It's time to allocate English football’s fourth Champions League place to the FA Cup winners. There, at a stroke, you would give renewed impetus to the world’s greatest knockout competition - and make managers of big clubs think twice about fielding weakened teams. This season’s cast of quarter-finalists features only one of the so-called Big Six, and although they face a tough task at Bournemouth in the Sunday teatime kick-off, I still make Manchester City my favourites to win the Cup this year. But I wonder how Arne Slot now feels about his patchwork XI which came a cropper at Plymouth in the fourth round? Liverpool are in the box seat, 12 points clear, in the title race, but does he regret passing up the chance to win the Cup given the way the competition has unfolded this season? Apart from City, whose form has been inconsistent at best since November, there is a real chance for a different name to be engraved on the famous old pot. Since Everton won it 30 years ago, only Portsmouth (in 2008), Wigan (2013) and Leicester (2021) have disturbed the usual cast of suspects in monopoly of the Cup - Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or City have been in charge of the ribbons. So for Fulham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Preston, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, who have already beaten City at the Vitality this season, it’s a golden opportunity. Four of this weekend’s eight quarter-finalists have never won a major trophy, while generations at Preston (86 years), Forest (35) and Villa (29) have never seen their team lift one. But with the greatest respect, and I am talking about English football’s projection worldwide here, would neutrals jump out of bed at first light on Cup final morning brimming with excitement at the prospect of a Preston v Bournemouth final? Don’t get me wrong: Preston is a wonderful club steeped in the history of Tom Finney and Bill Shankly, and Bournemouth have been a revelation to watch under Andoni Iraola’s tutelage this season. And although Wigan were relegated from the Premier League a week later, and haven’t been back, their fans wouldn’t have swapped the day Ben Watson’s header shocked City in the Cup final at Wembley for anything. But the FA Cup needs its Goliath as well as giantkilling David. And in a season when the FA abolished replays from the first round - denying the likes of Tamworth a second tilt at Tottenham, which would have secured them financially for years - we need to revive the magic by offering big clubs meaningful incentives to win it. For too long, coming fourth in the Premier League has been treated as a ‘trophy’ when it’s nothing of the sort. Yes, it opens the door to Champions League riches, but in sporting terms fourth is nothing. It doesn’t even get you on the podium at the Olympics. If winning the Cup offered big clubs a route to Europe’s elite club competition by winning six games, they would be more inclined to treat it seriously because it’s a short-cut compared to a 38-game league campaign. And fans of lower-ranked clubs who are drawn against the Big Six want to see their team take on the BEST players in the country, not an Under-21 team beefed up by a couple of first-team regulars. If Macclesfield drew Liverpool or Arsenal at home in the third round next season, I would want to see how my players cope against Mo Salah or Bukayo Saka. So let’s give the FA Cup the prestige it deserves: A Champions League place to the winners. That doesn’t stifle the ambition of low division clubs who want to upset the applecart, and it will focus the minds of big-club managers who mistake squad rotation for passing up glory too easily. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.