Manchester City News 24/7Writer: Andy Leggott 
Date:Thursday January 10 2008
Time: 7:59PM
UK time is: 14:23:42
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FA Cup Shame?
It`s perhaps indicative of the times that our current poll suggests that 3 in 4 polled on this site would rather see City finish 4th in the league rather than appear in their first cup final for 27 years.
Perhaps it is the necessity for Champions League exposure that produces such a vote; or perhaps it is the declining numbers of supporters who remember City appearing in cup finals, or even semi-finals for that matter, that makes finishing fourth preferable to winning things.
Now I appreciate I`m getting older, and have the memories of 81 to spur me on, but I would take the cup final ten times out of ten.
I believe football is about winning. To reward a side for finishing fourth is nonsense as far as I am concerned. And perhaps there lies the fault as far as English football is concerned.
The price of survival is high enough; a Champions League place ridiculous. The basic point of sporting achievement has been lost on a generation. To win is what we strive for even if it takes an entirety. We cling to the hope that our team will win something and support them through thick and thin in the hope that it will happen.
But when it doesn`t happen? Well maybe fourth gives us that outlet. We become one of Europe`s elite without being a winner. We can shout how good we are simply because we play in a competition that rewards domestic failure.
What about the cup winners? Sorry but they are an irrelevance. They may have won something but there is no invite to compete to be Europe`s best side. Winners aren`t really winners in these days of commercialism and feathering the G14`s nest.
My point? Well I`d rather see City in a cup final than finish 4th every time. That said, and with the continuing decline in some of the Premier League clubs treatment of the FA Cup, isn`t it about time the cup was recognised for producing winners? Surely winning the FA Cup is a greater achievement than finishing fourth in the league?
The FA Cup, in my opinion, should provide the fourth English entrant to the Champions League. It would allow a real winner to compete with the continent`s best and perhaps breath life back into a dying competition.
In the meantime I`ll HOPE City finish as high as possible whilst praying I finally get another chance to see them play in a cup final.
Results in Full
FA Cup Final or 4th in the League?
FA Cup Final - 21%
4th in the League - 79%
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Your Comments
FA Cup everytime, and twice on a Sunday.
Blue is the colour
Agree with everything you say ANDY..I can't believe the result of the poll maybe it is that most of the pollsters weren't born when City got to a Cup Final. I was lucky enough to be there in '55 (after queuing all night at Maine Road to get a ticket) & '56 and believe me there is no better feeling in the world than winning the FA Cup. As you say the only solution is to make the Cup winners a passage to the Champions League.
alphieblues
Andy & alphieblues, Winning team in the cup is something wonderful,But we did not find a button say ( Both ), Now Why preferred to press 4th in the League button ? Becouse win of FA cup this not reflects a necessarily you have a good team, For example, the Crystal Place and Brighton were they after one season when they come in the final cup, The team in FA cup depend on luck by 90%, You can play all game defense and win in the penalty kicks, But in the league It reflects your real level & Play in Europe Champion it will make mony come to the clup & It will easy to you Persuade a big names to playing for the club, Finally achieved an advanced position in the league it mean you can win a cup in the next season, But win the FA Cup does not reflect anything,We want to win in everything in the future with strong team.
city 81
Who knows, or dares to dream, city 81! Boy, would I love to see us at Wembley in a final. There are also a good few European cities I'd like to see City play in! My dream is Saint Etienne v Manchester City. Two teams with a great history, tradition and style!
Johnny Baguette
the demise of the famous old competition draws a step nearer then!
merlin
Andy I agree to some degree with what you are saying.I have seen City at Wembley 1969,70,74,76.& 81 and the few members cup and it is the most fabulous day for any football supporter. I voted to finish 4th, not because I want to be in the Champions League, but finishing in this position, we would attract better players. and if you ask the same question next year assuming we got that 4th place my answer would be to finish 4th and win the FA Cup.
Buzz Lightyear
Have To Give Teams More Of An Incentive To Play In This and The League Cup And The Only Way Is To Give The Winners A Champions League Spot.!
horseworrier
Champions league spot wouldn't work; especially when teams like Millwall were in the final in 2004 and are given the European place when the other team has already qualified.
mcfcdaytona
It's unlikely that teams such as Millwall would make it if the prize was greater.
ronin
Ronin - the so called big four would treat it the same and so would the rest of the premiership teams do now - so your thinking behind that is flawed I am afraid.
mcfcdaytona
If a champions league place, and the riches that come with it, were the prize then the leagues lesser lights may treat it with the respect it deserves. The media darlings you refer to as the 'big four' generally contest the final anyway because they realise that sport is about winning things. Millwall was a freak in that they played no-one from the top flight until the final. When they did they were simply embarrased. I agree with you regards the runners up but to fix that you simply don't reward runners up, as is the case in the League Cup. Like others on here have said I would rather see City win something again rather than simply settle for finishing 4th out of 20.
ronin
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