Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
At the heart of football Klopp damage the magic of the Cup? That started with the FA and Premier League
THERE has been so much boring debate in recent years about the FA Cup’s magic that I’m guessing even the cup is embarrassed by now.
What do you mean a cup can’t have feelings? This one does, because we keep hearing it demands respect.
Even though the ones doing most of the dissing are its owners.
It was the FA who blackmailed Manchester United to go to Brazil to win a few pledges for a World Cup they never got, turned Wembley into a semi-final cash cow, scheduled the final when the Premier League season was still going, spread third-round Saturday over five days and put the draws on the blandest TV programme since John Craven’s Newsround – The One Show.
The Cup’s relevance shifted when the Premier League was born as top clubs obsessed more on the money earned from qualifying for Europe, and the ones in the bottom half on the losses incurred by relegation, than the glory of lifting the famous old trophy.
Last weekend’s biggest indictment on its hallowed standing wasn’t Jurgen Klopp’s declaration that he was fully respecting the Premier League winter break.
It was past winners and three-time finalists Burnley drawing a gate of 8,071 for a tie with fellow Premier League side Norwich – only 576 more than turned up at the same time to see Peterborough take on
Rotherham in League
One.
Klopp knew he’d get stick for his decision to play the Under-23s in the replay with Shrewsbury, especially after absenting himself from the bench. He claims he had no choice after being betrayed by the Premier League, who promised a winter break and told clubs not to organise lucrative friendlies, then allowed the FA Cup to organise lucrative replays during it. So he says he is taking a principled stand in the hope they will be embarrassed and rectify their error next season. But ultimately this is more about him, like those stayaway Burnley fans, taking a look at the FA Cup and deciding this year he’s not really into it. That he’d rather give a well-earned week’s holiday to his knackered squad as they attempt to win the club’s first league title in 30 years and defend their European crown. To some he’s throwing a childish strop, tossing away the chance of a Treble and making his club look small by disrespecting English football’s rulers.
But I did a rough poll of a dozen Liverpool matchgoers and 90 per cent gave variations on the theme: “It’s up to him. He has earned the right to do it his way.”
One pointed out that respect for the FA has been in short supply at Anfield since they awarded an FA Cup semi-final in 1989 to a ground that didn’t have a valid safety certificate and are yet to take any responsibility for the ensuing deaths.
It’s unfortunate Shrewsbury are caught in the crossfire, having Sunday’s superb comeback overshadowed by Klopp’s stand-off. But if I was one of the 7,000 fans heading to Anfield I’d rather face the
The FA Cup is unloved at the moment, but that can all change..
Under-23s than the first team. They will still get a big pay day and possibly a win that earns another one at Chelsea.
All these proposals to breathe life back into the FA Cup miss an important point. It’s not dead, it is just unloved at times by those who don’t fancy it.
But that can change. Look at the last-16 draw. If all ties are won by the higher-placed team we will see Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea (or Liverpool), Arsenal, Tottenham, Leicester, Sheffield United and Newcastle in the quarterfinals.
For different reasons, not least the Premier League title looking won, virtually all those big sides will be up for a couple of big days at Wembley. Because they need it.
Who knows, the FA Cup may even get our juices flowing again as opposed to boiling our bladder waste as we debate where the magic has gone.