Steven Gerrard has just realised that Stewart Downing has 3 years left on his current deal
Now the FA Cup kick off is shifted around on a day with Premiership games. It's almost an afterthought after both semi finals have been hosted at Wembley. I refer to it as Wembley, and not 'the new' Wembley like so many, seeing as it's not that new anymore having opened in 2007. Two big teams fought out this seasons 2012 Budweiser sponsored FA Cup, Chelsea and Liverpool. These two teams are no strangers having played over 30+ times against each other in the past 8 years which is quite staggering. Maybe it was the fact that it was these two teams playing each other, again, the late kick off, the fact Liverpool aren't very good or that Chelsea have one eye firmly fixed on the Champions League final but there was no spark or excitement surrounding the build up to this game, compared to say, that of the recent Manchester derby or the Champions League semi-finals first and second legs.
The first hour of the game was incredibly dull. After Jay Spearing gave the ball away in a bad area for the 6,000 time this season Ramires' energy and pace put him past a decaying Jose Enrique and his shot straight at Pepe Reina was straight through the Spaniard (who's suffered his worst season in his 7 at Anfield this year) and that was the only moment of note in a slow, and bland first 45. After Didier Drogba had his customary Wembley goal Liverpool looked completely dead and buried. The introduction of Andy Carroll did change Liverpool's attacking impetus and finally Luis Suarez had another red shirt inside the opposition half with him! Jordan Henderson, Jay Spearing and Stewart Downing all had atrocious games and one wonders what was ever seen in them. Spearing was a product of the Academy (which doesn't bode well as he's dire) and the other two were signed for close to 40 million quid by good old King Kenny! Incredible to think about that waste of finances for two players who wouldn't stand out in a league 2 side. The 'Caveman' Carroll got his second Wembley goal in a matter of weeks (adding to his semi final winner over Everton) and his decent return in big games (he also scored on his England debut at Wembley) but alas, it was too little, too poor, too late for the Reds, and Chelsea, by default rather than incredible play, were rightly Cup winners for the 4th time in the past 7 years.
Chelsea. FA CUP Winners...again
I miss the magic of the FA Cup, the giant killings, the small minnows of the non-league taking on the big dogs of the top tier, the support, Wembley way, the suits, the walking out onto the Wembley pitch, the iconic trophy being hoisted aloft after the long trudge up the Wembley steps for the valiant losers... These are all distant and past memories like the Crazy Gang beating Liverpool in '88, Charlie George in '71 and Crystal Palace taking Man U to a 3-3 draw in 1990.
Even the cup final of 1992 between Liverpool and Sunderland was more exciting. I was up at the crack of dawn wearing my full Liverpool kit, drinking squash out of my Liverpool mug and swinging my Red scarf around my head as I went nuts in the living room 6 hours before the game even kicked off. The anticipation was extraordinary. I barely remember the game or the goals, but I can clearly remember the excitement of it all, the fantasy of one day maybe I'd be playing in final, what it would be like to lift the old trophy and get a medal from a member of the Royal family. All that magic is still alive in me, but not for the current versions of the FA Cup, I wonder if kids nowadays whip themselves into a frenzy for this game, or if they'd rather play out their own cup final on the Playstation on FIFA 2012?! I must be getting old and bitter as I'm reminiscing about the 'good old days' of FA Cup finals and football, but I don't think I'm the only one that wants to recast the magical spell of the FA Cup back over English football once again.
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