Today’s daily roundup is an FA Cup and derby-centric one, so if you’re allergic to the FA Cup or a mouthwatering derby, consult your physician before reading.
The third round of the FA Cup might be a letdown for those who like to see major upsets (let’s go Blyth Spartans!), but that means the fourth round will feature some tasty ties. A lot of eyes will be on Merseyside, where Liverpool will host Everton. Now that’s the way to kick off a cup draw, I say.
That’ll get a lot of votes for tie of the round, while many votes might go to a showdown at Old Trafford. Thank goodness Manchester United and Tottenham were drawn apart in the Carling Cup semifinals, otherwise we’d have to see them face off three times in the span of a few weeks. Not that Spurs fans will mind having a extra chance to lay into Dimitar Berbatov, who hasn’t been scoring bags of goals for Manchester United but is certainly doing his part for the cause. Run, Berba, run!
Besides the Merseyside derby, there’s a derby involving Derby, who’ll take on Nottingham Forest. For you history buffs out there, you know that both clubs were managed at one time (not at the same time, of course) by the legendary Brian Clough. And if you’re a Clough history buff or know your way around Wikipedia, you know that Clough was sacked by Leeds in 1974. My, that must’ve been a career-crushing blow…
Speaking of derbies, there are few bigger than 1) Boca Juniors-River Plate (or the other way around, if you’re a River fan).
Another big one is 2) Rangers-Celtic, and Walter Smith still has some ‘splainin’ to do after Rangers dropped the recent Old Firm derby, though Celtic generously handed them two points back this weekend.
Mark Hughes and Luiz Felipe Scolari both have some ‘splainin’ to do as well, after their sides put in disappointing cup performances on Saturday. Fortunately for Chelsea, they’re still alive in the cup, but you know things aren’t going well when Southend are full of confidence about getting a positive result at a place that was formerly an almost impenetrable fortress.
When things start to go downhill, there’s nothing like an escape from reality, and the opposite of reality is…fantasy. And whether this or this is what you’re thinking of, you’re in for hours of enjoyment with both.
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