I don't know about you, but this weekend brought back a bit of that old FA Cup magic for me.
Yeah, there’s no debate regarding the devaluing of the competition this century, what with the top sides fielding weakened sides in the early rounds.
But there were some great moments and results that reminded me of the days when a bunch of podgy bricklayers and postmen would huff and puff and kick their more illustrious opponents in the hope of a dream upset.
The rot really set in when Manchester United decided that they should skip the 2000 FA Cup so that they could compete in the “World Club Championship”.
What a bad decision. I remember as a kid in London, walking with my dad and friends down to the North Circular Road on FA Cup final day. There’d be thousands of people lining the streets and bridges just for a glimpse of the team buses going to and from their hotels.
TV coverage would start at around 11am as the whole country stopped for the big day, it really was something.
It’s nothing like that today, but still I felt a bit of the romance as Derby fought like soldiers to secure a replay against Leicester, Wycombe taking it to Tottenham, Sutton United beating Leeds and, of course, Wolves knocking out the Scousers!
It was particularly like the old days as the broadcast from Sutton’s Gander Green Lane looked like it was being recorded on 1970s cameras!
Something very telling that came out of the fourth round was the obvious gap in quality of depth with five of the top sides.
Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal, United and Liverpool all made nine or 10 changes to their usual starting 11.
The 4-0 result didn’t really reflect Man United’s performance against Wigan, but at the end of the day, along with Chelsea and Arsenal, they cruised into the next round, while Spurs and Liverpool were left completely wanting.
This evidence will solidify the subconscious anxiety for both clubs and their fans the reality is, there’s not enough depth to compete at the very top.
Yes, Spurs are looking super sharp at the moment, but come the end of April/May, will they have the legs?
I guess Liverpool fans are at that point already.
Some United fan must have sought out some serious muti at the beginning of February as Kloppy’s amazing firework show has turned into a premature squirt of thin yellow pee. Hahaha, sorry, that’s a bit harsh, but WTF?
Anyway, this evening really is do or die at Anfield.
It’s still early, there’s still 48 points to contest, but if Chelsea do grab all three tonight and then beat the Gunners on Saturday, I’d say it’s curtains for the Premier League title.
Conversely, if Liverpool fail, they’ll suddenly have gone from a place a few weeks ago that had two cups and the league in sight, to no cups and a dogfight for a top-four finish.
It’s a cruel game, innit? I mean look what Chelsea went through last season (as champions) but boy, as everyone says these days “it is what it is” and you need to roll with it.
If you fancy a bit of live banter, join me at The Blue Whistle in Claremont, kick off at 10pm.