FA Cup — 3rd Round; EFL Cup SFs

And of those 32 3rd Round ties, only 10 of them kick-off at the hallowed hour of 3 pm on Saturday.

Can I hear wailing and gnashing of teeth over the loss of our precious heritage to the demands of modern-day broadcasting and the imposition of unnatural kick-off times that cause the travelling fans so much hassle?

What about extra time, replays and that other heinous imposition — penalty shoot-outs? I should check to see what the rules are saying before this season's giant-killing exploits get underway…

Michael @1

Replays for the 3rd and 4th Round are possible, but from the 5th Round onwards it will be extra-time and penalties that decide the outcome of drawn matches.

FA Cup replays may be on borrowed time but they remain in place for the third round, which takes place this week and sees Premier League clubs enter the fray.

Replays were scrapped for two seasons – 2020-21 and 2021-22 – because the pandemic led to fixture congestion but they returned last year.

And they will again come into effect if any of the 32 third-round ties, which include four all-Premier League clashes, end in a draw after 90 minutes.

The fourth round will also have replays, after which the FA Cup traditionally reverts to one-off matches resolved by extra-time and penalties if necessary.

Beyond this season, however, FA Cup replays face an uncertain future.

They have been phased out over the last decade, with fifth-round replays axed in 2017-18 and those in later rounds scrapped in 2015.

And they are expected to be ditched from the third and fourth rounds too, as part of wider reform of the English football calendar currently under discussion.

Explained: How FA Cup replays work in 2023-24 and when they'll be axed

I know it's a balance Michael. We do love a night match under this lights.

We get the global brand of the Premier League that serves supporters and broadcasting companies across various continents.

If we were playing a Manchester team, or a Lancashire one, even Leeds, then okay, an 8pm kick off is fine for the majority of supporters.

But Palace on a Thursday night is just not fair on the thousands making that trip who might not get home until dawn.

Picking a few out of that list, likewise for Burnley, Preston and Villa supporters.

A forlorn hope, but I do wish they would put more thought into television broadcasting and kick off times.

For all those traditionalists, Ron Manager outlines the nostalgia angle.

Ron Manager - Saturday afternoon is football

Thanks, Barry, some good stuff there… and bad:

The fourth round will also have replays, after which the FA Cup traditionally reverts to one-off matches resolved by extra-time and penalties if necessary.

Traditionally!?! Since when???

and Maupay scores

Wolves down to ten men after only 9 minutes, with Joao Gomes being sent off.

wolves fans online comparing Gomes's red to DCL's: no intent, he didn't touch him etc.

I know full well it will go pear shaped at some point, but this new referee Sam Barrett puts many of the older more experienced ones to shame. He lets the game flow and seems to understand the contact game and tackles. I don't think this referee would have even considered sending DCL off.

I've just had a thought, and without fully checking it out, but has every club based in London. still remaining in the FA Cup been drawn at home in this round of the cup? Even Luton and Watford who are quite near London are at home too. The odds of that happening in the third round must be quite high?

Barry, there are twelve London clubs, including Luton and Watford, all drawn at home. Only Sutton have been drawn away.

I didn't realise that Sutton was in London, but it's still some quirky draw, Rob, or is it fiddled to ensure that London gets the rest of the country's fans' money in what is usually a flat period for tourists etc?

I love watching those Spurs fullbacks; wish we had 'em.

I think you might be pushing that one a tad too far, Barry – we have some pretty solid conspiracy theorists on here, plenty of work over here if you need any ......

Paul @13,

Perhaps you know some statisticians who could calculate the odds of all those clubs from a single city being drawn at home at this very early stage of the cup?

Money talks Paul, and over here at the minute it shouts and I don't put anything beyond anyone – especially if it's football-related.

Ten-man Wolves managed a draw then.

Oliver Skipp completely misses the ball, and catches a Burnley player right across his foot with a full set of studs. Not a word said by the referee.

Okay, it wasn't dangerous in any way… but still!!

Nice one Tony, so a much better chance than winning the lottery!

Totally agree Barry about 12/13 and the odds of that happening, but sometimes it is just down to silly chance. Also agree about a London bias more generally in nearly all walks of policy. But I'll draw a line under this one!

