11 Jul 2020 11:31:16
Sometimes I wonder what some of these managers have for breakfast, I tell you. Guardiola has been quoted as saying that it is "more important to finish second than to win the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup". Since the significance of finishing second is the same as finishing fourth (entry into the Champions League) he has no idea how much he is demeaning those cups and how important they are. The only chances where lower league clubs have a chance at both a peek and even glory, at the highest levels. If you're not going to support the grassroots levels, you're not going to have much of a foundation to build on.


1.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 11:49:46
ArAy unfortunately in this day and age I think it’s true. The cup will always be important with its history but if you asked every manager in the league would they prefer a cup win or the holy grail that CL brings I think most of not all would say CL if they were being honest. How often to teams rest players for league games compared to cup games. That picture paints a thousand words.


2.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 13:12:25
I didn't see him say it (or hear him rather) but did he not mean for city it is more important to finish in top 4 than win a domestic cup? I would agree, especially for the new boys, city. To keep their profile up as an elite team, for the revenue of cl football and the prestige.

But it doesn't mean the cups aren't important. Every player desperately wants to win every trophy available of course.

But I do think it's a shame how the fa cup especially has lost some of its prestige. I'll never forget Micheal owen's brace sinking arsenal and the look on keown's face. Brilliant day.


3.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 13:19:40
The downside of the mass influx of foreign managers and players.

{Ed001's Note - it is nothing to do with that. The FA Cup has a huge amount of prestige around the world, most of them grew up watching that. It is money that is the issue, there is more money in European competition than the English cups.}


4.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 13:33:10
Warmachine73, if you don't take care and nurture your grassroots football structures, there will be only more and more foreigners, not less. Who in the UK will give up watching football if British players, trying to climb up the leagues, are less and less available? Nobody. The void, for both players and managers, will get filled from wherever they are available.


5.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 14:56:41
Unfortunately I have to agree with Ed001 what ever competition has the more money than that's the one to go for.


6.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 16:01:37
Would this not back the argument of giving the winners of the FA Cup a CL place? I’ve heard it said for quite a while now. I’m not saying I agree with it, but there has been calls for this for some time.

{Ed002's Note - The prize money for winning the FA Cup is a little over £6.6M which is not much. The FA has no intention of giving a CL spot to the FA Cup winners as only 15% of the winners in the past 20 years have not been in the CL in any case - Wigan, Manchester City and Portsmouth.}


7.) 11 Jul 2020
11 Jul 2020 17:13:30
Am I right in saying it’s key to have the premier leagues best teams in the CL every season and the easiest way to decide that is the top 4 in the league. Teams can get lucky draws in the Fa cup and then have a blinder in the final. Imagine Wigan and Pompey in the CL. They would be out at the qualifier phase and then the next thing we know England drop down the rankings and are only getting 3 CL slots.