A solution to the FA cup upset mystery

[Mack]

I am a little sick and tired of hearing that this years cup is the best in years.

The reasons the big boys are out is simple...

The big teams are full of foreign players who could not give 2 flying ****s for the FA cup.

The lower league teams are full of more home grown players who are desperate for a little bonus / fame and hey presto you have 'the greatest FA cup in years'.

My arse!!

[filbertway]

I am a little sick and tired of hearing that this years cup is the best in years.

The reasons the big boys are out is simple...

The big teams are full of foreign players who could not give 2 flying ****s for the FA cup.

The lower league teams are full of more home grown players who are desperate for a little bonus / fame and hey presto you have 'the greatest FA cup in years'.

My arse!!

They had foreigners last year?

[Head Honcho]

They had foreigners last year?

...............and the year before!

[Tomassi]

Didn't a foreigner win spurs the cup in '81? Also watch the actual games and see the reaction of these players at the big clubs as they lose... they dont care, whatever, this is the greatest cup competition in the world of any sport!

Stop being so jealous, this weekend has been immense, credit where credit due!

[2bob!]

I am a little sick and tired of hearing that this years cup is the best in years.

The reasons the big boys are out is simple...

The big teams are full of foreign players who could not give 2 flying ****s for the FA cup.

The lower league teams are full of more home grown players who are desperate for a little bonus / fame and hey presto you have 'the greatest FA cup in years'.

My arse!!

That is the most stupid thing i have heard!! the prestige of the F.A cup is immense! All the players want to win tropies weather they are foreign or home grown, I think if you look at the teams in the semis the will all have foreign players in, The premiership teams have just been out played by the lower sides!

[DB11]

Just because we are not in it does not mean you cannot appreciate it.

[Sparky]

i think its been a fantastic year for "the greatest domestic cup competition on earth "

Fooking fair play to the last 4

[accessory]

The semi-final line-up is the worst in decades.

But maybe next year some of the clubs in the Premier League and elsewhere who dissed the tournament this year might start to take it seriously. It may then start to regain some of its glamour and appeal.

At least the stranglehold of the big four has been broken... :thumbup:

[samingram_uk]

Any one got a clue why there playing the semi's at wembley??

[Simi]

Any one got a clue why there playing the semi's at wembley??

£.

[samingram_uk]

£.

arr

[Manwell Pablo]

What annoys me, these people who complain about the cup being shit because the big teams are out are the same people who complain about it always being "The big 4" in the cup finals.

Also, foriegn players, bollocks, Barnsley have shit loads of foriegners as do West Brom, as do Portsmouth, Cardiff are hardly short of them either.

[Manwell Pablo]

I am a little sick and tired of hearing that this years cup is the best in years.

The reasons the big boys are out is simple...

The big teams are full of foreign players who could not give 2 flying ****s for the FA cup.

The lower league teams are full of more home grown players who are desperate for a little bonus / fame and hey presto you have 'the greatest FA cup in years'.

My arse!!

Barnsley:

Steele (ENG)

Van Homoet (HOL)

Foster (ENG)

Souza (BRA)

Kozluk (ENG)

Campbell-Ryce (JAM)

Hassell (ENG)

Howard (ENG)

Devaney (IRE)

Odejay (NIG)

Ferenczi. (HUG)

Chelsea

Cudicini (ITA)

Belletti (BRA)

Terry (ENG)

Carvalho (POR)

Bridge (ENG)

Essien (GHA)

Ballack (GER)

Malouda (FRA)

Wright-Phillips (ENG)

Anelka (FRA)

Joe Cole (ENG)

So really what your telling us all is, Barnsley won becasue they had all of one more Englishman in their team compared to Chelsea, I'd be willing to bet it was the same story V Liverpool. Your talking utter guff pal.

[Asha]

Barnsley:

Steele (ENG)

Van Homoet (HOL)

Foster (ENG)

Souza (BRA)

Kozluk (ENG)

Campbell-Ryce (JAM)

Hassell (ENG)

Howard (ENG)

Devaney (IRE)

Odejay (NIG)

Ferenczi. (HUG)

Chelsea

Cudicini (ITA)

Belletti (BRA)

Terry (ENG)

Carvalho (POR)

Bridge (ENG)

Essien (GHA)

Ballack (GER)

Malouda (FRA)

Wright-Phillips (ENG)

Anelka (FRA)

Joe Cole (ENG)

So really what your telling us all is, Barnsley won becasue they had all of one more Englishman in their team compared to Chelsea, I'd be willing to bet it was the same story V Liverpool. Your talking utter guff pal.

Barnsley only have one more anyway...

There's nothing wrong with this competition this year...everyone would complain anyway if it were the big four left in.

[Mack]

OK

Time to edit my original post...

The 'Big four' are all still in the Champions League and are battling for 1/2/3 and Liverpool for 4th spot in the league.

Those just behind behind are all working hard in the league to make a UEFA cup spot.

And also this year the relegation battle in the prem has many more teams than usual involved.

In addition many of these foreign players and coaches are used to smaller teams laying down and spreading their legs for a good old fooking in cup competition on the continent.

They have no understanding of the attitude of smaller clubs here.

In addition when you have just knocked Lyon or Olympiakos out of the Champion league to make the 1/4 finals to get up and 100% motivated for Barnsley away must be tricky!?

Add to that the opportunity for the smaller 'giant killing' clubs and their players to further their career / bank balance by taking the scalp of half interested foreign star laden squads with their minds elsewhere and hey presto... cup non shock!!

