No Gray Areas - Arsenal up for cup double
Winning the FA Cup with Everton in 1984 was one of the proudest moments of my career so I know what the competition means. For this reason, it always astonishes me that clubs put their league status so far ahead of the cup in their list of priorities.
It is extraordinary that managers don't want to win the FA Cup. This is one of the greatest club competitions, it is watched all around the world and players everywhere dream of walking out at Wembley.
I understand the importance of league and European competition but if I was the manager of a team that could not win the title, I'd be going all out to get my hands on silverware. The FA Cup is a perfect opportunity for mid-table teams to grab some glory.
I find it incredible that teams don't want to give themselves a chance to win a competition with such a rich tradition and which provides such a fantastic finale to the season. So who do I think will lift the famous trophy at Wembley this May?
History tells us that one of the big boys will win the cup. Chelsea have been particularly strong in recent years and, having triumphed in the last two seasons, they deserve to be the favourites at [7.0]. I don't believe they will get the hat-trick but I don't think Manchester United, who haven't won for seven years, should be backed at the same price either.
Manchester City are [8.6] but whether they warrant a punt depends on how seriously Roberto Mancini takes the competition. For a similar price, we can back Arsenal and, with Arsene Wenger without a trophy since he won this one in 2005, I think they could be worth a bet at [8.4].
I'm backing Arsenal to do an FA Cup and League Cup double in 2011.
Andy Gray is now on Twitter so follow him for his exclusive tips and his take on the biggest stories in football each week.
Published: 10 Jan 2011
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