Gary Cahill says Chelsea winning the FA Cup win would be better than getting top four
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GARY CAHILL would take one FA Cup win over being a top-four also-ran.
Chelsea’s skipper is preparing for Saturday’s final against Manchester United, admitting they need to lift the trophy to save their season.
But traditionalist Cahill dismisses claims by managers such as Mauricio Pochettino of Spurs that simply qualifying for the Champions League is better than a triumphant day out at Wembley.
Cahill said: “If you look over the period of six, seven, eight years, you want to try to win trophies. I get asked, ‘Would you swap the FA Cup for being in the top four?’
“If you were in the top four for the last seven, eight years, qualifying for the Champions League and won nothing, I wouldn’t swap that. That’s me personally.
“I see it being a disappointing season, of course, but I would like to finish on a massive high for the fans, for us as players, and for the club to go into next season.”
The Blues finished fifth and will have to make do with Europa League football next season.
Cahill, 32, is the only surviving member of the squad from the club’s last FA Cup win in 2012.
He is celebrating being called up to England’s World Cup squad this week after a topsy-turvy season in which he fell victim to the axe.
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Chelsea ended the Premier League season with a 3-0 battering at Newcastle.
Cahill admitted: “As players you have to have that inner make- up where you can put that to bed and focus on what’s next.
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“I’d just say that if I was a fan I would have enjoyed the last seven, eight, nine, ten years. Ups and downs.
“We know we fell short in the league this year, but how crazy is it we won the league, finished 10th and then won the league the year after? Explain that to me.”