I'm really struggling to get
'Up for the Cup' right now. I'll probably be sound tomorrow, but right now everything is just totally flat.
Being a Liverpudlian, and no less a fortunate survivor, the FA Cup always holds paramount significance each and every season. I appreciate fans who have grown up in this era, where the Cup's importance has been disgracefully denigrated, not only by clubs, but by the FA themselves, not holding it in much esteem compared to the League/ EC. But as Liverpudlians, after all we've lost in this competition, you should ALWAYS want the club to go out and give everything in the FA Cup.
EVERY season.
The Cup has always been massively important to the City. I remember being a young teenager back in '86 when we were vying neck-and-neck with the Ev for both league and Cup. And after we managed to avoid each other in the semi draw for the first time ever, ALL anyone could talk about wasn't the title race that went to the last game. But the Cup final. Whatever happened, we
COULDN'T lose the Cup final to them. Which probably sounds mad to the younger generation now who have been conditioned to believe all that matters is the PL and CL, But the FA Cup was, even in such recent memory, held in the highest esteem. I grew up on story's of '65 and how we FINALLY shut the blues up when we won our first. And just what a momentous day that was. Cup Final day used to literally stop the whole Country. Grannies that had no interest in football would be glued to the TV. Regardless of who was playing. It was an all day event on the telly from early morning getting up with the teams through to after the game.
And then the worst day of any of our lives, that nobody should have to suffer through, happened in 1989. That, without wishing to dwell on the subject, completely changed your life that lasts to this day. All of which intrinsically tied the club. and City, to the competition in an indelible bond.
So the FA Cup, personally speaking, is a majorly important competition each season I desperately want to win as much as anything else. And third round day always used to be the single best day in the calendar. Side note- Something else they've ruined now as its not a day, but a 4 day weekend. Oh for the times when every game was 3PM on this day with exciting shocks aplenty. But I digress .....
And here we are this year, being
forced to play what potentially could be a team full of inexperienced kids. With a video analyst acting as manager. All because the FA have zero respect or integrity for their own competition.
I've no issue if we'd chosen to put out a weakened side. I don't particularly like it for everything above and more. But that's our or any other clubs prerogative. Circumstances today, with the over saturated fixture list, dictate such things. And the Cup no longer carries the financial reward to make it more viable than competitions that do to clubs. But
forcing clubs to put out
ANY age group of a team, so long as they fulfil the fixture, isn't right at all and just makes a complete mockery of the tournament. And then in the next breath, they accuse you of '
disrespecting the competition' when clubs aren't at full-strength.
So yeah, right now, I'm just not feeling this seasons competition at all. Which is making me more angry toward the FA than anything else.