January, actually, is not the lowest month for tourist totals, it is 8th. Next month would be a much better one for tweaking the draw. 'Merica is world champ for money talks.

4096/1

Tony @18
Cheers Tony :)

That's what, around a couple of hundred lottery winners.

Great stuff, Tony, but doesn't do it for me, although I still think that the Yanks did not walk on the moon.

The FA Cup is an advantage for London-based supporters. If their team make the final, now due to a change from previous seasons, the semi-final, that used to be played on a neutral ground, it is now played at Wembley.

That means that, for arguments sake, two northern teams made a semi-final, they would have to travel twice to London, whereas if there are two London-based clubs in the other semi, their supporters are already there.

And Leicester were 5000/1 to win the league.

Always knew I should have put more than a £1 on that particular double.

Still...

Great goal.

What a strike

Silly giveaway by the Burnley defender but a great finish from the Spurs player.

How the heck did the Burnley player miss that final chance?

Big club, Spurs, you know.

Travelled up from London to Elland Road with a train load of them in '95. All the way up, they were telling me what a huge club they were compared to us. Got outside the station and what looked like half a million Evertonians were swarming all the streets looking for spare tickets.

If you offered me that day again, I'd relieve you of an arm.

I've travelled with them several times Dave and have mixed with quite a few over the years. Yes, another Newcastle type bunch who also consider themselves up there with the red cousins and Manchester United without the currency to qualify it.

Although I wasn't there, it seemed like we had three sides of the ground that day at Leeds.

The BBC reporting this morning made me cringe. The hype around the Sunderland v Newcastle match. I get its a big derby match, but the quote of it being a fixture between two "footballing titans" was a bit too much.

Danny “the quote of it being a fixture between two "footballing titans" was a bit too much.”

I guess like the hype over us versus that other lot. Hardly titans are we. But it's still a massive fixture locally.

Danny 29] If you haven't seen it go onto YouTube and look for David Mitchell's sketch which takes the piss out of how TV companies overhype football matches. He even uses the phrase “the giants of xxxx versus the titans of yyyy”.
The sketch is over 10 years old and clearly aimed at Sky, but these days the BBC are doing the same, presumably because they have so little live football to cover.

Jeez, Craig Pawson the referee at Sunderland v Skunk Maggots. Anything could happen here. Without VAR he won't have a clue what to do.

I'm watching it and I've already seen three tackles that could have seen red cards IF Pawson used the same logic he used on Thursday night.

Difficult to know who to side with in this match on ITV

Proper traditional club with good ties to Everton and fanatical fans who have had to suffer shite management from the top. Or the smelly, shirtless, jumped up, horse punching Geordie gobshites

Tough call

At least this spoof audio, was more coherent than the actual audio stuff released for other incidents.

VAR audio released

Tough call indeed Dave. Might have to decide on the toss of a coin. Now then, where's my two headed ten pence piece?

High studs from the Sunderland lad there endangering his opponent? No card from that c**t Pawson?

Anthony, Craig Dawson can only make a decision if it's in slow motion, and without VAR, he won't have a clue what's going on with any challenge.

Pawson the ref today….Sunderland forward, two feet off the ground studs up catches the Newc defender. No problem. ( and I agree too, maybe a yellow).

But for DCL's tackle it's re- refereed, calling the on field ref over, slow motion and god knows what they are discussing, resulting in DCL being sent off, putting our FA Cup run in jeopardy, a three game ban and an affront to all our travelling supporters.

I know there's no var today but it's the same ref who made all the fuss that started the incident.

Something is very wrong at the moment and it needs sorting.

Anthony @38

I was thinking exactly the same thing. Running at pace, tackles with studs up and catches the defender. Not even a yellow.

I presume if he'd been wearing an Everton shirt, he would be on his way to an early bath.

The FA are after us in both the EPL and FA Cup.

Definitely not a penalty. Both players linking arms and leaning into each other, and both went down the same time.

That Longstaff is absolutely shite!

Spawny bastards.

Isn't it better without the VAR?

Sunderland look absolutely shite.

