...I've been stating for a long time here that the cup runs are being opportunistically downgraded as something that's close to nothing of value. I will guarantee you that the opportunists themselves if they got their preferred manager in, Eddie Howe (or similar drone), would be doing friggin cartwheels over being at Wembley with that pasty faced get.
Yes, he's being scrutinised for league position, but the cup runs cut across that...as per all the (begrudging) stuff about him needing to make the final or win it testify too...in their own underhand way.