A few weeks ago, I had asked if the FA Cup was still as prestigious as it once was. After watching both of yesterday’s quarterfinal replays — and it still astounds me today that I did this — I’d say the answer is yes.
After all, teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, perennial contenders who are currently #1 and #2 on the Premiership table and still in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, wouldn’t have left it all on the pitch yesterday if they didn’t want to win the F.A. Cup. Neither of these clubs is happy with just one title. Both want all three of these titles, and keep their rival from winning any of them is incentive enough to go at it. Playing the first F.A. Cup Final in the brand-spanking-new Wembley Stadium is just gravy on the shepherd’s pie.
On the other hand, perhaps this is just a matter of the rich getting richer. Man U. and Chelsea have been on top for so long that they have more cash on hand than other Premiership clubs, and as a result, they’re just that much deeper and more talented than everyone else. Thus, they can afford to go after every possible title, because they can rotate talent in and out more easily than other teams that throw 2nd-stringers into national cup competitions and focus more on the regular season and avoiding relegation.
Hell, Chelsea thought enough of the Carling Cup, the bastard stepchild of cup competitions, to go out and win that. Most teams don’t walk away from a season with one title, let alone four. In fact, no English team has ever won the Premiership, the Champions League, the F.A. Cup and the Carling Cup all in the same season.
I would think Man U. would like to keep it that way. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is insufferable enough as it is.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Paul // Mar 24, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Hey, I really like your blog, it’s good to see that American football (Soccer) fans want to see the game flourish over there just like it does here in Europe (I’m English, if you were wondering.) I’d just like to point out that in this post you mentioned that “Man U. and Chelsea have been on top for so long that they have more cash on hand than other Premiership clubs.” This fact is true perhaps of Man U, but Chelsea have only really been a force of the last few years, since being bought by Russian oil Multi-Billionaire Roman Abramovich, who consequently funded the buying of a team that could win the premiership (As apposed to building up a team, mixing youngsters and experienced players). Before Abramovich’s ‘Chelski’ revolution, there were only 3 top teams in England for a very long period, Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool, with Chelsea playing at a more mid-table level like that of other London clubs like Fulham and Tottenham.
Just thought I’d give a little Brit insight, please don’t take it like I’m trying to be smart with you or anything, as I realise that’s what it might seem like.
Cheers, and sorry if this makes me sound like a dreaded stuck-up English stereotype.
2 Dave // Mar 25, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Paul: Thanks for the info. I’m still new to the Prem, so I’m sure I have bigger knowledge gaps than most. On the other hand, if you’re on top in the NFL for more than 3 years, that’s a really long time.