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Reading's Dave Kitson certainly doesn't:

"We are not going to win the FA Cup and I do not care less about it. I care about staying in the Premier League as does everybody at this club."

Could you imagine a player saying that years ago?

Clearly he is right in one sense, staying in the Preier League is the crucial bit..but its a shame that a player such as this thinks so little of what was a great competition

Some where over the years players have been limited to a capacity of only being able to perform in a certain number of games in a season - must be linked to the lack of sports science there is around these days....

Too much money in the top flight I'd guess. Though that is very easy to resolve. You just reverse the premier league payout structure - with some adjusting around the middle.

The FA cup should always be seen as a big one (now the top teams play properly in it again).

as a supporter of one of the top 4 teams - i definitely care about the FA Cup but for me its 3rd in my list of priorities behind the Premiership and the Champions League.

The big clubs definitely care - look at all the winners overthe last few years.  Cant think immediately of the last team outside the top 4 to win it.  So it looks like they take it seriously too even if in the earlier rounds they field weakened teams.

Problem is the finals tend to be so dull.  I have seen every Arsenal final since 1993 (too young for the 78,79,80 finals) and they have all been boring - last years final was terrible.  The only good one in recent years was the liverpool V west ham.

Reading FC seem to do a lot of moaning at the moment.    There's always something going on in the football world with negative comments coming from either the manager or a player.

I like the  FA Cup and I think a lot of the clubs to care about it still, even the Premiership clubs.    The main cup event is well regarded in all the leagues in Europe.

The Carling Cup however is different.

The FA Cup and Champions League has become very important for me for this season...

The FA cup became devalued as soon as they let Man U not defend their title a few years back, that should never have happened. I never understood why they weren't just given a bye through to the 4th round rather than not playing at all.
Hopefully it'll regain some of the magic, I'll be at the Valley on saturday but only expect about 12,000 others , a real shame

FYP after saturdays abysmal showing. i'll still be one of the twelve though!! :D

If it wasn't important to the big teams they would not bother reaching the finals IMO and the big four are normally there or thereabout. 

I also find it amazing that part-timers can potentially play against premiership teams.  For them it is an experience of a lifetime - you only have to see the excitement of players and fans when there is a shock result (let's not forget the much needed money that goes to smaller teams as well). 

I don't know if other countries have this type of competition when a non-league team can play against a team several leagues up but for this reason alone I think this cup is rather special.

As a fan, you never know what to expect from passionate players in small teams and even if they don't put up a fight it's always good to see a mauling  :)

For a team like Reading that is true though, what's in it for them?

No real chance of winning it
Play premiership teams every week, so no real glamour ties
Chance of embarrassing defeat

All that combined with relegation being such a huge downward jump.

I imagine teams who aren't likely to be relegated, have more chance of winning or play in a lower division would care about it more.

The reason the big teams reach the later stages is that they're simply much, much better than the other teams, even when they're not playing at 100%.


An amateur team (Calais) reached the French Cup final a few years back, but shocks are encouraged in the French Cup by the fact that whenever teams from different divisions play each other, the lower-ranked team always play at home.

Unfortunately the big 4 have dominated the FA cup of late and leaves the rest of us clinging on to the dream of semi finals let alone finals.

I still love it but I support a championship side and im a bit of a traditionalist, there was no bigger day than FA cup final day as a child. Fa Cup Grandstand with Des, crap songs, interviews at the player hotels and it was always sunny somehow.

Now teams like Reading in common with about 10 premiership teams are concentrating on the league as staying in the premiership is a financial must and dropping out of it is a disaster, unlike years go when winning the FA cup was much bigger than any relegation fight.

I can take it or leave it to be honest. At the moment it just seems like a distraction but I do enjoy it when it gets to the later rounds.

The FA Cup doesnt bother me one bit. Once we get to a semi final I'm interested but before that I'd rather go out and do better in the league or Europe.

I care about the FA cup.  :)

Third Round Proper
3      05 Jan 2008     15:00     Colchester United     v     Peterborough United

Burnley to beat @rse ... seriously, get on !!

I agree with Dave Kitson. Ive always found the cup competitions boring (except Champions League).

Only the big 4 can possibly win it, and its pretty pointless for mid table/lower prem teams and championship teams.
Just more possbilities for injuries for the massively important league games.

On Football Manager 08, ill always play my reserves in Carling & FA Cup games, and eventually lose and be happy, to save my players match fitness for my hugely important league run, whether its relegation, promotion, winning the league or trying to finish as high up the middle as possible.

sorry to say over the years i think fa cup has lost its glamour for me , i put it down to not having the eurpoean cup winners competiton anymore, i understand the reasons for dropping the cup winners cup, but i still think the fa cup would be a great competiton again if you knew your team  would be going into a big european tournament next season.

