SUNDERLAND supremo Bob Murray put the boot into the FA cup yesterday - and claimed that English football had outgrown the world's greatest knockout competition.

The battered old trophy used to be the biggest prize in sport. But Murray blasted: "I'd rather finish fourth in the Premiership."

His stance will come as a shock to some fans of his own club, who danced in the streets when Sunderland wrote one of the most romantic chapters in the club's history in 1973 by winning at Wembley as a second division club.

Fans of Arsenal and Liverpool will insist that the magic has not deserted the competition when they contest tomorrow's final in Cardiff.

But Murray, a man of considerable compassion and feeling, believes the game has moved on and that Europe is now the only worthwhile target. The Sunderland chairman even claimed that the play-off final means more these days than the FA cup.

He said: "The play-offs is now the biggest one-off game in the football year. The bereavement of not going up is greater than not winning the FA cup.

"The FA cup as a competition has got a problem in terms of finance, attractiveness, viewing and importance. It's not happening any more.

"That's sad because it was the high point in the season. But crowds now drop by a third for an FA cup game when in the past they used to double.

"It's the clubs' fault. The supporters are the ones that judge and there is apathy to the competition. Until somebody turns the fans' views around it's not going to get any better."

Murray insists he would still love to win the cup - but only because it offers a backdoor route into Europe.

And he said: "Given the choice I'd rather finish fourth, fifth or sixth in the Premiership.

"Next year there could be a fourth Champions League place available and I'd prefer to have European football than the FA cup or the League cup.

"Finishing high in the Premiership is everything. That's what football is about now and there's not a bigger prize than Europe."

Success in Europe forms the foundation of manager Peter Reid's latest lucrative four-year contract, which the 44-year-old boss signed this week.

And Murray even has his sights trained on Manchester United as Sunderland mount a last-ditch bid for a top six finish and a place in the UEFA cup next season.

He said: "When Alex Ferguson sees fit to stand down at Manchester United it will weaken them as a club because he is an unbelievable manager.

"We want to win things and we have to be ready because I've seen how situtions can change.

"It terrifies me to look at a club like QPR because they finished above us for 33 years and now they are two divisions below us and in receivership.

"It's frightening because once you start to slide you can go all the way down. And there's nothing more scary than going out of the Premiership."

Murray meanwhile retains a huge respect and admiration for manager Reid and revealed how his faith in the Scouse boss has never wavered.

"We suffered relegation and a play-off final defeat at Wembley but I never had any doubts that Peter was the man for Sunderland," he said.

"I remember going to the banqueting hall after our play-off defeat and getting the eye from Peter's mam. I went straight up to him and said 'get on with it.'

"He needed that reassurance and I owed him my moral support. He has got the bottle and he never dips out of anything. But every human being needs to be reassured, loved and appreciated - and he is."

l Peter Reid confessed yesterday that he'd mellowed in his six years at Sunderland.

Reid, who has just signed a new four-year deal on Wearside, was described by chairman Bob Murray as "abrasive" when he first came to the club.

A fly-on-the-wall documentary 'Premier Passions' highlighted his four-letter team talks. And Reid admitted that there were times in the early days when he went looking for confrontation.

"Believe it or not I was a lot more aggressive," he said.

"I've still got some of it in me, particularly at half times. There's room for strong management and the players appreciate it.

"But I deal with problems differently now. I have been known to throw down ultimatums but now I tend to talk things through, which is the right way.

"I take it as a compliment that I'm one of the longest-serving managers around."