Excitement of FA Cup 3rd Round Day
Not any more according to the players and managers
The first Saturday in January and the excitement of the 3rd Round of the FA Cup when the top clubs enter the competition. All fans dreams of the Final at Wembley in May.
The first weekend of January is most exciting day of the football calendar - the 3rd Round of the FA Cup when all the top clubs enter the competition and face the possibility of losing to a club from a lower division. It's a day when every fan believes that this will be the year when their club will win the coveted trophy.
But that's not the case where players and managers are concerned. They view Premier League survival and the vast amount of money associated with that as more important and so many plan to send out weakened teams in order to rest the players for future league games.
Steve Coppell sent out a weakened team at Old Trafford last season and gave United quite a fright over two games before United came out on top. Again, this year he intends to play reserve and squad players at White Hart Lane in Saturday's game against Tottenham Hotspur. This is supported by his star striker, Dave Kitson, who scored twice as Reading lost 4-6 in a terrific contest at the same ground a week ago. He says he doesn't care about the Cup, he's too tired and wants a rest for the next league game.
Gone are the days when playing at Wembley in the FA Cup Final was the pinnacle of every player's career. Kitson, like the rest of his profession, is exceptionally well paid but he's not bothered about playing in this competition.
A sad reflection on the modern footballer but every fan spends large sums of money to support their team and enjoys the excitement of the knock-out Cup games. I hope to see a full blooded Cup tie at White Hart Lane where the 'Magic of the FA Cup' is still something that is valued, by the supporters, at least.
