The 'Magic' of the FA Cup final - Dwindling

The FA cup final used to be the only game televised all year when I was a boy on my terrestrial TV back in England, and it was the season's best game (because it was the only one everyone could see!) It was the biggest of the footballing calender, something that everyone would be at least aware of if they weren't watching the game live.  Nowadays you can watch 50+ games from across the world's top leagues in just one week!  Maybe it's this or rise of the Champions League and the money of the Premiership but England's, and the worlds oldest club competition, has steadily declined in sync with the Premier and Champions Leagues' ascent.

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.  

Liverpool lucky not to pay the penalty!?

Liverpool have won their first piece of silverware for six long years, something a club with Liverpool's great history and winning story has found hard to swallow.  At the end of the game, before Kenny Dalglish picked up his first winners medal since lifting the Premier League crown with Blackburn in 1995, the Liverpool boss looked to have shed a tear.  The tears of joy are something Dalglish denied, but it could have so nearly been tears of sorrow after the boys from the Welsh capital did the Championship, their club, and country, proud.  Liverpool won't take too much from the performance other than the result, but the game showed their problems this season.


At the back they are fairly solid and limited Cardiff to only a few real chances, the difference between the two teams was how clinical they were in front of goal.  Where Cardiff were clinical and efficient, Liverpool were again lacking and deficient.  All season Liverpool have created chances for their forwards and midfielders, but just haven't converted enough of these opportunities.  One reason they haven't score as many goals as they should is perhaps down to three of their 'new' signings, Stuart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam.  Downing, although voted 'Man of the Match' for his performance yesterday, (which took a few by surprise) had a pretty poor final ball and even when he did get to the byline or made space for a cross more often than not it didn't beat the first man, or floated over the head of Liverpool's flat footed forwards.  Jordan Henderson looked off the pace against more experienced, and frankly better Championship players.  His level looks to be Championship at best at the moment, his season was encapsulated by his reckless yellow card.  In a good area with the ball on the edge of the box he took too long to make a decision, dallied and lost the ball then went straight through the man who had dispossessed him with a desperate lunge.  John W. Henry the Liverpool owner may have wondered why he parted with the better part of 20 million quid for him as he was hooked off after 58 minutes. Charlie Adam, so deadly from dead ball situations at Blackpool last year ballooned his penalty in the shoot out so badly it showed how far he's dropped off from his credible form last season, maybe it's all the extra running he does now in midfield and the fact he's not the focal point of the attack, again, the harsh truth is, he's just not good enough to do that and boss the midfield in Liverpool or any other Premiership team worth their salt.


All this doesn't take away from the fact that they dug in and got the result the club needed.
It will be interesting to see if this result spurs Liverpool on for the rest of the season, and helps them get a good run in the FA Cup and maybe the final Champions League spot.
With the strength of the squad looking the best it has in a long time, but still far off the pace in the title race it'll be a few seasons more of building before they get up to where they, and King Kenny, believe they belong.

A wins a win, a trophy is a trophy and although it was nerve racking for all the Liverpool fans, the right result (for them) came in the end. Lucky for us Anthony Gerrard (part of the Stevie G family clan) takes a penalty like his more famous cousin. Not very well. Well played to Cardiff, and congratulations to Liverpool! Carling Cup Champions 2011/12, and a thought for Anthony Gerrard, sad day for him as he announced on twitter after...
“Sorry to everyone!”
“I can’t close my eyes wid out seeing that penalty!! It’s goin to haunt me for the rest of my days! Head is mashed!”