FA Cup Third Round Draw 2011/12
CONTINUING the fine tradition of its one hundred plus year history, the first weekend in January will play host to the most exciting day in the football calendar.
The opening weekend of the New Year, is as usual, reserved for the FA Cup Third Round; a marquee date in the English football calendar. Although the opening rounds begin in early August, the fine tradition of the world’s oldest cup competition is cemented in January when teams from the top two divisions in England make their way into the hat.
Each year we are treated to a host of entertaining games played out between teams vying for the prestigious trophy, and on rare occasions it is also a chance for less well known teams to have their fifteen minutes of fame when facing off against top class opposition.
With the gap between the Premiership teams and the rest of the leagues widening, these opportunities become rarer and rarer, though as football fans we still hold dear the thought of a huge upset being caused in the third round.
Last weekend saw the draw completed for the 2011/12 FA Cup, here are some of the notable ties….
Arsenal Vs Leeds United
A repeat of last season’s FA Cup third round tie, the Yorkshire side with aspirations on returning to the Premier League get a chance to face off against the Londoners at the Emirate Stadium once again.
Leeds gave Arsenal an almighty shock at the beginning of 2011 with a late Cesc Fabregas penalty forcing a replay and allowing Arsenal to eventually go through after a 3-1 victory back at Elland Road.
Despite being huge underdogs, Leeds’ fans will travel to the capital full of confidence that Simon Grayson and his team can go one better this time around and catch Arsenal’s likely-to-be-weakened side off-guard.
Chelmsford or Macclesfield Vs Bolton
With Bolton’s opponents as yet undecided, both Macclesfield and Chelmsford have extra motivation for reaching the third round proper. Drawing out a Premier League side at home is a particular lucky break that they will be hoping to take advantage off.
Bolton’s Premiership form has left a lot to be desired this season, and although they reached the FA Cup Semis last year, survival is likely to be the main focus in Owen Coyle’s mind.
This could leave the Blue Square South side or the League Two outfit with an excellent chance to become this season’s third round giant killers.
Manchester City Vs Manchester United
The exclamation in Jim Rozental’s voice upon discovering that the two great Manchester rivals had been drawn together in the third round of the cup, told you everything you needed to know about how appetising a tie between City Vs United is.
Fresh off the back of elimination from the Champions League, both sides will be looking to make up for their humiliating exists with a run at another trophy. For United, it is an early chance to begin to erase the memories of a 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford in October, but for City it presents them with yet another chance to show their dominance, and potentially creep towards a domestic treble.
Both sides would be taking their participation in the FA Cup very seriously before the tie, and now the draw has been made there is little doubt about the biggest matchup of the round.
Nottingham Forest Vs Leicester City
Two Midlands giants desperate for a return to the Premiership will be hoping to outlast each other in an all-Championship third round clash.
The most recent meeting between the two teams ended as a 2-2 draw with Steve Maclaren’s Forest sneaking a last minute equaliser against Sven’s Foxes. Since then, both teams have changed managers, and will be hoping for an upturn in fortunes, something which has yet to full materialise on either side of the midlands.
The FA Cup is by no means a priority for either but when local pride is at stake the emphasis on victory become much more important.
MK Dons Vs QPR
Like fellow promotees Swansea and Norwich, the FA Cup comes second in a list of priorities to Premiership safety for QPR, so there would be no surprise if Rangers were to play somewhat weakened teams after a busy Christmas schedule and a three month period which could determine their safety.
All this combined together with MK Dons’ lofty position in League One means that there is definitely the ingredients for an upset at Stadium MK in January. Neil Warnock’s side are unlikely to surrender easily, and a win could give them momentum towards staying up. That said MK Dons are a good side who play excellent football and could well be one of the few League One clubs to progress beyond the third round.
Fleetwood Town or Yeovil Vs Blackpool
Sitting mid-table in the Championship, the Tangerines could see their season go one of two ways after a busy festive period. Should it materialise that re-promotion to the Premiership may be available through the playoffs then Holloway’s men may have bigger things to attend to, allowing Yeovil or Fleetwood to progress.
Avoiding relegation may be Yeovil’s immediate priority, but Fleetwood Town would certainly like to give extra spice to their appearance in the third round by beating the Glovers and taking on their local rivals at home. The short eight-mile trip to the side flying high in the Blue Square Premiership might be one of their more difficult away games this season.
Barnsley Vs Swansea
As mentioned previously, Swansea would settle for 17th place in May if it meant them sacrificing a place in the latter stages of the FA Cup, presenting a dilemma for Brendan Rodgers side and seeming as though Barnsley may have draw an ideal opponent, not just because of their playing style.
Overachieving in the Championship under Keith Hill, Barnsley will be hoping to ride their confidence through the festive period and into the New Year.
