the scottish teams to the f.a cup. so the winner will be the best of britain type thing.

You have your own cup lrd.

The FA Cup has it's faults but is still a famous and traditional competition, and the bigboys obviously take it seriously still.

They really need to get rid of these ridiculous replays though, play extra time and penalties ffs! How depressing is it when you see a game like Arsenal v Blackburn in a knockout competition?! That's not how it's meant to be played.

And get rid of the carling cup, i still don't get why this one exists. Someone tell me the point of it!

L r d wrote:To be honest i agree. I think they need to cut the carling cup, and add the scottish teams to the f.a cup. so the winner will be the best of britain type thing.

Interesting idea LRD. The FA Cup people NEED to do something to spice it up. This recent Reading attitude towards it speaks volumes. The FA CUP (in the eyes of clubs like Reading, Middlesbrough) carries as much prestige as the Carling Cup.

ottOld Shatterhand wrote:the Cup is all about hype alright

imagine the proportions the media excitement will reach when the first final is played in the new Wembley

@puro

what did you Inca make of Apolcalytpo ?

I didn't watch it. Do you recommend it?

Puro wrote:

L r d wrote:To be honest i agree. I think they need to cut the carling cup, and add the scottish teams to the f.a cup. so the winner will be the best of britain type thing.

Interesting idea LRD. The FA Cup people NEED to do something to spice it up. This recent Reading attitude towards it speaks volumes. The FA CUP (in the eyes of clubs like Reading, Middlesbrough) carries as much prestige as the Carling Cup.

The Carling Cup's dead. It has no media hype, nothing can save it. The FA Cup on the other hand, the kind of hype on offer for this competition is immense. Along with the fact we have the biggest collective T.V. deal on the planet we surely must be able to afford a prize money structure which shakes it up. Something like:-

Winners :- 15 Mill
Runners-UP :- 7.5 Mill
Semi-Finalists :- 5 Mill
Quarter-Finalists:- 2.5 Mill
Last 16:- 1.25 Mill
Last 32:- 640k
Last 64:- 320k
Preliminary 40:- 160k
Preliminary 80:- 80k

It maybe capitalist at heart but it will change the mindsets of the top clubs. Especially those who believing getting into the Champions League is the be all and end all. Along with that it will help redistribute the income to the lower leagues which are constantly moaning about the growing gap in Incomes. Of course we'll have to sell our souls to sky, but if that's the price we have to pay.

Apocaplyto = entertaining stuff

go and watch it

ottOld Shatterhand wrote:Apocaplyto = entertaining stuff

go and watch it

I googled it, and read it deals with the Mayans. Is it about December 21st 2012?

Puro wrote:

ottOld Shatterhand wrote:Apocalypto = entertaining stuff

go and watch it

I googled it, and read it deals with the Mayans. Is it about December 21st 2012?

2012 ???

no

it's about Maya or Inca hunters at the time of the arrival of our Iberian friends

well worth watching even if the film should have stopped about 4 minutes earlier

It's not historical is it otto? We all know how wrong Mel Gibson gets it when he tries to make historical films.

it's mostly a roller-coasting action film

not a historical portrait of its time

I'll agree as soon as my team is out

(and I think fans of all clubs outside of the top 4 would see it the same way).

I think Everton are the only club outside the top 4 to win the FA cup in the last 15 years.


The important thing is that the final is contested by either 0 or 2 of the big 4 and not 1.

ottOld Shatterhand wrote:it's mostly a roller-coasting action film

not a historical portrait of its time

not a documentary, but with a lot of goals in terms of reflecting that time.

which means that it failed, because its about Maya time, and the number of errors is not a pretty sight.

you wouldn't like to mix Egiptian history movie with bears, fighting the Czar...

Sorry to continue hacking the thread, but yeah, Otto and doninha sum it up...the movie was entertaining but not historically accurate, and it should definitely have stopped before that last scene.

I don't think Reading was in the wrong to field their second side in the Fa cup. Not at all.

From Reading's perspective: they're in the premiership for the first time, and aim to stay in it. Now that they're on a good roll its obvious that they want to (over-)achieve the highest they can. That's a chance to play in Europe. Especially now that they can almost touch it. Who knows when (or if) they'll get that chance again.
By comparison, the FA cup is a good competition to give the second string side the necessary games to play and to save the first team.
AND, they can always play in the FA cup again, yet Europe, they may never see. Having played in Europe is understandably a bragging right, rather than having played in the FA cup. THere's more prestige and money involved.

And its not even as if they can't reach the later stages of the FA cup with their B-team.

Pefectly understandable.

Puro wrote:I noticed last season Middlesbrough shunned the FA Cup completely so they could go for all the glory instead. Glory for any serious footballer means success in international competitions of course.

It is a nice surprise that a team like Reading would try to focuse in getting a place in the UEFA Cup. One expects the "big teams" to field subs in the "in case shit happens" competitions, but I for one didn't expect Reading much like Middlesbrough to basically -with their approach- dump the FA Cup in a trash can.

Folks, I've watched briefly a couple of FA Cup games this season (only because there wasn't any other games in Europe), and it's a dire competition.
When a team like Reading shuns the FA Cup you know that competition is dead. The media can hype it all it wants, but Reading isn't listening at all.

The only game ever worth watching has been the Final.


And when you consider last season's final - Liverpool 3 West Ham 3,

or the Arsenal Liverpool final where Owen scored twice in the last minute:

its far from dire. Infact, its probably the most entertaining domestic fixture of the season