4 reasons why the FA Cup is still relevant

After one of the more underwhelming FA Cup finals in recent memory this past weekend – Chelsea defeated Manchester United with a first-half penalty in an overall dull game – the usual questions have arisen. Namely, whether the FA Cup is even relevant any more.

This has been a debate that’s gone on for years now, particularly as the financial rewards for staying in the Premier League – and even more for making the Champions League – have become larger and larger, but despite this year’s dull final match, the oldest competition in football history still has a lot to offer – and here are 5 reasons why.

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#1: It can work as a strong consolation prize for a big club

Some Tottenham fans would've preferred an FA Cup win to their 3rd place Premier League finish

Around a decade ago it felt like just four big clubs – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – basically had a monopoly on the Premier League’s Champions League spots, but since the rise of Manchester City and Tottenham, the competition for those places has become tougher with each and every season.

Six into four obviously doesn’t go, and that means that every season, at least two of the so-called ‘big six’ are going to miss out on that lucrative Champions League spot. So with pressure on managers and players higher than ever before, an FA Cup win suddenly seems far more relevant than it was a few years ago.

Sure, winning the FA Cup isn’t the same as qualifying for the Champions League – both from a financial sense and in the sense of the tougher competition Europe’s biggest competition provides – but it can definitely act as a strong consolation prize for a side that does miss out – see Chelsea this season, for instance.

And while an FA Cup win might not have placated Tottenham’s stars like their Champions League qualification has, there are probably a great deal of Spurs fans who would’ve preferred finally winning a trophy to the 3rd place Premier League finish they took.

#2: It gives fringe squad members valuable playing time

The FA Cup can be used to blood youngsters like Chelsea's Ethan Ampadu

As the bigger clubs of the Premier League have continued to grow over the last few years, we’ve seen their squads grow even larger too. The Premier League does have a squad limit of 25 players, but that figure doesn’t include under-21 players and crucially, these rules do not apply to cup competitions like the FA Cup.

What does this mean? Basically, that the extra games provided by the FA Cup can give fringe squad members – as well as up-and-coming youth stars – valuable playing time, particularly with the bigger Premier League clubs.

An example of this was during this season’s competition – Tottenham, not renowned for having the deepest squad, used their cup games not only to blood younger players like Kyle Walker-Peters but also to reintroduce injured players (Toby Alderweireld, Harry Winks) and to embed new signings (Lucas Moura) too.

Even Chelsea got in on this act, as Welsh youngster Ethan Ampadu was handed three of his first games for the Blues in FA Cup matches.

With playing time at an absolute premium for younger players these days – players who might otherwise struggle to break into a Premier League first team, the FA Cup remains hugely relevant.

#3: Upsets still happen

Upsets like Wigan defeating Manchester City make sure the FA Cup remains relevant

Despite there now being a monstrous gulf in quality between the Premier League and even the Championship – let alone League One and League Two – the FA Cup still regularly seems to throw up a handful of upsets each season, and those upsets alone make the competition relevant for both fans and smaller clubs alike.

2017/18’s edition of the cup saw a huge upset in the third round when League Two Coventry defeated Stoke – costing Mark Hughes his job in the process – and other shocking results included both League Two side Newport County and League One team Rochdale forcing Tottenham into replay fixtures before losing, and Wigan Athletic knocking out Premier League Champions elect Manchester City in the fifth round.

Admittedly, some of those bigger clubs probably saw the cup as more of a nuisance to their Premier League plans than anything else, but for those smaller clubs, their FA Cup runs were arguably the highlights of their season.

At the end of the day, football isn’t just about the huge superclubs at the top – it’s about a grassroots game too, and the FA Cup provides a wonderful opportunity for England’s smaller clubs to make their mark each season. And that alone makes it relevant.

#4: The winner has a massively outside chance of Champions League qualification

It sounds crazy but Wigan were just 15 games away from Champions League qualification after their 2013 FA Cup victory!

This might sound a little crazy but bear with me for a second. While it’s true that the last side to win the FA Cup while not qualifying for European competition via the Premier League was Wigan Athletic – way back in 2012/13 – for mid-table Premier League sides it’s easy to forget that an FA Cup victory leads each season to a spot in the Europa League.

And once you’re in the Europa League? As wild as it sounds, the fact is that you’re just 15 games away from Champions League qualification for the following season. Granted, those games can be incredibly tough – a side would have to negotiate the group stages before potentially defeating Champions League-level opponents in the knockout phase – but it’s still within the realm of possibility.

Can you imagine a mid-table Premier League side like Leicester City or Crystal Palace inexplicably making the Champions League after winning the FA Cup in one season and then the Europa League in the following one?

It sounds impossible, but realistically it’s probably more likely to happen than one of those sides crashing the Champions League party at the top of the table. And after all, anything can happen in football!