Probably not that interesting lol but I was driving back towards Reigate after dropping my kids back at there mother's in Epsom downs ,when at the lights next to me was the Leeds United players coach heading to the M25
So. That's Ipswich, Brighton and Leeds knocked out by non-league opposition, to say nothing of the premier league teams put to the sword by lower division sides. Just why are we taking this pointless competition seriously anymore - I haven't for some years now and obviously Liverpool and the rest don't. Never been a great Shearer fan but his rant on Match of the Day was spot on. When I was a kid the FA Cup was something magical and special. Now, like the League Cup, no longer.
not a great turn out at the den today. guess the time of the game isn't great but I would of thought a few more would of bothered.
Not that long ago that a home tie for a 3rd division club against a local top league side in the 5th round would be a sell out. A symptom of how clubs view the importance of the competition now, which is a great shame.
Watford may be a PL side but are hardly an attractive draw.
1 Tottenham Hotspur 2 Derby County or Leicester City 3 Oxford United 4 Sutton United 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 6 Arsenal 7 Lincoln City 8 Chelsea 9 Manchester United 10 Millwall 11 Huddersfield Town 12 Burnley 13 Blackburn Rovers 14 Fulham 15 Middlesbrough 16 Manchester City
No doubt that if we'd got this far, #7 (our ball) would be drawn against #3 or #11. :-)
So. That's Ipswich, Brighton and Leeds knocked out by non-league opposition, to say nothing of the premier league teams put to the sword by lower division sides. Just why are we taking this pointless competition seriously anymore - I haven't for some years now and obviously Liverpool and the rest don't. Never been a great Shearer fan but his rant on Match of the Day was spot on. When I was a kid the FA Cup was something magical and special. Now, like the League Cup, no longer.
And yet five of the top six in the PL have made it to the last 16. Liverpool are in poor form in the PL anyway so there's nothing to say that they wouldn't have gone out anyway.
So we could still see a semi made up of the top four and this issue will, effectively, go away for another year.
Best scenario is Lincoln and Sutton drawing and beating Blackburn and Millwall respectively at home and then getting drawn against each other in the quarter finals - with the winner guaranteed a place in the semi at Wembley.
Most of the PL teams drawn away which is great for the chance of more upsets.
Burnley v Lincoln Fulham v Spurs Blackburn v Man U Sutton v Arsenal Middlesbrough v Oxford Wolves v Chelsea Huddersfield v Man C Millwall v Derby/Leicester
Only upsets i can see out of that lot is potentially Fulham and Millwall winning, especially if Leicester get through as the 5th round is around the same time as the champions league ties so they'll probably rest players
I hadn't realised until just now that Man Utd will be televised again in the next round. This time on BT Sport. (This makes it 57 FA Cup games in a row) There's an argument for it, as they're playing another Lancashire team (Blackburn), and there are only 8 games in the round (5 televised), but surely the broadcasters must be starting to realise that this is pissing people off now? Why not Huddersfield vs Man City? Yorkshire v Lancashire would work wouldn't it? Even better, Boro vs Oxford and Millwall vs Leicester are both games where L1 plays Prem - Aren't they examples of where the 'Magic of the Cup' is supposed to happen? Nope. These three games aren't being televised. So, we all get to watch United. Again. Brilliant.
Sky is shown world wide and as man Utd have zillions of supporters all over the planet they will always be shown live. The only people that it pisses off are us in England. Ironic
I hadn't realised until just now that Man Utd will be televised again in the next round. This time on BT Sport. (This makes it 57 FA Cup games in a row) There's an argument for it, as they're playing another Lancashire team (Blackburn), and there are only 8 games in the round (5 televised), but surely the broadcasters must be starting to realise that this is pissing people off now? Why not Huddersfield vs Man City? Yorkshire v Lancashire would work wouldn't it? Even better, Boro vs Oxford and Millwall vs Leicester are both games where L1 plays Prem - Aren't they examples of where the 'Magic of the Cup' is supposed to happen? Nope. These three games aren't being televised. So, we all get to watch United. Again. Brilliant.
If they showed Middlesbrough v Oxford would you bother to watch it? I know i wouldn't and i doubt too many other neutrals would either.
The only tie i don't get why they're showing live is Burnley v Lincoln. If the tie was at Lincoln then yes but at Burnley, what's the point? Huddersfield v City or Millwall v Leicester will be more of a game.
Sky is shown world wide and as man Utd have zillions of supporters all over the planet they will always be shown live. The only people that it pisses off are us in England. Ironic
Comments
1 Tottenham Hotspur
2 Derby County or Leicester City
3 Oxford United
4 Sutton United
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers
6 Arsenal
7 Lincoln City
8 Chelsea
9 Manchester United
10 Millwall
11 Huddersfield Town
12 Burnley
13 Blackburn Rovers
14 Fulham
15 Middlesbrough
16 Manchester City
No doubt that if we'd got this far, #7 (our ball) would be drawn against #3 or #11. :-)
So we could still see a semi made up of the top four and this issue will, effectively, go away for another year.
At least it'd be a genuine winner taking a place instead of a team that are the 4th best in their division.
Written in the stars.
Sutton v Arsenal.
Great for Sutton. I can already hear Wenger moaning about the pitch
Burnley v Lincoln
Fulham v Spurs
Blackburn v Man U
Sutton v Arsenal
Middlesbrough v Oxford
Wolves v Chelsea
Huddersfield v Man C
Millwall v Derby/Leicester
Leicester or Derby are no way gonna be up for it for very different reasons.
Not bad for a club that was about to be made extinct.
:-(
There's an argument for it, as they're playing another Lancashire team (Blackburn), and there are only 8 games in the round (5 televised), but surely the broadcasters must be starting to realise that this is pissing people off now?
Why not Huddersfield vs Man City? Yorkshire v Lancashire would work wouldn't it? Even better, Boro vs Oxford and Millwall vs Leicester are both games where L1 plays Prem - Aren't they examples of where the 'Magic of the Cup' is supposed to happen?
Nope. These three games aren't being televised.
So, we all get to watch United.
Again.
Brilliant.
Man U v Blackburn
Hudds v Man C
Boro v Oxford
Millwall v Leicester.
The answer is Man U & whoever they play it is likely that Man U would get the highest amount of viewers.
The only people that it pisses off are us in England.
Ironic
The only tie i don't get why they're showing live is Burnley v Lincoln. If the tie was at Lincoln then yes but at Burnley, what's the point? Huddersfield v City or Millwall v Leicester will be more of a game.
Annoys the fuck out of me.