The Joys of January

The first weekend in January means a lot of different things to different people, for me it is all about the wonder that is knockout football.  This year we get the Third round of the FA Cup and the NFL's Wildcard weekend on the same weekend and I am going to be glued to both of them. Today I will be talking about the FA Cup, tomorrow I will talk about the NFL.

The Third Round is likable to many due to the chances of some David v Goliath matches as well as some genuine close matches. The habit of one or two lower division teams knocking out bigger teams will make them everyone's favourites for a while, Bradford have been riding on the success of the their league cup giant killings which have increased the attendances and spread the money to a team that need it.
Bradford are only two games against an out of form Villa away from a trip to Wembley this season and while a few may of thought they could of down well in the JPT and got a trip there, the possibility of going there twice is now more than just a flight of fancy.

The weekend also divides the viewing public with pretty much everyone cheering on the "Plucky Underdogs" against the "Football Business's" unless your team is the Football Business in question.  They will want to see an upset, so here are 5 matches to watch and 5 not to watch look for that glorious upset


Avoid

Tottenham V Coventry - Tottenham are up to 3rd in the Premier League and playing good football, they may rest a few players but will be more than good enough for a Coventry side who are pushing for a playoff space but whose good streak ended with a second defeat of the season to Shrewsbury Town.

Watch

Luton v Wolves - Luton are in the playoff places in the Blue Square Premier and are at home to Wolves team with 7 defeats in the last 10 games who might rest players in order to be fit for vital league matches coming up against Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday

Avoid

Man City V Watford - Man City will rotate players but after his side's European exit, Mancini might need to win this competition to keep his job at the end of the year and although Watford have a good team thanks to them being part of Giampaolo Pozzo's multi team empire (Udinese and Granada) they still won't be good enough for whatever star studied side Mancini puts out.

Watch

Aston Villa V Ipswich - Villa may have picked up a point against Swansea but all that result did was paper over the cracks and Mick McCarthy has done a good job since taking over at Ipswich, lifting them off the bottom and out of the relegation zone, if Villa don't take this serious then they might fall to Ipswich

Avoid

Crawley V Reading - Reading aren't having the best of seasons but there is a big gap from them to the Championship, let alone where Crawley are near the top of League One and although they used to be the giant killers I don't see it happening this weekend.

Watch

Peterborough V Norwich - Norwich have lost their last four games and have an depleted front due to injuries take a short 2 hour trip west to a resurgent Peterborough who have 4 out of their last 5 games and out of the relegation zone.

Avoid

Middlesbrough V Hastings Utd - It will be wonderful journey for the Hastings team and fans but that is all it will be, Middlesbrough are flying high in the Championship will be too much for the Ryman League Premier Division side to handle no matter the number of changes.

Watch

Wigan V Bournemouth - Wigan have lost the last five games and already have been active in the transfer window they come up against a Bournemouth side that haven't lost since the 6th October 2012 and could definitely pull an upset here.

Avoid

Mansfield V Liverpool - If Suarez and Gerrard play Liverpool will easily out match their non-league opponent even if the ground isn't in a great state as Mansfield haven't won a game since the Second Round of the FA Cup or Maybe?

Watch

Mansfield V Liverpool - If Suarez and Gerrard don't play Liverpool's lack of goals from else where may become an issue in the match which might become a dogged affair on a dodgy pitch and the Mansfield players may be slightly fresher after having two of their League Matches postponed over the winter period.

And a £1 bet on Bet Victor will land you £3,449.36, if you put a 5 game accumulator on (Luton, Ipswich, Peterborough,  Bournemouth, Mansfield) well worth a check quid.


Trivia Questions 3

Q: How did Arsenal rejoin the First Division in 1919, despite only finishing sixth in the Second Division in 1914–15?

Answers to Question 2

Q: How many teams have never been relegated from the English Premier League?

A: 11, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Man United, Stoke, Swansea, Tottenham and Wigan