Newcastle haven't been great but Sunderland can't put two passes together, seems to me these days the gap is getting bigger between the two leagues?

Jim @46,

Given how the teams that are relegated from the Premier League tend to be in the running for promotion the season after, it suggests that the longer a club remains in the Championship, the more difficult it becomes to compete both at the top end of that division and in cup games against Premier League clubs.

It's one of the reasons that Everton have to avoid the drop by any means necessary.

Pawson - full-weight bell-end, coward and corrupt.

The VAR can get fooked. Football doesn't need it. Average game we are watching but tackling makes it interesting. But how can you have a competition with unequal conditions? VAR in some not in others? Just to punish Everton?

Everton are the easy option for the continual punishment though. Not 'big' enough to gain too much media traction or sympathy, but big enough so that the powers that be can claim they are serious.

Been going on a long long time. The worst example being our arch-Tory chairman Carter meekly accepting the Heysel Ban. Since then, we've been perceived as weak and an easy target.

You'd have thought the horse punchers would have changed their kit for this.

Never seen a game where it was so hard to distinguish between two teams from a distance.

I think that's a penalty on poor Anthony Gordon.

Michael (50),

And Pawson is still having a go at Everton by booking poor Anthony!

Steve Mcmanaman on the commentary on ESPN says Sunderland are soft. Now watching Stoke and he has a good point.

I see Tom Cannon scored again!

No ref will ever have a perfect game, but I have enjoyed the VAR-free games shown today more than when it is being used for the subjective decisions.

The ref on the pitch will get decisions wrong, but has a better instinct than a remote person in an office 100 miles away. The sooner they scrap it, apart from offsides and goalline decisions, the better.

Tony Ev, me too, I just wish Chelsea were playing at Deepdale though... No VAR and I might well have gone to watch it too!

I'm watching the game (from the start and delayed) on the iPlayer now.

It's been interesting listening to Jonathan Pearce talking about the game, or the state of the game, the VAR, and the young ref Thomas Bramall.

It's like a breath of fresh air after our FA Cup game and the Premier League shenanigan's...

Still seen two Chelsea players milk innocuous tackles by grabbing a shin and an ankle. Just stay up and play the bloody game, for Pete's sake!

The VAR needs its own thread, I think, Tony… fancy writing on,e mon ami?

ps: I'm still waiting for the inevitable VAR decision... 🫢

Yes, Simon, the VAR was, allegedly, brought in to bring integrity into the game to get more decisions right, but it's had the opposite effect.

I just can't stand it sometimes, the ultra-slow motion being reviewed from angles that don't really tell the full story but can fulfill a narrative from the VAR. I'd rather live with all the flaws of the on-field referee than that.

Man City 4-0 up against Huddersfield, but the fourth goal by Foden was just sheer class. A well worked corner with a sublime finish by Foden.

How come the gobshites got 7,500 tickets at the Emirates?

When we played a cup game there a few seasons back, they said it was impossible. Put it down to "security reasons".

Have they reconfigured the stadium?

Dave,

I'm assuming it's because many of their fanbase are Londoners.

How is it the RS allocation for today's game at the Emirates is 7,300 while we were only given 5,000 odd for a quarter final there in 2014? The excuse used to reduce our quota was safety and security.

I had to sit in with the Gooners, Joe. In fairness, they looked after me but it would have been nice to be among my own.

Back then, I used to get upset with Evertonians complaining that we always got a raw deal. Slowly but surely, my attitude has changed. I've become one of the complainers.

"No one likes us, No one likes us. We don't care". Lol

We asked for 9,000 tickets for that quarter-final tie, but only received 5,186, for the following reasons…

Everton object to reduced ticket allocation for FA Cup match

About 5 - 10 minutes ago, Curtis Jones flicked the ball around an Arsenal defender and was blocked off, and therefore a free kick given.

Saka flicks the ball around Mac Allister and was blocked off. No foul given!

Thanks Rob. I see smoke bombs and persistent standing were quoted in support of the decision.

Thankfully smoke bombs have more or less gone and persistent standing is now permitted. So we should receive a higher allocation when we next draw Arsenal away.

Arsenal should be three or four up at half-time.

