I think a lot of what you say is right. I think the lack of 3rd round shocks was slightly surprising but only because it has been supplemented in recent years by PL teams rotating the squad to such an extent that they lose. Genuine upsets when PL sides play a full side are certainly getting rarer. Supposed shocks in rounds one and two have become more frequent though as I think the bottom end of the game e.g. L2 v non league has seen the opposite effect with standards getting much closer. More full time non league sides and the bottle neck of only one automatic and one play off spot from the National League to L2 has meant those two divisions could pretty much be merged and split regionally to reduce costs and you wouldn't notice much of a drop in standard.
Overall to your point though, yes I think football was better, styles were more varied and results more unpredictable. And in some ways Pulis v Wenger was more exciting than Pep v Arteta.
But I might also be an old fella howling at the moon.
Statistics: Posted by CannockPricey — Tue Jan 09, 2024 7:38 am
