I jumped and shouted with joy when I saw the FA Cup draw. Not because Arsenal got a decent tie away at Brighton, but because of one fixture: United vs United.

Since I’m now living in Cambridge, I have adopted ‘The U’s’ as my small-town second team.  I am, of course, ‘Arsenal till I die’, but the fact that this clash of David versus Goliath excited me far more than my own club’s fixture says a lot about the reality of the FA Cup for the bigger teams. And that reality has become increasingly devoid of magic.

To the dismay of football purists, it is a sad fact that the oldest competition in world football is generally viewed by Premier League and even Championship teams as little more than a distraction from bigger things.  One only has to look at team selections in the FA Cup over the past few years to see the growing trend of the better teams devaluing the competition by not fielding their strongest possible sides.

What’s more, if you ask both fans and managers whether they would prefer to win the FA Cup and avoid relegation or secure Champions League football, I think the majority would, sadly, choose the latter option.  There are fewer fans per FA Cup match at Premier League grounds than the average Premier League fixture - it does not help that many clubs refuse to lower ticket prices (as happens in the League Cup) for ‘less relevant’ early round matches. Arsene Wenger insisted in 2012 that there were ‘five trophies’ every season (the fifth being that coveted Premier League fourth spot, which he valued above domestic competitions), while Manchester United infamously withdrew from the FA Cup in 2000 to play in the FIFA Club World Cup.  

Why the falling interest? First, there is the relative lack of prestige in winning the FA Cup itself. Some might say that this is partly due to the fact that England, unlike other countries, has the League Cup, which has perhaps diluted the value of the FA Cup. More importantly, the Premier League and Champions League are far more notable successes – not just in terms of prestige but also prize money.  The winner of the FA Cup this year will win a mere £1.8 million; 17th placed West Brom earned £4.8 million in prize money and a total of £67.3 million including TV rights in the Premier League last season.  Need I even mention the monetary value of simply appearing in the Champions League Group Stage? Besides, FA Cup medals do not attract top talent. Premier League and especially Champions League football does.

The English football season is notoriously gruelling.  For many teams, going out of the Cup can be seen as a blessing in disguise: fewer fixtures, fewer injuries, a better-rested squad. There has been a recent history of Cup success coming at the cost of League form.  Wigan in 2013 and Birmingham in 2011 come to mind as examples of sides sacrificing relegation for Cup success.

Finally, it seems that genuine upsets are becoming ever more infrequent – not that I am old enough to remember Wimbledon defeating Liverpool in the 1988 final! And aren’t ‘Giant Killings’ what the FA Cup is historically about? The smaller teams, even against second-rate players, are simply finding it harder to win.  Tough tackles and physical battles, the old underdog weapons, are no longer condoned; unplayable pitches no longer exist; and of course referees find it difficult to make completely neutral decisions when the very top teams are involved.

I don’t mean to depress football romantics, but that is just the way it is. But there is hope. This FA Cup draw has given us a chance for the revival of some of that Cup Magic. A Giant Killing. David beats Goliath. In a season where the FA Cup Final has been restored to its rightful place at the climax of the football season, I want football idealism to return.  I want the FA Cup back to at its awe-inspiring best. When I watch the draw for the fifth round, I want to jump and shout with joy. Again.

C’mon, you U’s!