But we all know what'll probably happen in the second half. 😱

Come on, Saka lad, you gotta do better than that! Saka, Bellingham, Foden, is there a better midfield three anywhere?

Harvey Elliot has a truly revolting haircut. Also Ben White seems to have plucked his eyebrows and drawn them back on. Not my cup of tea.

Told ya........ Outplayed all game, Arsenal wasting chance after chance, typical of the shite.

Brian, we could see that trotting towards us from the start.

Straight red for Nunez there, studs made contact...

What the feck was Ramsdale doing there, flapping around like a right flapper, and will Nunez get a straight red?

You can write the script.

Hope the shite get Maidstone away next and get stuffed 1-0 with the jammiest own goal by Van Dijk in the 99th minute.

They get twatted, chance after chance goes begging, possible straight red, not one yellow, start playing in the last 10, and Ramsdale. I fecking hate 'em – and now the beeb having orgasms over the away support.

Can you get stuffed 1-0, Gerry?

Rob, if Curtis got a free kick for a block off, then why did we not get a penalty for Beto? Oh, I forgot it only applies outside the penalty area.

Beat Palace and draw Liverpool at home, we owe them one from earlier this season.

Yes, Paul - Everton have been stuffed 1-0 many, many times... :)

Same old story, and a set of different rules for what makes a foul a booking, Red card and dangerous play.

The game is well and truly fooked.

True mate.

The problem with Arsenal is they are always looking for the perfect goal.

Ever since Wenger was the manager, it's pass, pass fucking pass all the time, in and around the penalty area. They even have players who take far too many touches in the area, hoping to try and just walk the ball into the back of the net.

How many times did Odegaard and Havertz try that in the first half, trying to beat one defender too many, instead of just hitting the ball?

They only have themselves to blame for losing that. Some of the chances they missed a Sunday league team could have scored.

Why do I hate watching football nowadays?

Do you know that I can't remember the last time that I watched a full 90 minutes... diving, rolling about, grabbing yards at throw-ins, cheating, the shitty VAR, biased channels, manufactured big club fans worldwide…

I just find it all frustratingly crappy nowadays – bring back Labone, Reid, Kendall and my hero Harvey... Whinge over!

Why did Arsenal play in a white kit at home?

Awareness about the many gang-related murders in London, Danny.

And I live in Aberdeenshire where I believe there must be more Man Utd fans than in central Lancashire!

Thanks, Joe.

Does anyone remember The Banana Splits back in the seventies?

I'm sure Klopp played the Bingo character in quite a few episodes, certainly got his gnashers.

Brain, for some reason he also reminds me of Hair, from the Hair Bear Bunch.

Joe #84.

Sorry to be pedantic but it's to do with knife crime. It's the "no more red" campaign. Not specifically gang-related.

Brian (87),

Corporal Klopp is Mr Ed the horse surely?

Arsenal started out okay but, my Lord, if ever a side needed an Ivan Toney, it's them.

Second half they looked weaker than Liverpool who seem to still be thriving on the old Jesus juice and never run out of energy.

It's an old adage but, if you don't score your chances, then you run the risk of losing; we ourselves know better than most.

Jim, that another you reminded me of, Ivan Toney 262 offences, just an 8-month ban.

Tony Kay 1 offence, lifetime ban.

Seems it's not just in the current era we were made an example of.

Just a quick one going off track, if anyone has read the book Scally, his follow up scally the peaceful hooligan, has just been released. I got mine the other day, every bit as good as the first one so far, from growing up in the sixties, to going Everton games. I'm only on Chapter 5 but been a great read up to now.

Bamford's goal for Leeds today... that's why I'll always watch.

Brian,

Harry Catterick was convinced the FA had an agenda against Everton.

It was often said his personality type was supposing a conspiracy theory during his reign, but many decisions from Tony Kay, refereeing, and now the 10 points seem to indicate he might have been very far-sighted.

Like others from our region, and anyone enjoying the Hollywood effect on them, I watched the Wrexham game this morning (USA CT) and it was so remarkably enjoyable. No worrying about the VAR and meddling, and the young ref mostly had the game in hand even when the big old brutes started jousting a bit.

It felt like halcyon days… like it used to be.