As it stands we are going to end up with a Pompey vs WBA or Barnley / Cardiff final.

Now that may stir some loins here but it is'nt doing anything for mine!

I'd rather see the best players and the best teams in a final. And have never moaned about the big clubs maingly getting to cup finals.

I'm sure the fans of the teams left will have a great day out and the eventual winners will be crowing on about it for decades, and good luck to them.

I just dont buy all this giant killing malarkey, it's just priorities.

[Shrenchel]

I'd rather see the best players and the best teams in a final. And have never moaned about the big clubs maingly getting to cup finals.

Bwahaahah, what like last years final between the two 'best' teams in England?! That was one of the most dull 120 minutes of football I've ever watched.

[Manwell Pablo]

OK

Time to edit my original post...

The 'Big four' are all still in the Champions League and are battling for 1/2/3 and Liverpool for 4th spot in the league.

Those just behind behind are all working hard in the league to make a UEFA cup spot.

And also this year the relegation battle in the prem has many more teams than usual involved.

In addition many of these foreign players and coaches are used to smaller teams laying down and spreading their legs for a good old fooking in cup competition on the continent.

They have no understanding of the attitude of smaller clubs here.

In addition when you have just knocked Lyon or Olympiakos out of the Champion league to make the 1/4 finals to get up and 100% motivated for Barnsley away must be tricky!?

Add to that the opportunity for the smaller 'giant killing' clubs and their players to further their career / bank balance by taking the scalp of half interested foreign star laden squads with their minds elsewhere and hey presto... cup non shock!!

As it stands we are going to end up with a Pompey vs WBA or Barnley / Cardiff final.

Now that may stir some loins here but it is'nt doing anything for mine!

I'd rather see the best players and the best teams in a final. And have never moaned about the big clubs maingly getting to cup finals.

I'm sure the fans of the teams left will have a great day out and the eventual winners will be crowing on about it for decades, and good luck to them.

I just dont buy all this giant killing malarkey, it's just priorities.

All of that has been the same these past 6 or 7 forking years and yet we've had one of the big four win the FA cup every year. I don't care what you say, Chelsea Man U Arsenal and Liverpool have lifted the FA cup near enough every single year since I've been watching football, something like 16 seasons in a row. They've always had European commitments and always had other priorties. Lets facce it Liverpool were increadibly unlucky to go out to Barnsley, they dicked on them 90 minutes and Barnsley took the one chance that came their way, and I wouldn't even call Brian Howards winner a chance, it was just a cracking strike.

For a team like Boro, who are still sort of fighting for their palce in the league but not in any serious danger. The FA cup presented an excellent oppurtunity, they were just shite on the day and Cardiff beat them which is what the cup should be all about.

I'm enjoying the cup this year, it's been different, it shows the top 4 are touchable, it's been a breath of fresh air. It annoys me when people such as yourself try and devalue whats happened by saying the big teams/players don't care about the FA cup, they clearly do, that is why they've dominated it for the past decande and a half.

[2bob!]

OK

Time to edit my original post...

The 'Big four' are all still in the Champions League and are battling for 1/2/3 and Liverpool for 4th spot in the league.

Those just behind behind are all working hard in the league to make a UEFA cup spot.

And also this year the relegation battle in the prem has many more teams than usual involved.

In addition many of these foreign players and coaches are used to smaller teams laying down and spreading their legs for a good old fooking in cup competition on the continent.

They have no understanding of the attitude of smaller clubs here.

In addition when you have just knocked Lyon or Olympiakos out of the Champion league to make the 1/4 finals to get up and 100% motivated for Barnsley away must be tricky!?

Add to that the opportunity for the smaller 'giant killing' clubs and their players to further their career / bank balance by taking the scalp of half interested foreign star laden squads with their minds elsewhere and hey presto... cup non shock!!

As it stands we are going to end up with a Pompey vs WBA or Barnley / Cardiff final.

Now that may stir some loins here but it is'nt doing anything for mine!

I'd rather see the best players and the best teams in a final. And have never moaned about the big clubs maingly getting to cup finals.

I'm sure the fans of the teams left will have a great day out and the eventual winners will be crowing on about it for decades, and good luck to them.

I just dont buy all this giant killing malarkey, it's just priorities.

Thats crap if they wasnt trying there would have been no Anelka, Ballack, Cole, Terry for the risk of injury Barnsley deserve everything they out played them and i'm certain that the thought of man u, chelsea and all the other teams they all play to win

[lildave3]

All of that has been the same these past 6 or 7 forking years and yet we've had one of the big four win the FA cup every year. I don't care what you say, Chelsea Man U Arsenal and Liverpool have lifted the FA cup near enough every single year since I've been watching football, something like 16 seasons in a row. They've always had European commitments and always had other priorties. Lets facce it Liverpool were increadibly unlucky to go out to Barnsley, they dicked on them 90 minutes and Barnsley took the one chance that came their way, and I wouldn't even call Brian Howards winner a chance, it was just a cracking strike.

For a team like Boro, who are still sort of fighting for their palce in the league but not in any serious danger. The FA cup presented an excellent oppurtunity, they were just shite on the day and Cardiff beat them which is what the cup should be all about.

I'm enjoying the cup this year, it's been different, it shows the top 4 are touchable, it's been a breath of fresh air. It annoys me when people such as yourself try and devalue whats happened by saying the big teams/players don't care about the FA cup, they clearly do, that is why they've dominated it for the past decande and a half.

Supoyb post.