Lol im feeling the generation gap already and im 28. It really is quite sad IMO.

Can't beat a game of FM 08 Longy.

Come on, surely you know this isn't right?

just read a tip on c4 teletext saying William (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=960) Hill (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=960) are offering 13/8 , that one of the big 4 wins the fa cup,i havent checked if this is true but they where saying for the last 12 years the fa cup has been won by, arsenal, chelsea,man utd or liverpool,

13-8 for one of the big 4 to win it?..that's ASTONISHING value.

The football manager was the bit I connected with the most and the only reason I haven't bought it is that I would spend more time playing that than poker. I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the past playing Championship Manager 2/3.

It's this price because the big four are expected to show the cup less respect than ever this year.

The top 3 resting players etc to try to win the league and 3rd and 4th trying to protect there CL spots, league is getting a bit more competitive through the top 8.

That said it still seems like a bit of a loss leader to get people punting and they don't get on to tipping sites purely on the basis of a tipster thinking it's a good bet.

just read a tip on c4 teletext saying William Hill are offering 13/8
this cant be true, cant find a price on william hills website, but 2 other bookies have bet at 1/2 and 4/9. headline on c4 teletsxt reads,  big 4 to dominate cup final 13/8,    it must be any other team to win fa cup bar the big 4.  

That bet sounds like it would be two of the top 4 to reach the final.  And thus not as good a bet as once thought.  Anyway, I'll be having my standard bet on Blackburn to win this.

U should never let anything get in the road of FM! Never I say!

Kitson's comments are a disgrace. Im sure he wouldn't have said it if he was still at Cambridge scrapping for a place in the team for their biggest game in years.

Most people have missed the point about th FA Cup,it's not just about winning it,it's about the excitement of having a cup run,the anticipation of listening to the draw on a Monday lunchtime,and then the build up to what you believe is the next step on the road to Wembley.

Fuck the big four,it's not about them(although one of them will probably win it) it's about a small club getting a huge draw that generates enough cash to keep the club afloat.

LONG LIVE THE FA CUP.

exactly...and bless all the small clubs in it..after all the premierleague takes all the money out of the game and this is ont of the only way they can make a few bob

I am on the way to Upton Park, come on Citeh.  ;)

 :) :) :) :) :)

I really think we deserve a big tie next, but I'm expecting a loss to some team like Mansfield.

AS a Sheff Utd fan I have to say my view of the FA cup has gone up a long way since this morning.

I love the FA Cup.

Triple X,

The last time one of the top 4 didn't win the FA Cup was Everton 13 years ago. In fact, only 3 other teams have won it in the last 20 years. Everton (95) Spurs (91) and Wimbledon (88).

I love the FA cup today. we may only have drawn but we played better than we have all season, blooded a couple of real quality looking players and had a good old knees up in the stand

0-0 but quite an exciting 0-0, shame both teams are so inept when they get near the goal.  :(

Going by some of the results and team selections today I'd suggest that there are many Premiership players and managers out there who agree with Kitson.

yeah and that I don't get. I get the bottom clubs not caring as they are too busy with survival. the top clubs can field second strings because they have great second strings and because they are going for the title. But a club like Blackburn fielding a second string is simply a disgrace and disrespectful to the FA cup and the manager should be shot for it. Blackburn won't win the title, won't get relegated and essentially has a completely pointless season as they always do..sure they might sneak UEFA cup footie but chances are they won't..the cup is the only thing they can win and not going for it is disrespectful to their club, the fans and the FA cup.

The difference between places in the league this year is a little over 2 million I believe? Add to that the chance of European football (another few million odd once in the group stages) and I think any club with top 6 ambitions will play for the league over the FA Cup.

Who do you think will be the next club outside of the top 4 to win a trophy in Enland?

Any particular reason why it might be worth a punt?

well done luton...saves the club that draw

and bristol r, and Huddersfield, and oldham, and peterborough,and Mansfield and Havant!!!


come on the stoke!!!

I agree Boldie.
I always thought it was wrong and sad a few years ago when clubs began to place more importance on finishing fourth than winning the FA Cup,now it appears that finishing 17th is more important than winning the cup!

It reminds me of a debate i had a few months ago with a friend of mine who supports Chelsea(and has been a season ticket holder since the late 60's).
Im a Leicester fan and our two recent League cup victories and the two resulting trips into Europe were two of my favourite sporting memories,my friend however suggested i would happilly swap those successes for a place in the Premiership now,he was staggered when i said "not a chance".
The big clubs may take European football for granted,but what would i swap the chance to see the team i have followed since 1973 play in europe for? Regular trips to Bolton,Portsmouth or Reading? I dont think so.

