We now traditionally get humiliated in the 3rd round but in the fourth we have Man U unable to beat Cambridge Utd and today Chelsea, Man C, Southampton and Spurs all losing at home to teams you'd expect them to thrash. Does anybody care about the cup these days?
For Prem clubs it is money: Those at the top of the Prem want to concentrate on obtaining Champions League status and the vast amounts of cash that come with it. Those towards the bottom of the Prem are more concerned with Prem survival and the vast amounts of cash that come from that. The only ones who really care are those who feel confident about Prem survival but are looking to get into the European Cup and the large amounts of cash that come with that.
I just think it's mindset. Too many of the big teams play squad players who just aren't up-to-speed and their opponents are trying just that bit harder. If a shock is going to happen it's usually in the first game as if the Premier team manage to get a replay they don't usually give the lesser team a second chance. I heard that Liverpool have been beaten by lower teams eight times in the Premier League era (since 1992), more than any other top-flight team. Perhaps they'll have looked at today's results and be a bit more determined this evening. I guess Arsenal could win the Cup virtually by default this season...
I thought that was QPR.............oh no we used to be but since the money rolled in we are the most hated team
Now Bristol City playing very well against West Ham. Playing very nice football, a couple of good players - Freeman in the middle of the park especially, and a proper 3 at the back, West Ham haven't had a chance. Manager by Glen Coterill, another one of Redknapp's little helpers, who I never rated but has certainly done well here, only lost 11 out of 64 games with them. Only 1 player aged over 26 in the squad too.
How is it that other clubs can get the set up right, play to a formation that suits them and the players, yet us for all the cash thrown at the project by TF continue to get it so wrong? I think posters who have suggested that we are becoming a joke may not be that far off the mark......
We are a joke and have been for some time. This is why I think we will struggle to sign any one this window, especially anyone decent, unless we stuff their mouths full of gold. We have no shape, a horrible industrial anti football style, a dead man walking manager, and a dressing room stuffed full of under performing big mouthed egos. We are toxic. Freeman has made more forward runs and beaten more players with the ball in this game than our entire midfield have all season.
There was a BBC programme this morning showing highlights of old FA cup games, including Man City winning 4-3 at Spurs in 2004, a side featuring Joey Barton, Richard Dunne and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Whatever happened to them? Also on the show was the Leatherhead v Leicester game from the 5th round in 1975, featuring my old mate Peter Lavers. Leatherhead were drawn at home, but chose to play at Leicester in front of 32,000. They were 2-0 up at half-time, but wound up losing 3-2. Peter told me once that they all believed that they could actually win the Cup.
