Lack of passion for FA Cup is acceptable

FA Cup

In the build up to the FA Cup 3^rd round this weekend, there has been a lot of talk about how the FA Cup is not being taken as seriously as it should be. The hopes and dreams of getting to Wembley, and watching your team lift the cup, means everything to the fans. And yet, some chairmen and managers rate the importance of cup success as very much secondary to meeting league targets. In the top two divisions, league success provides more financial rewards than a run in the cup. Therefore, people argue this underlines the lack of consideration clubs have for their fans, and a further example of how modern football has become unfairly orientated around money. However, I would argue that football clubs having less passion for progress in the cup, is not necessarily something to be condemned.

Paul Lambert has recently made some rather infamous comments on the FA Cup. Asked if the competition was something Premier League clubs could do without, the Scot said:“If they were being honest, they probably would do.” This comment alone, suggests Lambert is saying clubs would rather not be in the FA Cup, yet it is easy to read too much into one sentence. It was one statement, made in the spare of a moment, and in the same interview he clarified his words. He did not necessarily prefer his team to go out of the cup, but his main priority is the league. 

Lambert

It is difficult to be enthusiastic about the FA Cup, immediately after such a critical period in the league season. The competition starts on the first weekend of January, after clubs have played four important league games in the space of twelve days. A lot of Premier League teams, particularly this season, are involved in a tight battle against relegation, for the title or for a Champions League spot. Villa are one of the midtable teams at the moment, but are not too many points away from the relegation zone, having lost four straight games in December. If Aston Villa were to go down, he would almost certainly be sacked, and his reputation as a manager would be tarnished.

If a manager believes that going on a cup run will hinder his team’s chances in the league, and decides not to prioritize it, then there is nothing wrong with that. Indeed, Lambert’s track record suggests he has a point:

Last season, Aston Villa went out of the FA Cup in January to Millwall. Their season picked up dramatically from February onwards, and they finished fifteenth, having looked doomed to relegation over Christmas. The season he won promotion to the Premier League with Norwich, they lost 1-0 at home to League One Leyton Orient in the third round. Excellent form in the second half of the season saw his side get promoted. These are two examples of how playing without the distraction of the FA Cup helps a team’s league form.

Wigan FA Cup Winners

By contrast, look at Wigan last season. They took only five points from their last seven games, and struggled to prepare for so many key matches. For seven straight seasons before this, Wigan had stayed up, but went down the one season they won the FA Cup. Wigan fans will say it was worth it. That may be so, but there are going to be a lot more teams who will go on a cup run, arguably see their league ambitions suffer because of it, and still not reach the final. What is the difference between going out of the FA Cup in the 3^rd round, or going out a few rounds later? Ultimately, that is the vast likelihood.

For a club in the top two divisions, the FA Cup is only beneficial if you get to Wembley. The advantages of some gate receipts, plus the remote possibility of extra TV income is small, compared to some of the difficulties it brings. Clubs are involved in very tight battles to get in, or stay in, the Premier League, and top flight football brings massive financial rewards. If a club has spent a lot of money towards being in the Premier League, it is understandable that they will fight tooth and nail to get there, and look to get every possible advantage over their rivals. In some cases, this means having a more apathetic attitude towards the FA Cup.

By contrast, some managers believe that a run in the FA Cup can help their team. Some will argue that keeping a consistent side, developing a winning habit, will breed confidence and benefit their league form. You can make the argument either way, but that is the manager’s decision. If you are the fan of a team that gets promoted, or stays up on the last day, you are not going to complain about getting knocked out of the cup in January. And could be a link between the two:

12/13 Promoted from Championship:

Cardiff – out 3^rd round to Macclesfield

Hull – out 4^th round to Barnsley

Palace – out 3^rd round to Stoke

12/13 Relegated from Premier League

Wigan – FA Cup winners

Reading – Reached 5th round, out to Man Utd

QPR – out 4th round to MK Dons

Cardiff lost to Macclesfield

Both Cardiff and Hull completely changed their team around for 3^rd round matches against lower league opposition. They did not want to put much energy towards a cup run, because they would rather focus on promotion. They benefited from having a light fixture calender in the second half of the season. Each team who were relegated from the Premier League had to play at least three extra matches, as QPR had a 3rd round replay, and perhaps this had an impact. As mentioned above, Wigan struggled massively with the extra games.

Managers are under huge pressure to meet their season targets. Therefore, they might be keen to rest some of their best players to avoid injuries, and fitness or psychological problems, which can be caused by playing too many games in a season. An example of this is when Birmingham won the Carling Cup in 2011. The same season, Blues reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Because they played so many matches, the injury list grew worse and worse, contributing largely to Birmingham’s relegation.

A manager cannot pick all of his established first team players every week. In high-pressure league matches, it is difficult to have the courage to gamble with young, fringe players. But when else can they get a proper chance in the first team? If a manager does not take the opportunity to give them a chance in the cup, then it sends out a bad message to the squad. The regular first team players start thinking they do not have to fight for their place in the team, while the fringe players believe they are not going to get a chance. Training levels drop, injuries start to happen because the same players have too many games, and when the fringe players fill in they are not sufficiently prepared. Rotation is key to getting the best out of the squad. With stakes not as high as usual, the FA Cup provides an opportunity to change the team around. There is nothing wrong with that.

Some argue that the FA Cup has become boring, since clubs have started to prioritize the league more and put out weakened teams. These two statements do not match. As a fan of a bigger club, you get to have a look at one or two new, younger players from the reserves, and judge who might have the potential to make the grade in the first team. It makes it more exciting as a neutral as well. If a manager rotates his team, surely that gives lower league clubs more of a chance? Last season, there were a number of surprises.

Luton won at Norwich last season

If Cardiff had not rested most of their first team, prioritizing promotion, Macclesfield would probably not have beaten them. Oldham beat Liverpool, Luton beat Norwich, Brentford held Chelsea. Most of these surprises last season would have been less likely to happen had their opponents played a full-strength side. The bigger clubs changing their teams, if anything, gives the smaller clubs a better chance of doing well and progressing in the competition.

The claim is that by treating the FA Cup as a secondary priority, clubs are neglecting the dreams of the fans. Yet they are little more than dreams. A promotion or relegation battle is a very real agenda, which can be crucial to a club’s future. League success is often separated by one or two points, or even goal difference. If a manager comes to the conclusion that more games in the FA Cup will put his team at a disadvantage, then there is nothing wrong with him treating it as second priority.