Julian, to you and all the other Yanks who have enjoyed Welcome to Wrexham, I highly recommend the new book Tinseltown by Ian Herbert of the Daily Mail. It's the story of how the ownership change at Wrexham came to pass. Very entertaining.

Why the actual fuck are Wigan and Manchester United kicking off at 8:15pm on a Monday night??

What's wrong with 7:45pm?

Nice finish, Dalot. He's done that a couple of times this season.

Jim @98,

It must have something to do with overseas viewers, as when Amazon covered our game with Manchester City, it was an 8:15 pm kick-off too.

As an aside, why were so many games scheduled for yesterday at 2pm when, apart from City v Huddersfield and Shrewsbury v Wrexham, none of the others were on telly or satellite channels – unless I missed something somewhere.

Another dubious penalty for Man Utd.

If minimal contact warrants a penalty, why is every holding and grappling incident not given?

Fernandes cheating again, went down holding his ankle, when he was 'touched' on his foot.

Embarrassing acting. Football is dead.

Pathetic. Touched on the toe. Rolling theatric
around holding his shin. Guy is a clown.

Complete joke of a penalty. Fernandes should have been booked for a dive.

The game is finished.

Anthony Taylor couldn't wait to give that penalty and the pundits at the end of the game should be ashamed of backing his decision. Ally McCoist said during commentary he wouldn't have given it, because he knew full well Fernandes cheated.

Premier League refs should not be allowed to referee games between a Premier League team and a team from a lower league. They're on first-name terms with Premier League players, it's pathetic.

During the north-east derby, Pawson booked Anthony Gordon and shouted "Anthony, Anthony" to get his attention. What's wrong with "Eh, You with blonde hair, you're booked! Okay!"

Let's give lower league refs the chance to gain some experience by giving them these games. They can then tell the Premier League players such as Fernandes the Git, "You're booked, you gobshite!" – unlike the Premier League refs who treat them as their mates.

It wasn't a penalty.

The way things are going with the refs these days, the Wigan player is lucky he didn't get a red card! Clearly an attempt to injure.

I seem to be in "what if" mode this morning, the continuing antics of feigning injury to get a decision must stop and the only people who can stop it are the referees.

Easy... book them for simulation. Fernandes might have been clipped but his theatrics were disgraceful and simulated to emphasise contact, in short, conning the referee.

I would like to have seen a penalty awarded and then rescinded and Fernandes sent off for simulation. Cat amongst pigeons, over-acting – you get booked, whether or not you're fouled.

Good stuff from 'Boro!

Don't like to speak ill of an ex-Blue but Andy Hinchcliffe is such a dull commentator. Mark Chapman in the studio is just as bad.

Up the Boro', btw!

Mark Chapman bugs me.

I don't think Liverpool will have too much bother beating either of these teams.

Agree, but Fulham will beat them.

Get fecking in, Fulham!

Calm down, Paul. You know the jammy sods are going to get three goals in 95+ minutes.

Was that not a deliberate push in the face by Virgin Van Shite?

I know, Col, but for a little while it's nice.

Well, this is looking promising, little going right for the shite who are getting frustrated by Fulham's play-acting (remember Jota and the skunks last week yer gobshites and we got better barristers and new ground than you shithouses). Well done agent Silva.

A decent Cup draw for us for once...can't complain like.

Wish we were 0-1 at Mordor,we were so close, just a penalty away.

Sigh

Fulham/'boro is looking like a tasty final; I think 'boro will nick it by one goal.

Billy, too many on here were saying we would only have got knocked out by the RS anyway. Well I'll tell you something, I wouldn't have minded the opportunity of playing in this semi final and having an opportunity to knock them out instead.

I think Rob that more than a few such folks were more frightened of losing to the shite and being made sick and humiliated again rather than that we would definitely lose. I know they are similar things but there is a difference mate.

Spawny bastards. Wicked deflection.

fuck

Could so fecking easily have been 2-0 if that knobhead de Cordova-Reid had passed to Pereira who would have had a tap in.

Fuck again.

Told ya, Paul.

