The Round Ball Game

[johncorrigan]

Do the Scottish teams play weakened sides in the Cup?

Yes Alison, they're called Saint Mirren.

Aye ...

It's always Ok if you get beat by the eventual winners of the tournament, P.G., so I'm backing the Magyars to put a bit silverware in Rob's cabinet come May. Of course, this will now not be a distraction from our priority of climbing the league table.

[P. G. Tipps]

It's always Ok if you get beat by the eventual winners of the tournament, P.G., so I'm backing the Magyars to put a bit silverware in Rob's cabinet come May.

Nae problem ...

I do appreciate your admirable magnanimity in defeat, john! I'm just old enough to remember the glory days of Gerry Baker, Bryceland and Gemmell when they stuffed Celtic 4-0 in a Scottish Cup Semi-Final at Hampden. I was only a wee boy in short-trousers at the time but I can still see Baker giving Bobby Evans the biggest run-around of his illustrious footballing life. (until he got done for illegal betting, that is). That game lives in the Tipps' memory when most others have been completely and deservedly forgotten.

I'm afraid all Scottish football fans are living on such memories these days.

Anyway, hope you manage to climb that league and get back to where you truly belong, jc!

[Alison]

Anyway, hope you manage to climb that league and get back to where you truly belong, jc!

Amen to that!

[teamsaint]

Amen to that!

Indeed.

Well done to our new/ latest/ extra bogey team, Palace.

Saints have lost 8 out of ten.
Really huge week coming up with home games against Watford and West Brom, and we need points badly.
Tough times. Plenty of managers get the sack for less bad runs.

[Alison]

How strong was the Saints side put out today?

[jayne lee wilson]

There are weakened sides and 3rd 11s. Does the squad of 25 not apply these days. It was noticeable the squad nos in the 50s! I know Liverpool has injury problems but maybe Klopp could learn something about squad rotation - I don't doubt their individual skills as players but they were not a 'team'. They got away with it against a lower mid-table Div 2 side. That side may not have been so fortunate against a decent Championship side.

Maybe you should take a look at Liverpool's imminent fixture list, Cloughie AND bear in mind the need to cope with the rest of the season, including Capital One, UEFA and (potentially) further FA Cup games. Look, too, at Klopp's Borussia Dortmund history. He's planning and playing for the (very much) longer term and needs to maintain and study his "human resources" closely (no wonder he didn't want to risk introducing Lallana or Lucas unless urgently necessary) . Yes it was a strange game, which LOOKED like Exeter v Liverpool Reserves (bravely trying to learn how to play together) for most of the first half. Yet those touches of class from some very young Liverpool players still came through later on. (By the way, squad numbers aren't much of a guide to priority these days. Skrtel is No.37, Jordan Ibe is (famously) No.33....)

Anyway, I don't imagine Exeter are anything but delighted. One commentator said cheekily that some of them might not have wanted a last-minute winner, looking forward to the Anfield replay instead! And who would dare suggest that they won't come looking for the win, encouraged by our injury crisis or not?

[EdgeleyRob]

Final score

FA Cup 3rd round

Exeter City 2 Liverpool 2 Unrecognisable Reds team needed a 2nd equaliser on 73 mins,last thing they need is a replay
Birmingham City 1 Bournemouth 2 Came through a tough tie despite making 11 changes,winner on 85 mins
Hartlepool United 1 Derby County 2 The shock was on at 61 mins,conceded a late 2nd goal
Hull City 1 Brighton 0 Easily beaten despite the scoreline,conceded a 1st half penalty
Sheffield Wednesday 2 Fulham 1 Took the lead on 42 mins,level at the break,won it in the 73rd min
Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 2 Forum derby,Saints had chances to equalise after going 2-1 down on 68 mins
Watford 1 Newcastle United 0 Went behind right on half time,lost their last 4 games 1-0
Manchester United 1 Sheffield United 0 Last minute penalty'Van Gaal's Mark Robins moment maybe ??'

