THE FA CUP: A BLESSING OR CURSE?

In recent years, I have often been told by my dad that the FA Cup is beginning to lose its ‘magic’. For those of his generation, there is a nostalgia for an era where replays and traditional Saturday 3pm kickoffs were the norm, live broadcasts were rare, the prestige of winning the FA Cup was equivalent to winning the league and only the final would be played at Wembley.

However, the modern game has seemingly lost much that provided the allure of the cup. With replays cast aside, the evergrowing coverage of every tie over three or four day periods (sometimes in stadiums with stands closed off due to lower interest amongst match-going fans), the Premier League or European ties taking priority and the semi finals now also being held at Wembley, the competition has altered significantly. The question therefore is does a successful FA Cup run mean as much as it once did and, for Sunderland, would a run into its latter stages or even winning it ultimately prove beneficial or a hindrance for the future.

Often, a major criticism of a run in any competition is that it sometimes serves as a distraction, where the main focus should remain on the league. This year, however, with, barring a calamity, the Lads close to being safe, our circumstances allow a run in the cup to be a separate but equally exciting challenge. As evidenced by the two strong starting lineups put out by Regis Le Bris so far in the tournament, he seems to share the opinion that the competition is worth taking seriously.

In regards to starting lineups, more cup games allows more minutes to be given to individuals who aren’t playing as often in the Premier League. For the likes of Luke O’Nien and Dennis Cirkin, the quality in defensive positions brought in over the summer has meant less game time and, therefore, these vital minutes which the FA Cup provides are hugely important in keeping everyone content and ready to play when called upon. Regarding Romaine Mundle, he took the opportunity to showcase himself in a positive way at Oxford United after recent struggles and he demonstrated once again that he is good enough to give Championship teams lots of problems. The next step for him is to build on this level of performance but against the stronger and faster full backs in the Premier League. We all saw recently how Aaron Wan-Bissaka was almost sending him an invitation to go down the line and full backs will be wise to his dropping of the shoulder and the cut inside. Adding variety to his game is key.

Obviously, another major pro of a successful cup run is the chance to win a major tournament. I mean, who doesn’t want another trip to Wembley with a trophy on the line? Especially with the curse seemingly lifted. In terms of the FA Cup, Sunderland haven’t reached the fifth round since 2014/15 and, in recent seasons, have been eliminated by the likes of Mansfield Town, Gillingham and Walsall even before the Christmas decorations have gone up! So a rare cup run is welcome for fans and players alike.

Let’s get carried away for a minute and imagine the pathways winning the FA Cup would provide. A spot in the Europa League would await, making it only the second time Sunderland would have qualified for a European competition in their history. Playing on the European stage would also allow the club to showcase themselves to a wider audience and, therefore, provide greater exposure in terms of recruitment in the coming transfer windows. Clearly, we have already been able to convince experienced, gifted players like Granit Xhaka that Sunderland is a great place to be; imagine being able to add the opportunity to play in Europe to the pitch for prospective signings.

Nevertheless, a cup run and the possible reward at the end, although brilliant at the time, may actually end up being a hindrance for Sunderland. Just look at the examples of Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest this season, two clubs now playing in Europe whose league form has significantly dipped in comparison to last year. Of course, this can’t solely be blamed on the fact both clubs are playing in Europe but surely it has played a significant role in their struggles so far.

For the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, who have the luxury of having two starting elevens capable of competing at the highest level, the challenging midweek/weekend schedule isn’t a massive area for concern. However, for Forest and Palace and likely Sunderland too, if we happened to attain European qualification, the strength in depth just isn’t there to give both competitions the best go possible. In a year’s time, would fans prefer another season of settling into a stable Premier League team without any European football on the side? Or, on the other hand, would they be more excited about making an away trip to hostile atmospheres in Turkey or Bosnia and Herzegovina on a Thursday evening before coming back to play again on a Sunday amidst a relegation battle without the luxury of a heavily rotated squad?

With possible FA Cup success leading into Europe, the strain on the Stadium of Light pitch too is another factor to consider. With games scheduled throughout the winter months, it is likely that home fixtures could occur back-to-back on Thursdays and then Sundays within the same week. In recent home matches, there have been areas of the pitch which haven’t looked in great condition, despite perhaps not having a game played on it in over a week. With a heavy winter-based schedule of European fixtures, the state of the home playing surface, its effects on performance levels and the greater risk of injury will be another factor to consider.

It is clear that a FA Cup run this season would undoubtedly be seen as a major success in the short term. From the joy it would bring supporters after over 50 years since the last FA Cup victory in 1973, to experiencing the Lads playing across the continent and the enhanced recruitment possibilities it would provide, without question a successful run would be incredible.

The rewards of a cup run are undoubtedly wonderful but perhaps in the short term only. Longer term, would success be detrimental as we have seen elsewhere? Perhaps it’s best if we make our minds up after either Granit or Luke lifts the cup in May!