Once again it's FA Cup week in England, with round 4 happening this weekend. Non-League clubs didn't fare too well in round 3, only one of them surviving, but League Two did the small clubs proud, with 4 of them still going and providing the best hope for continued romance and magic and all that stuff the FA cup gets by on now that it's not really as glamorous as it was for the big clubs.
On paper Torquay have the best chance of advancing to round 5, as they play the only non-league team still left, Crawley Town. Crawley aren't one of the heart warming non-league clubs though, they're currently in the middle of "project promotion" that has seen them outspend all of League Two combined and which to be fair, probably will see them win promotion this year, so I'm fully behind Torquay here. Stevenage are also at home, aginst Championship club Reading, and after beating Newcastle in the 3rd round, Stevenage will definitely fancy their chances.
Hereford, who are on a tear recently, 5 straight wins in all competitions and pulling themselves out of the League two relegation zone, have an away game against Sheffield Wednesday, who are a big club in name only, and currently in League One, so Hereford definitely have a chance. Probably the toughest draw for the League Two clubs is Burton Albion who have to go to Burnley after not having played a game since knocking Middlesbrough out 3 weeks ago, since when top scorer Shaun Harrad was transferred away.
Other potential upsets involve the two big Manchester Clubs, both away to League One teams, Man Utd having to take on Southampton while Man City go to Notts County.
It's getting to the stage where there's few teams left for the neutral to really get behind, hopefully a few of these can make it to the next round.
Edit: Well that didn't really work out did it? All 4 league Two clubs lost, and bloody Crawley get an away game at Man Utd in the 5th round, I genuinely don't know who I want to win that one.
No comments:
Post a Comment