FA Cup Weekend - As You Were

This season’s F.A. Cup has proved to be rather below par in terms of major upsets.

Manchester City’s 3rd round exit to Nottingham Forest at Eastlands was a debacle for the Blues, a point accentuated by Mark Hughes bringing in Shay Given, Wayne Bridge, Nigel de Jong and Craig Bellamy to add strength to his weak side. A more minor shock was Blackburn Rovers’ exit at Coventry City after previously edging through against non-league giants Blyth Spartans.

Kettering Town were the furthest progressing non-league team, before being taken to pieces by a much stronger Fulham side 4-2. This season’s Carling Cup saw Burnley see off Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal and come two minutes away from conquering Tottenham Hotspur before a devastating final two minutes in the Semi-Finals. Where is that drama in the F.A. Cup this season? Where in the past the major teams have often disregarded the cup, we see the opposite this year.

Arsene Wenger clearly sees the F.A. Cup as his main source of a trophy this season to end the Gunners’ four year trophy drought. This accentuated by the side he played to face Burnley this weekend. The Gunners disposed of Owen Coyle’s battlers 3-0 in devastating style, all three goals showing just how fast and with such great quality they can take teams to pieces. Elsewhere, both Manchester United and Chelsea progressed to the Semi-Finals with ease. Only Liverpool of the “Big Four” failed to reach this stage, and with little surprise, their conquerors Everton fill up the last Semi-Final place.

Only Hull City stand between Arsenal and the Semi-Finals and it is hard to see how they could resist an Arsenal side in full flow. With that we would see Manchester United v Everton and Chelsea v Arsenal. This is of an unbelievable contrast to last season’s Portsmouth v Cardiff City final. For many neutrals, clashes between the “Big Four” don’t offer too much entertainment. The chess match style of play between them often results in quite drab affairs.

I suppose we’ll have to wait for next season for the magic of the F.A. Cup to return. Despite the disappointment this season’s competition has caused, one positive is that with all the teams lift in the competition competing for places in the Premiership’s top six, 7th place in the Premier League is now available for a UEFA Cup spot. It would realistically appear this place is West Ham’s to lose.

However, Manchester City, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers all look capable of challenging them for the place. It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Hammers with financial devastation and key players wanting to leave. However, West Ham always seem to have something likeable and genuine about them in the way they go about their business. The return of West Ham to the UEFA Cup could surely be the platform for them to push on to bigger and better things next season.

The main contenders alongside the Hammers for 7th place must surely be Manchester City. The views on the terraces all season have been that Mark Hughes is not the man for the job. There doesn’t seem to have been a side with such a Jekyll and Hyde character as City in a long time. Sublime at home one week, appalling away the next, Hughes appears tactically inept on the road. It doesn’t take a genius to see City’s gung ho approach at home is not suited for away games against some of the Premiership’s stronger sides. Robinho appears incapable of scoring in recent months, and even Stephen “Super Man” Ireland looks short on form and fitness after such a hard season. However, City must surely be hoping to win the UEFA Cup and improve on last season’s 9th place. Otherwise the Sheikhs could have Sparky’s head on the chopping block this Summer.

With so many questions left to be answered this season, we are sure to see some big games and results in the remainder of the season. Can Everton triumph over adversity to win the F.A. Cup? Can Manchester City’s kings of bling push on for Europe and conquer their away day blues? Whatever happens it’s sure to be entertaining!