The FA Cup Thread

• FA Cup draw
  Preston North End or Sheffield United v Cambridge United or Manchester United
  
  
• Derby County v Reading
  
  
• Blackburn Rovers v Rochdale or Stoke City
  
  
• Bradford City v Sunderland or Fulham
  
  
• West Bromwich Albion v West Ham
  
  
• Aston Villa v Leicester City
  
  
• Arsenal v Middlesbrough
  
  
• Crystal Palace v Liverpool or Bolton
  

 

Stoke 1 up, Rochdale have been Bojangled.

 

Bojan has been Rochdangled. Off injured.

 

Bojan has now got crocked, still 1 - 0 35 minutes

 

0 - 1 HT to Stoke

 

0 - 2 Stoke sub Ireland scored

 

3-0 game over

 

0 - 3 Moses

 

3-1

 

1 - 4 Walters FT

 

You know what, I just googled the FA Cup semi final from 1984. This is honestly the first time I have seen it since I was there at the Clock End at Highbury as a 14 year old full of hope. I'm gutted now I've seen it again.

I still remember a few years later when the man who I will not name was a coach at Everton and I was behind the dugout at the Dell. I said "Adrian!, Adrian!" (i'm sorry I think the first name is allowed onto forum?), he to my surprise looked round and said "what?!". I replied "you ruined my childhood!".

He smiled and looked away. "C**t"

We drew 2-2. I think it was March 1997 - midweek?

EDIT: Just googled and he was never a coach etc for Everton? He definitely was there for an Everton game at the Dell on the bench. Wonder if my memory is playing tricks and it's just wishful thinking that I saw him From memory he wasn't the manager, just an assistant?

 

Five Midlands teams in through to Round 5. Maybe one from that list could get to Wembley!! Who were the last team to win the FA Cup and get promoted? I think Spurs did it back in the ages past, but anyone since? Perhaps Derby could do the "double" win the Cup and get promoted, after all these events do happen once in a lifetime!!!

 

I was a 14 year old that horrible day too, but stood on the side terraces just over the halfway line towards the North Bank.... I think he was assistant manager at Stoke once.

 

There's a good piece in the Guardian analyzing how the FA cup run affects the clubs league form. It seems we ought to be happy that we crashed out, and that Liverpool, United and Arsenal are still in the competition.

http://www.theguardian.com/football...the-fa-cup-affect-a-clubs-premier-league-form

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That must be why I was so ecstatic when we went out

 

It used to be said that a good cup run always helped the league form. The two people who used to say it were Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson, and they were talking about the Liverpool team they both appeared for when the club was at its most dominant.

It may have worked for Liverpool at that time, but my gut feeling has always been that a team plays the league better when it is focused on one competition, has less distraction with the least games to play. Otherwise, doing the double or treble would be no big thing. When the Liverpool pair used to come out with that answer I could never see how it could possibly be right.

If you're a dominant team, then fine. If you're a mid-table team, with little or no chance of being relegated, then fine. If you're pursuing a first ever ground breaking achievement for your football club and you're not home and dry already, then you're better off with no distractions.

 

Cup games acmn kill even a big squad. Look at Xhelsea last night they lost Fabregas and Luis just before a major game against man City.

 

Very pleased we're out of the cup (sorry Ron!), maybe next year we can focus on it as we'll do less well in the PL with European football.

 

Koeman has said that it may turn out for the best, but he never likes to lose any game. Think we are all with him there. I was disappointed, but wasn't chewing the furniture. I would be more upset by far if we lose to Swansea.

 

West Ham in danger of being kicked out of the FA Cup if they are found to have breached FIFA rules.