Tottenham and Chelsea will battle it out today for a place in May’s FA Cup Final, but it is unlikely to teach us anything about either side.
Gone are the days when a team’s true success is measured by cup glory.
Sir Bobby Charlton commented that even back in the 1950s, the challenge of Europe made England’s most famous domestic cup competition pale in the shade.
For Chelsea and Spurs, whoever the winner of today’s clash, the chance of another trip to Wembley is the prize.
But both teams have their eyes on other matters, and the cup is a mere distraction.
It may be a sad state of affairs, particularly for the FA, but that is the way it is.
Chelsea will be pre-occupied with their Champions League semi-final clash against Barcelona in midweek, even though it is an encounter far more difficult to win that this one.
For all the glitz and glamour of their semi-final clashes, the nagging voice in the back of Chelsea’s minds will be their league position.
Without finishing in the top four, the club are looking at a season in the Europa League, unless they win the Champions League itself next year.
Tottenham too, will find little solace in the FA Cup if they throw away their promising league season and finish fifth or sixth.
Should it be that way? Probably not.
Football is supposed to be about winning silverware and the glory of winning the cup, but this is the way modern football is.
Without finishing in the top four, it will be scant consolation.
That is why the battle in the Premier League over the final few games of the season could be far more important than what happens at Wembley today.
Do you agree? Or is the FA Cup more important than finishing in the top four?
image: © Free-ers
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