Surely football Supporters wantr to see their teams win trophies,not celebrate finishing 4th(or even 17th)

When Dave Kitson retires someone might ask him what he achieved in football,he'll be able to say he finished 14th in the Premiership for a few seasons.

you forgot Sheff Utd!!

exactly..there is no glamour in always struggling in the premierleague..but if you win something, no matter how small a club you are, you have always done well.

Liverpool and Newcastle LOL

DRAW...

Hoping for chelsea/man u/liverpool and arsenal to get each other


roll on Southend vs Huddersfield final!

liverpool v havant and waterlooville would be pritty good  if they both go through!

Luton/Liverpool vs Swansea/Havant

Man U v Tottenham v Reading

Arsenal v Stoke/Newcastle

Mansfield v Middlesborough


were the stand outs for me

with Wigan v Chelsea too, the 5th round will see v few Premiership teams

if we get past reading then we can win at man ure.

Liverpool couldn't beat one team yesterday - they'll struggle to play two at the same time.

LOL

Complete blind faith!!

obv.

its a necessary requirement of following Spurs ;)

bugger, we should have beaten WBA at home on saturday but could only manage a 1-1 draw - if we win we are away at Peterborough with every chance of being in the 5th round. Maybe then i'll start caring about the FA Cup :D

but given recent knock outs vs teams like Wycombe in recent years it looks like we'll be concentrating on the league only by end of Feb

Luton v Swansea then.

Yes I'm very disappointed we're not going to get a big team whichever one of you wins.

As for the 5th round - we've already beaten 2 championship sides this season, and what are the chances of a full strength side being fielded for the FA cup ties from the Championship sides?

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/fa-cup/win-market

with the big 4 dominating the betting and representing no value, I am having an each way tickle on Portsmouth 28/1 and Man C 33/1 respectively

have a look at this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzsSZ2OC_94&eurl=http://leedsac.facebook.com/profile.php?id=197818657

Southampton yawnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. We will prob get beat as well.

I've changed my mind. I don't care about the FA Cup - mind you we probably won't make it to that point anyway!!!

oi, what do you mean not a big team? say that again and I'll set the monkey on you. consider this

fact- Charlton are the 3rd biggest supported club in Europe (according to a survey of 100 random pedestrians in SE7 on matchday)
fact- we have the 4th best kitman in Europe
fact- our old physio was European pie eating champion 2002
fact- Nicky Weaver is one of the top 5 goalkeepers in SE London

Charlton would finish in the top 2 of the SPL easy.

 :D

Southend away.  Makes the 3rd round match vs Blackpool look positively glamourous!

;frustrated;

NO!!!

WOW thats the 1st time i have seen that... Shocking, he looked so guilty as well when saying 25..

did u c that look he gave after it.... GUILTY

Elano, get in!!, City for the cup.
 ;danafish;

Any guesses on how the bookies will price up the Liverpool v Havant & Waterlooville tie?

they are waiting to see what Bandit does ;)

Evens.

(lol @ Boldie)

Havant 66/1?

something like that, yes.

FA cup= great.

You know you have played well when a balloon manages to get an assist, if only Billy Sharp could manage one too.

bad result though, Robson gets at least a season more lol

lol, absolutely. We might have been better off losing in the long run, we will get Arsenal in the next round anyway as we always do.

Geary looks a terrific player though


added to

Haynes (Ipswich)

Lafferty (Burnley)

Mattock (Leicester)

on my list of future premiership stars!

Lafferty is a bit good, seen him live twice this season and on the box a few times ... got a great future ahead of him, I championed Glen Little when Burnley signed him from Glentoran quality player, but shit on the club by pushing a bosman transfer through to go to reading, he could have gone to a bigger club than Reading IMO.

seen Lafferty myself twice this season, extremely impressed. best player on the pitch (not saying much) both times

whoo hoo, Boro, at least someone we can beat, and Man Utd v Arsenal will knock a big un out

FA Cup is now a mickey mouse cup. pesky balloons.
 ;frustrated;

Interesting!!  We have been linked with a move for him (as have Celtc) but the general consensus of the people I've spoken to is that he is a big carthorse.  I've only seen him a couple of times myself and not been impressed either.  I take it he must have some ability though.

a big/tall left winger with a great cross and an eye for goal

not whippet quick but destined for a higher level

I reckon you will beat them.  They were fortunate against Mansfield, and the Blades were deserved winners against Citeh.  Balloons notwithstanding.