In decades past, two non-league clubs reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in the competition’s history would be deemed a gift from the footballing Gods, devoted to pub quizzes for the years to come and given at the expense of the bookmakers.
But fast forward to the cynical, capitalist world of 2017, where football resides in its increasingly money-driven bubble, and such an accomplishment is an unwelcome indictment on the oldest and most prestigious association football competition in the world. Far from being an unrivalled badge of honour, the FA Cup is now English football’s equivalent of a lava lamp; something you’d like to have, but not something you’d like to pay for.
That is the approach the majority of Premier League managers took last weekend, their currency being squad fitness and resources. The 13 top flight clubs that took part in the fourth round averaged 7.5 changes to their starting XI and consequently, only seven progressed to the next round – Leicester wait in replay limbo – with Liverpool the most noteworthy casualty following a 2-0 defeat to Wolves at Anfield.
Likewise, Championship title chasers Brighton, Leeds and Newcastle, ranked first-to-third respectively in the second tier, made 28 changes combined and all three suffered elimination, the aforementioned non-league duo of Lincoln City and Sutton United reaping the benefits.
Of course, the idea of rotating for cup competitions is nothing new. In fact, it’s pretty much common practice these days. But there is a feeling of greater apathy towards the tournament than ever before and in direct contrast to the FA Cup’s nostalgic history of giant killings, every upset now chips away at what waning clout the trophy still has.
“Clubs care about money while fans care about trophies. That’s very unfortunate. It’s just crazy, I don’t understand it. I’m all for bringing kids into the team but not seven or eight of them. Six rounds from the third round to the final, it’s not asking a lot is it?”
Match of the Day’s Alan Shearer has made his feelings perfectly clear and those who remember the illustrious cup campaigns of the 1980s, when the FA Cup almost rivalled the prestige of the top flight crown, will most likely agree with him. But in the context of modern football, the approach of those battling at the top end of the Premier League table is certainly understandable – in fact, it’s somewhat inevitable.
This week is a classic example; with two matchdays crammed into one week immediately following the Fourth Round weekend, the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham simply can’t risk putting everything into a tournament they’ve thus far invested just ninety minutes in (excepting replays), compared to a Champions-League-come-title-push that’s already 22 games (or 1980 minutes) gone. The need to prioritise is only further amplified when EFL Cup finals, Europa League and Champions League fixtures are added to an already top-heavy equation.
But when teams like Burnley, Middlesbrough and Watford – who for all intents and purposes are on course for solid if unspectacular finishes in the Premier League this season – are also using the tournament as a run-out for their fringe players, making 23 changes combined, it’s clear something is fundamentally wrong. These are the sides who should be chasing the FA Cup fairy tale, yet even they’re trading dreams of silverware for a more modest but likelier reality.
Why? Well, the motivation is simple – money. Whilst it’s a fantastic testament to the competitiveness of the Premier League, even for lower-mid table clubs, the risk of relegation and losing the incredible financial windfall that comes with the top flight still vastly outweighs the potential rewards of the FA Cup – just £1.8million for the trophy winner, albeit with a fair share of TV revenue along the way.
For non-league sides, that kind of income could be history defining, but for anybody involved in the Premier League or the Championship, that’s merely a drop in the ocean. Even before the Premier League’s new £8billion TV deal came into effect, each placing in the table earned clubs an extra £1.25million in prize money.
So rather than risking relegation in the second half of the campaign only to suffer FA Cup elimination at the hands of a major club in the latter stages, Burnley, Boro and Watford may as well focus their efforts on finishing 14th, a final standing that would earn them almost £7million more than actually winning the final in prize money alone – before the Premier League’s equally split television revenue, which stood at around £56million per club last season, is even considered.
Some will argue that money isn’t everything and the beauty of the FA Cup has always been how it relies on reputation as its reward. Yet, when faced with the challenge of stretching a squad over three games in the space of a week – such as this week – most, if not all Premier League managers, would inevitably prioritise taking maximum points in the top flight over potential progression to the fifth round – which, in turn, creates its own fixture-related complications later in the season.
Wigan are the obvious example of a team who dared to defy that line of thought. At the time, Latics fans insisted winning the FA Cup was more important than staying up – a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a club that didn’t get even a taste of top flight football until 2005. But now fighting for their lives in the Championship’s relegation zone after freefalling from the Premier League and gaining promotion from League One last season, it’s likely most have changed their opinions on what competition the club should have prioritised.
Apply that scenario to Burnley, Boro or Watford this season; double-relegation and all the financial consequences that come with it, purely for the sake of a cup run that may or may not end in a trophy and a £1.8million cheque. Unforgettable memories do have their price; inevitably, four points over two Premier League games or a fourth round win isn’t even a choice.
Once again, the purists will protest against pragmatic managers and profit-centric thinking from those above them. But the real blame must lay with the FA; in a world where the Chinese Super League are paying £50million for Premier League benchwarmers, £1.8million for the most prestigious cup competition in world football simply doesn’t cut it. You just can’t expect nostalgia to take precedent in the minds of those expected to take responsibility when it all goes wrong.
If the FA want clubs to take the cup seriously once again, they must keep up with the culture, demands and financial rewards of modern football. Whether morally correct or not, that means rivalling the earnings of the Premier League as much as possible. Of course, there’s more than one way to skin a cat….
