2024

[danno]

I’m forty this year and I wish the FA cup was still important to me in THAT way but honestly hand on heart it just isn’t. I think moving the kick off time to five o’clock and the lack of engaging finals over the last several years have done it for me.

I struggled earlier today to even remember who had won last years final, which shows how much of an impact the treble had had on me.

I enjoyed seeing Leicester and Wigan win the cup, but most finals over the past twenty years have been dreadful to watch.

I do wonder if sky owning the broadcast rights to the premier league for so many years (but not the cup) influenced the perceived level of prestige afforded to each competition, as they obviously hyped one competition a lot more than the other.

[Vegas]

The game has changed and an FA Cup win is not what it used to be.

It’s quite hard to compare different scenarios but I would consider 3rd Place in the league and a 4th round exit a very successful season, and I would consider 8th in the league and an FA Cup final a disaster (from where we are now).

[Nelly]

Now more than ever we can beat anyone on our day. It's probably only about 5 games to the final? If we take it seriously we can win it. For me villa are intrinsically linked to the FA Cup, despite not winning it in forever.

[Baldy]

Unai needs at least two more transfer windows to build a squad strong enough to seriously challenge in Europe, FA Cup and for a top four spot in the same season.

For me, this year we should go all guns blazing to get a top four spot and use Europe/FA Cup to keep our unused players 'sharp' for when and if they are needed in the league. But, if we get to semi finals of FA Cup or ECL, review position.

If this seasons second string team is not good enough to get us to the semi finals of the FA Cup or ECL, so be it.

When a kid, I used to play a lot of the game 'Risk' and soon learnt that if you 'spread to thinly across the board' you can end up winning feck all. 

[Brend'Watkins]

Winning an FA cup isn't going to attract better players to the club, finishing in the top 4 would though.  I'm way past 40 and as much as I'd love to see us lift the FA cup I find that I'm less excited by the competition as each year goes by. Domestic cups have given way to the European ones.  That's the way it is now.

[Brazilian Villain]

When a kid, I used to play a lot of the game 'Risk' and soon learnt that if you 'spread to thinly across the board' you can end up winning feck all. 

It didn't work for Hitler either.

[Steve67]

I guess it all begs the question - 'what is success?'  are we having success now, as we are second in the league, or is success simply about winning trophies? If the latter, I'd be happy with any trophy.  FA Cup would be marvellous.

[Risso]

Winning the FA Cup goes on your list of honours for ever more. Coming 4th doesn't, although there's absolutely no reason we shouldn't be able to do both. Get some players in in January to help.

[chrisw1]

Winning the FA Cup goes on your list of honours for ever more. Coming 4th doesn't, although there's absolutely no reason we shouldn't be able to do both. Get some players in in January to help.

But a top 4 club is more likely to retain it's best players, attract better quality players and win more trophies.  (I know Spurs buck this trend).  Now we have an elite manager and wealthy owners I want sustained success and finishing top 4 this season would be a huge first step.

[TopDeck113]

I've said this before when the subject of the Cup and it's demise has been discussed: find a spare half hour and watch Meanwhile Back In Sunderland on YouTube.  That's what it once meant.

[DeKuip]

I’m a football traditionalist and we’ve never won it in my lifetime so of course I’d love us to win it, but the FA Cup is nothing like the competition I enjoyed watching as a kid. The magic just isn’t there anymore.

There’ll be some good stories this weekend no doubt, as there has been since it started back in August but it’s a competition that gets worse as it progresses, and by the time you get to the Wembley semis it’s become very boring and unwatchable.

I’ll be at Boro on Saturday though… UTV!

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Me too, but I was only 2 years old when we won it in 1957...I don't remember it!
I loved watching the finals when I was a kid...it took ALL DAY! Pocket money spent on sweets kept down the side of the settee consumed throughout the day....then over the park with my mates and a ball to re-enact it before tea time!

Uncle Frank won it as a player in 1920, but was on the losing side when he was captain in 1924. He had a replica of the cup (and his England caps) on display in his pub in Worcester for years afterwards.

I'll be at Boro too.
See you there DeKuip!

[gpbarr]

Is it the Holy Grail anymore?

No. Isn't what it was either. Ask fans of the genuine big clubs and they will tell you where it sits on their priorities. If we want to compete with those big clubs (& regularly so) and be in the big comps (ECL) then sentimentality wont serve us well

[Nelly]

I always thought it was up to Villa to stand for traditionalism in the game and not just run off into the distance with success and money. I would hope that if we grow to be successful again we would respect the competitions as best we could do. I'd hate for Villa to just become all the bits we hate from the other clubs.

[AV82EC]

Is it the Holy Grail anymore?

No. Isn't what it was either. Ask fans of the genuine big clubs and they will tell you where it sits on their priorities. If we want to compete with those big clubs (& regularly so) and be in the big comps (ECL) then sentimentality wont serve us well

In case you’ve forgotten you support a genuinely big club.