Better season

[Letters]

It's the most prestigious domestic Cup in the world. It has a history and prestige that no other domestic cup has.
Most football fans grew up with the FA Cup Final being a highlight of the season, many know who won the Cup in such and such a year.

I don't think we'd have had a parade for the Carling Cup. If we had I don't think many would have turned up.
It's clearly 3rd priority for the big clubs these days and clearly the CL has devalued it somewhat, but it's still a major trophy.

[Xhaka Can’t]

It isn't a major trophy. The prestige is long gone from it. Don't get me wrong, it is nice to win.

But 'major'?

Not a chance. Unless your definition of major is anything better than the League Cup.

[Power n Glory]

Letter's, what were your thoughts on when Arsene Wenger said 4th is like a trophy and he put the domestic cups at the bottom of our priority list?

[Globalgunner]

Its a major trophy because Letters says so. If we came 5th and won the FA cup....It would still be a major trophy.....in his mind. If you ask any normal fan what they would rather achieve, 4th place or FA cup?. We all know the answer.
On a descending scale
1. CL
2 PL
3. 4th place cup
4. FA cup
5. Carling, Coca Cola, Milk......or whatever liquid cup its called nowadays


So Wenger was right, all along.

[Letters]

Its a major trophy because Letters says so.

Well, to an extent that's right.
There is no standard, objective definition of what is and isn't a major trophy so if I think it is then, to me, it is.
If you don't think it is then, to you, it isn't.

Personally I'd rather win the FA Cup than finish 4th. Unfortunately in the modern game where being in the CL is so important it is arguably more important for the club to finish 4th than win the Cup, hence Wenger's comments about it being like a trophy. Happily for the last 2 seasons Wenger has done both.

Also, in your descending list there is a big, big gap between the FA Cup and the Hokey, Cokey Cup in terms of importance in prestige. Most football fans will know who won the FA Cup in such and such a year, I doubt they'd know the same about the league cup unless it was their team who won it because it has nowhere near the prestige or history of the FA Cup.

[Letters]

Letter's, what were your thoughts on when Arsene Wenger said 4th is like a trophy and he put the domestic cups at the bottom of our priority list?

Kinda answered that in my reply to Globalgunner, but that is just reflecting the sad reality of modern football that there is now a 'top 4', the importance of which is reflected in the amount of money clubs like Liverpool and Spurs have spent to try and break into it. The importance of the CL in terms of the money it generates and the prestige in terms of the players it can help attract is such that it has to be a priority. But given that we did finish in the top 4 and we won the FA Cup, I'd say the season was a relative success. Clearly the PL and the CL are the bigger prizes and we have to push on and challenge for those.

[Niall_Quinn]

But given that we did finish in the top 4 and we won the FA Cup, I'd say the season was a relative success.

Relative to what?

[Letters]

Relative to what?

Relative to a lot of our seasons in the last 10 years.

Overall I reckon 3rd place and the FA Cup is a #decent season. Could be better but could certainly be a lot worse.

EDIT: And also relative to most other clubs. Only Chelsea, in England, could be said to have had a better season.

[Kano]

Letter's, what were your thoughts on when Arsene Wenger said 4th is like a trophy and he put the domestic cups at the bottom of our priority list?

That is probably the best criteria to base its importance on, that and how the players themselves view it. Obviously those involved in the game directly are happy to win anything - you see them just as ecstatic lifting the League Cup - but at the start of any season the priority for teams of our stature is the league and CL. Not just the money but the prestige is far above what the FA Cup means today and both of those competitions provide sterner tests to lift them, rather than beating a group of random teams along the way. The buzz of wining a domestic cup fades away far quicker than either the league or CL.

[Letters]

I don't believe any player or fan would rather finish top 4 than win the Cup.
The club prioritize it because the club is a business and in a business sense it is the priority, but as a fan or player you surely want the trophy?

We did both anyway, so in terms of how we see this season we don't have to choose.