YES – Michael Thurloway
Who doesn’t enjoy a cup upset? Sure, it’s irritating when it is your team who are on the wrong end of it. However the big teams often deserve to be taken down a peg or two, and it’s most satisfying when it happens like this.
Fans of clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool insist on complaining about their current predicaments. But compare them to sides like Bradford City and Luton Town, and their problems pale in comparison. The fans of these lowly clubs have remained loyal through thick and thin, and are now being rewarded for this.
This year has been a vintage one for Davids triumphing over Goliaths. Who can begrudge these sides the success they’ve had in this year’s cup competitions. One of the best things about English football is its strength-in-depth, and this can only benefit the game in the long term. No other nation has such a high quality league pyramid, as proven by the competitiveness of cup ties. Premier League teams are complacent at their peril.
For neutrals, there are few things more inspiring than a cup giant-killing. This can only reverse the disillusionment many feel with the modern game.
NO – James Scott
The spate of cup upsets has no doubt provided some interest and variety to cup football, but it’s a novelty that will wear off as the FA Cup reaches its climax.
All the upsets denote is that the big teams are not taking the cup competitions seriously. Most of the leading teams started with under strength squads as the league is their clear priority.
This is a symptom and facilitator of the seemingly terminal decline of the prestige of the FA cup, which for a variety of reasons, primarily financial, is a shadow of its former self.
The bonanza of money from the sky television deals, has made the Premier League a monster that obliterates all other competitions in terms of the club priorities. Although most teams would love to win the FA Cup, they wouldn’t sacrifice this for their league campaign.
Finally as the tournament continues I ask the question, who would you rather see in the final, Arsenal v Tottenham or Manchester United v Millwall. For all the spiel about the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup being rediscovered, the ‘allure’ of an uncompetitive final is more akin to a faded end of pier show than a showpiece event.