Rob, we all remember April 2012 at Wembley. The fragile mentality of Everton (IMO) hasn't changed. The taunting and piss taking and humiliation. Many Derby defeats since, tells me this.

They have just scored 2 in 3 mins, we ain't ready for them still.

Why has Silva taken Willian off? He's probably been their most influential player.

ah fecking bollocks. Yep, Col, I knew it was coming, even when Silva was on top. If they can keep it at one, with a night at a raucous packed little cottage.

Would've been a second leg worth watching, but now the Kopites will be licking their lips at the thought of cottaging in west london.

FC Caffeine Quadruple really are a site to behold. If Klopp wasn't managing this kick-and-chase shower they'd be struggling. Unbelievably average yet incredibly lucky.

Curtis Jones wouldn't get into any other Premier League side. And the atmosphere – dire. Fucking awful place. Remember being dragged there by my Grandad when they were even luckier and horribler. Hated it. Vomit.

A Fulham win or draw would have been nice, but it's still tasty this and it's just one goal, fingers crossed - down with the shite and that sort of thing

Don't be silly, Nick, Curtis Jones would easily walk into another Premier League team.

He's shite Paul

Nick, they make their own luck. They shoot from everywhere and quickly. We, and most teams, want to pass the ball into the net.

I despise them but recognise their willingness to have a go from any angle.

FC Klopp are like a modern-day Forest. Great manager with a load of dog-average players. And when they leave they do fuck all. It's all the coffee and inhalers plus the big hugs.

Piss take it is, fool can just bring on two or three players on 50 minutes that cost the equivalent of Silva's team and our team put together.

Big fucking surprise, the result, plus the tug fest from commentators, with pedo Klopp giving abuse to everyone official. Fuck, my life is so shit, still watch the bent barstools.

He ain't great, Nick, but he'd find another Premier League team no trouble. Anyway, let's not cross swords about one of their shithouses.

Colin - it's chaos football. Klopp is a genius. And he's made these look great.

So match that with their luck in everything from scabbing penalties, late goals, red cards and somehow finding 20-goal-a-season strikers since Shankly signed the deal with Beelzebub, and you have this.

Agreed Paul. Hate them.

Nick, they've definitely made a pact with Old Nick. But if you don't try then you'll never get all those deflected goals, pens, free kicks etc…

Colin 141. Deflected goals – Michael Keane is the master, unfortunately the wrong net.

And Ashley Young, Mike. Don't forget him.

Bristol City one up on West Ham early in their replay after a suicidal back pass.

Bristol player gets away with a straight red challenge on Ings thanks to no VAR.

Watching that game, Neil, that was a good goal by Bristol as the West Ham keeper did touch the Bristol player and he stumbled but carried on and scored.

The down side for that player is he will not play in the Premier League as the cardinal rule is, if a keeper gets within breathing room of a player, the player is to go down as if he has been shot, roll over 6 times and sit up screaming at the ref for a penalty.

I wonder if it is that there is no VAR at this ground or has it been put in?

Absolutely Bill, the Bristol player did very well to stay on his feet and keep his composure and score. Premier League stars would have all gone down as you say.

No VAR in the replay after they had it in West Ham is ridiculous to me, but here we are. Saved Bristol from a straight red anyway, at least that's how I saw the challenge on Ings.

Shit that Sportsnet is showing Forest v Blackpool tomorrow instead of our replay.

I think that Everton are becoming a poison chalice to the TV people, Neil. They don't want to upset the establishment.

And Benrahma from West Ham gets a red card – does that mean he misses next 3 games or just cup games.

If you were of the opinion that Richard Masters made a bit of a fool of himself today by trying to defend the actions of the Premier League, then definitely don't watch Howard Webb trying to explain why it was a good decision, aided by VAR to award Luton a goal against Burnley last week.

60%/40% = 100% subjection Howard, and this is why the VAR is failing in so many areas imo.

Next three games, Bill. All league games if they lose tonight.

Luton ahead at Bolton.

Incredibly stupid from Benrahma kicking out like that, but I doubt the Hammers will miss him that much, he barely ever starts from what I've seen. Probably not defensively aware enough for Moyes is my guess.

Wolves and Brentford going to extra time, I think. Unless it's straight to penalties.