The Dilemma

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I've had this discussion a few times amongst friends and my answer every time has been survival. I actually think it's a bit selfish of people to want the cup instead.

Really though, I expect a club like ours to be able to stay up and compete in the cups.

[pauliewalnuts]

How sad is this that the premier league money machne has such a hold over fans they would take 17th over actually winning the grandest cup competition of them all.

That's a misleading way to put it, though.

it isn't about finishing 17th v finishing 18th, it is about being relegated and not being relegated, far from just a question of one position higher.

FA Cup for me every time. We can come back from relegation in 58 years. We have not won the cup in that time. I would bloody love it if we won the cup.

58 years outside the top flight would be significantly more damaging than 58 years without winning the cup. I also fear that if we went down, it wouldn't be a Newcastle style "bounce straight back" situation, but more likely a Leeds style "fucked for a generation" scenario.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

As much as I'd love to win the cup, being in the Prem, these days, is better for the club's present and future than a one-off cup win.
I want my club to last forever!

UTV!

[PeterWithesShin]

Wigan are the only team to win the FA Cup and get relegated. 5 other sides have reached the final and gone down. So 6 finalists since 1888 have had a run to the final and gone down. Doesn't seem too detrimental to me.

[Breezeblock]

Fucking right I would. I've not seen us win the FA cup and its the one I really want. I still have nightmares about the 2000 final.

[tomd2103]

No, but for a club like Aston Villa, this shouldn't be a dilemma.  We ought to challenge for cups without being relegated, we're not Wigan or Small Heath.

Yep.  It would be a genuine dilemma though if you went on a Sandwell or Small Heath board and asked them if they would rather win the FA Cup or see Villa relegated. 

[adrenachrome]

Wigan are the only team to win the FA Cup and get relegated. 5 other sides have reached the final and gone down. So 6 finalists since 1888 have had a run to the final and gone down. Doesn't seem too detrimental to me.

I agree with you for what it's worth, but the hypothetical question raised in the OP is would you pay the price of relegation to win the FA Cup. 

[maidstonevillain]

None of those at VP would be favourites.

Bournemouth were many peoples favourites going in to todays game.

[Damo70]

Wigan and Small Heath are good examples of why you don't want a trophy at the expense of going down. Also big clubs we have competed with at the top of the PL who after relegation have been gone a long time like Wednesday, Forest and Leeds.

[ozzjim]

How sad is this that the premier league money machne has such a hold over fans they would take 17th over actually winning the grandest cup competition of them all.

That's a misleading way to put it, though.

it isn't about finishing 17th v finishing 18th, it is about being relegated and not being relegated, far from just a question of one position higher.

FA Cup for me every time. We can come back from relegation in 58 years. We have not won the cup in that time. I would bloody love it if we won the cup.

58 years outside the top flight would be significantly more damaging than 58 years without winning the cup. I also fear that if we went down, it wouldn't be a Newcastle style "bounce straight back" situation, but more likely a Leeds style "fucked for a generation" scenario.

Misleading maybe, but it is the way I look at it. We could easily go down anyway this season, our goal record and general play would give that a genuine concern. How long it would take to come back and if it was a generation is a total unknown. If it meant hundreds of people being jobless behind the scenes then obviously the survival would be more important, but there is a large part of me that would like to think football is about the emotion of your club winning. We have had very little to cheer, and a cup win would give us that. I don't think we are anywhere near as bad financially as Leeds were now thankfully, and I do think that we would bounce fairly swiftly as the players likely to stay would be at about their level. All ifs and buts, but I know 2 Wigan fans that wouldn't change it, and a nose who would not swap their league cup for the premier league either, and enjoys watching them in the Championship way more than in the premier league.

[Dave]

None of those at VP would be favourites.

Bournemouth were many peoples favourites going in to todays game.

"Many peoples' favourite" is irrelevant though. Betting odds dictate which team is or isn't the favourite, and Bournemouth were priced at around 3-1 today, longer than the best price available on us.

It wouldn't have been a huge shock if we'd drawn or lost, but according to the odds we were expected to win today.

[Pete3206]

I would honestly embrace relegation, if you could guarantee winning the FA Cup. Villa have never been long out of the top flight and I wouldn't envisage a long spell in a lower league. But, the FA Cup would probably be once in a lifetime. It's the absolute holy grail as far as I'm concerned.

[Chipsticks]

I think getting relegated would cause a large-scale change in the club's structure which could potentially be for the better, and I too would crave to see us win the cup.

I don't know if I'll ever see Villa win a trophy in my lifetime but I know we could bounce back from relegation.

[robbo1874]

It's funny I was thinking similar thoughts a few days ago. I think I would trade a season in the championship for an 8th FA cup win.

I've always promised myself if we get to the FA cup final, I will come back for it (if I can get a ticket). Need to purge the memories of 2000.

What a fantastic debut goal from Carles yesterday by the way. That was pretty special. Lots of empty seats though by the looks of it- what the crowd? It looked about 30k.

[Pete3206]

27k