The FA Cup is upon us again and something different is in the air. Breathe it in, that rank stench of indifference, as squads are rotated in front of empty stadiums and, by and large, the big boys march on, untroubled by pesky replays.
Is this too harsh, too jaundiced? Perhaps. But what used to be one of the great set pieces of the sporting calendar is now spread thinly, eking out what remains of the competition’s waning relevance across five days.
Which brings us neatly to The Athletic’s FA Cup Import-o-meter, the sibling of the Hope-o-meter, our annual season-opening record of how optimistic you, our subscribers, are feeling before the Premier League rolls back into town.
Here goes, with a few observations from our wonderful club correspondents…
GO FURTHER
The FA Cup Import-o-meter: Who needs it most this season?
