FA CUP GOING THE WAY OF THE LEAGUE CUP

[mrmcfister]

Ferguson's reserve team shows the contempt he feels for this competition.Despite his bleatings over fans being 'off their heads' if they expected a stronger team after the ardours of Europe,did it justify his going into an occasion in which fans had invested much time and money with a team containing four players aged 18 and under, three of whom were not even featured in a match programme costing another ?5? Fans deserve better than this from the multi-millionaires that rule the roost.

[Flat_Eric]

But Max, you're making the mistake of thinking that football is still about the fans.

It stopped being about the fans a long time ago.

Now it's all about corporate sponsorship, big business, shareholders and TV rights.

The fans are just turnstile fodder to be milked at every opportunity and treated with contempt.

I still 'follow' football - but I find myself caring less and less about it with every passing season (if you know what I mean). All the crass commercialism, the rampant greed and primadonnaism have more or less killed the enjoyment of it for me.

And unless you're a fan or the "Big Four" then I'd argue that there's nothing too much to get excited about any more, as these four clubs now pretty much monopolise every domestic competition (last season's FA Cup final between Pompey and Cardiff being the standout exception).

Long gone are the days when an "unfashionable" provincial club like Villa, Forest, Blackburn or Leeds was in with the chance of winning the League. Or even almost winning it (like Newcastle twice or QPR). Or even a top four finish). It's just not as interesting any more. Far too predictable. And the SPL is even more of a joke.

- Eric

[randyandy]

Football isn't all about the premiership Eric.

Sadly though you're spot on about it all being about the commercial side of things.

I also feel a lot is down to greedy players many of which are paid way to much and the stupidity of clubs giving in to them.

Clubs are going out of business when a fraction of the wages of prem reserve players could save them.

[Flat_Eric]

Andy, you're absolutely right it isn't just about the Prem.

However, that remains the ultimate (if in many cases unattainable) aim of professional clubs. And look back at the FA Cup (and to a great extent the League Cup also) over recent years, and that too has been increasingly dominated by the Big Four.

All the rest are left fighting over the scraps like avoiding relegation, maybe a UEFA Cup spot and - just maybe - a shot at the League Cup (Spurs last year). The gulf between the top flight and the Championship also gets wider by the year, and I know that if my club (Sheffield Wednesday) were to somehow make it back into the Premiership, we'd be lucky not to go straight back down - the fate of most promoted clubs these days.

Living in Germany, I follow the Bundesliga, and have even been known to go to the occasional VfB Stuttgart game. And while Bayern Munich are still the dominant force here, it's not like with Man Utd in England. Here, there are at least half a dozen clubs every year in with a shout of winning the Bundesliga. And this year, Wolfsburg are three points clear at the top with 6 games to go and in with a serious tilt at the title.

I still fancy Bayern (bastards!) to overhaul them at the death, but if Wolfsburg do manage to win it, it will be an amazing feat - and would be like say Sunderland or Boro winning the Premiership.

That kind of thing makes the whole season much more interesting than trying to work out in what order ManUre, Chelsea, Liverpool and The Arse are going to fill the top four slots - again !boring!.

- Eric

[Flat_Eric]

randyandy wrote:

>>

Greedy players and their agents as well. Don't forget those grasping cunts.


>>


Spot on. The obscenely unequal distribution of wealth really annoys me also. But it's reflective of today's "me first" society as a whole (I think I might be coming over a bit socialist in my old age).

- Eric

[Mysteryman]

There are a number of points emerging from both yeaterday's match and the placing of the semis at Wembley.

Second point first:- The fact that over 81,000 fans, the bulk from the NW of England, had to travel to Wembley for a semi final just to help pay for the worlds most expensive stadium beggars belief. OK Villa Park, Hillsborough and Burnden Park can't offer the capacity - as is the case with neutral grounds in London for the Arsenal Chelsea game - but a trip to Wembley for "The Final" used to be the Holy Grail for every club, something now totally diluted, and the "hallowed turf" used to be reserved for England matches and the Final.

The standard of the turf is now far from hallowed and looked yesterday to equate to a Sunday League pitch.

Which leads to yesterday's match and Fergie's selection. Yes it was a weakened team and there will be tens of thousands of disappointed fans but it has to be said that what was (Vidic, Tevez and Ferdinand apart) a reserve or even youth team held the best team Everton could muster for 120 minutes.

If the FA reduce the uniqueness of the Wembley Final, if they determine that extra time and penalty shoot outs replace semi final replays, they take away a great deal of the magic and certain clubs, with large squads, will take the opportunity to "blood" new line ups, especially if winning the trophy is not going to affect their European place the following season

Had Berbatov not put on his usual lazy display and actually tried to score in the penalty shoot out, the result may have been different. I'd fine him for his casual approach and look to sell him in the summer. So far he hasn't performed and shows no sign of doing so.

[crofter]

Unforutnately top flight football is not about giving the fans value for money or being run as viable businesses the sad fact is it is now a BILLIONAIRES PLAYGROUND so to think that the current top four will monopolise English football for ever is dreaming ... footballers (the majority) have shown that they would rather take more money than win a few trophies throughout their career.

I think if you look at the owners of Aston Villa and Manchester City then you would be foolish to think they are not going to come right into the equation in the next couple of years ... the question is how will the current big four raise the bar or will they simply be steamrollered??

[colonel]

So Fergie never wanted the Quintuple then?

Never mind, the Double can't be done now.