Scottish Cup 3rd round

St Mirren 1 Partick Thistle 2 Forum derby,all the goals in the 2nd half,deserved win for Thistle
Stirling 0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Caley found the league 2 side difficult to break down despite having more chances and possesion

FA Vase 4th round

Hereford v Leicester Nirvana Game abandoned at half time with The Bulls 3-1 up

http://www.footballfancast.com/non-league/hereford/how-hereford-fc-could-be-record-breakers#oufjP06lUqk3q2Dp.97

League Games

Barnet 1 Bristol Rovers 0 Went behind in the 5th minute,couldn't find a way back despite playing against 10
men for the last 40 mins
Wrexham 1 Woking 3 Level at the break,conceded a late 3rd goal.4th consecutive defeat
Stockport County 0 Telford 1 Last minute pen,they are bottom of the table,nothing else to say
Chelmsford City 2 Weston-Super-Mare 3 Went behind but were 2-1 up at the break then conceded straight after half time and on the hour
Ebbsfleet 0 Truro City 0 A good battling point against the league leaders.
Montrose 3 East Stirlingshire 2 Oh dear 2-0 up at half time,fell apart in the 2nd half,bottom of the league


Chelsea and Leicester play tomorrow
No games for Coventry,Wimbldeon,York

[johncorrigan]

I do appreciate your admirable magnanimity in defeat, john! I'm just old enough to remember the glory days of Gerry Baker, Bryceland and Gemmell when they stuffed Celtic 4-0 in a Scottish Cup Semi-Final at Hampden. I was only a wee boy in short-trousers at the time but I can still see Baker giving Bobby Evans the biggest run-around of his illustrious footballing life. (until he got done for illegal betting, that is). That game lives in the Tipps' memory when most others have been completely and deservedly forgotten.

Thanks P.G., but I think a Thistle run in the Cup would be most popular. The duraglit tin needs an outing. And thanks...yeah Baker and Bryceland, what a pair...probably my first heroes. And look what I found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_-ZRoZXrM

[cloughie]

Maybe you should take a look at Liverpool's imminent fixture list, Cloughie AND bear in mind the need to cope with the rest of the season, including Capital One, UEFA and (potentially) further FA Cup games. Look, too, at Klopp's Borussia Dortmund history. He's planning and playing for the (very much) longer term and needs to maintain and study his "human resources" closely (no wonder he didn't want to risk introducing Lallana or Lucas unless urgently necessary) . Yes it was a strange game, which LOOKED like Exeter v Liverpool Reserves (bravely trying to learn how to play together) for most of the first half. Yet those touches of class from some very young Liverpool players still came through later on. (By the way, squad numbers aren't much of a guide to priority these days. Skrtel is No.37, Jordan Ibe is (famously) No.33....)

Anyway, I don't imagine Exeter are anything but delighted. One commentator said cheekily that some of them might not have wanted a last-minute winner, looking forward to the Anfield replay instead! And who would dare suggest that they won't come looking for the win, encouraged by our injury crisis or not?

Jayne, Klopp's a clever guy and I don't doubt his skills in managing his human resources and his next few matches - however on Friday evening he was never far away from a banana skin and a different team will bless the Anfield pitch in around ten days time!

[johncorrigan]

Soft penalty, I thought, Alison.... though not the way Harry hit it.

[antongould]

Soft penalty, I thought, Alison.... though not the way Harry hit it.

Very, very soft IMVVHO .....

[Beef Oven!]

Soft penalty, I thought, Alison.... though not the way Harry hit it.

Sadly, the FIFA Laws are rubbish on am-ball

But yes, did Kane hit the ball, or what!!!?

[EdgeleyRob]

And finally

FA Cup

Chelsea 2 Scunthorpe United 0 A goal in each half,the League One side had chances and were denied a clear cut penalty
Spurs 2 Leicester City 2 Foxes went 2-1 up after an inspired half time substitution but conceded a controversial late penalty

Busy week of fixtures coming up

[Alison]

Thanks for your sympathies John and Anton.

Family Illness prevented me from watching live so looking forward to MOTD.

My brother supports Spurs and said it wasn't a penalty!

[EdgeleyRob]

Thanks for your sympathies John and Anton.

Family Illness prevented me from watching live so looking forward to MOTD.

My brother supports Spurs and said it wasn't a penalty!

It was a cracking cup tie Alison.
Never a penalty IMV,and the TV pundits were of the same opinion