Facing up against some Swansea players who may not have seen much first team action this season might be on the agenda, and with players like Jacob Butterfield and Craig Davis at their disposal, it may be hard work for Swansea if they don’t show up committed.
Crawley Town Vs Bristol City
Cash-rich Crawley almost caused the biggest surprise in FA Cup history last season when they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, and off the back of that experience have another chance to impress as a fully fledged league side a year later.
Hovering just above the relegation zone, Bristol City will be there for the taking if the League Two high fliers can gain the initiative from playing at home. Riding on the crest of a wave for their performances in last season’s competition, Crawley will be unlikely to give their Championship opponents a warm welcome.
Bristol Rovers Vs Aston Villa
The other team in Bristol have just as good a chance of making Round Four as their city rivals do. Rovers have the advantage of playing at home, but must take on Aston Villa of the Premiership in order to progress through Round Three.
Villa, weakened by the sales of Young and Downing, are an inconsistent mid-table side who are capable of beating anyone, but also well known for failing to perform.
After a solid start to the season, Alex McLeish’s men could be tempted to rest a few of their senior players when they travel to the League Two side, but with a full house likely for a televised game, Bristol Rovers have a chance to turn a relatively mediocre season into a memorable one with a victory over the Villa.
Birmingham Vs Wolves
Now separated by a division after the blues relegation last season, Wolves and Birmingham get their chance to renew acquaintances in the FA Cup third round. Always a passionate game between two local rivals, it will be interesting to see how each side approaches the game.
Wolves are in the midst of a relegation struggle, and may have an eye elsewhere with home fixtures against Villa and Liverpool before the end of January.
Birmingham’s involvement in the Europa League has already left them with games in hand on their Championship rivals, and to ensure that they stay with the chasing pack, they may choose to have other priorities ahead of the FA Cup.
Although this may culminate in a tepid affair, it must be remembered this is a local derby with bragging rights at stake and it’s highly likely that both teams will go for it.
Peterborough Vs Sunderland
Another Championship Vs Premiership clash which could have all the elements of a cup-set brewing. It is difficult to tell how Sunderland’s future will pan out, particularly with the introduction of Martin O’Neil, a manager with an FA Cup pedigree, as the club’s new leader. With survival on their mind, it would be easy for Sunderland, even with a new manager, to under estimate Peterborough.
Darren Ferguson’s side are comfortably mid-table in the Championship and will be hoping to make the most of a Premiership side visiting London Road. The club can add to their increasingly impressive resume of recent seasons if they can knock out an inconsistent top-flight side.
The opening weekend of the New Year, is as usual, reserved for the FA Cup Third Round; a marquee date in the English football calendar. Although the opening rounds begin in early August, the fine tradition of the world’s oldest cup competition is cemented in January when teams from the top two divisions in England make their way into the hat.
Each year we are treated to a host of entertaining games played out between teams vying for the prestigious trophy, and on rare occasions it is also a chance for less well known teams to have their fifteen minutes of fame when facing off against top class opposition.
With the gap between the Premiership teams and the rest of the leagues widening, these opportunities become rarer and rarer, though as football fans we still hold dear the thought of a huge upset being caused in the third round.
Last weekend saw the draw completed for the 2011/12 FA Cup, here are some of the notable ties….
Arsenal Vs Leeds United
A repeat of last season’s FA Cup third round tie, the Yorkshire side with aspirations on returning to the Premier League get a chance to face off against the Londoners at the Emirate Stadium once again.
Leeds gave Arsenal an almighty shock at the beginning of 2011 with a late Cesc Fabregas penalty forcing a replay and allowing Arsenal to eventually go through after a 3-1 victory back at Elland Road.
Despite being huge underdogs, Leeds’ fans will travel to the capital full of confidence that Simon Grayson and his team can go one better this time around and catch Arsenal’s likely-to-be-weakened side off-guard.
Chelmsford or Macclesfield Vs Bolton
With Bolton’s opponents as yet undecided, both Macclesfield and Chelmsford have extra motivation for reaching the third round proper. Drawing out a Premier League side at home is a particular lucky break that they will be hoping to take advantage off.
Bolton’s Premiership form has left a lot to be desired this season, and although they reached the FA Cup Semis last year, survival is likely to be the main focus in Owen Coyle’s mind.
This could leave the Blue Square South side or the League Two outfit with an excellent chance to become this season’s third round giant killers.
Manchester City Vs Manchester United
The exclamation in Jim Rozental’s voice upon discovering that the two great Manchester rivals had been drawn together in the third round of the cup, told you everything you needed to know about how appetising a tie between City Vs United is.
Fresh off the back of elimination from the Champions League, both sides will be looking to make up for their humiliating exists with a run at another trophy. For United, it is an early chance to begin to erase the memories of a 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford in October, but for City it presents them with yet another chance to show their dominance, and potentially creep towards a domestic treble.
Both sides would be taking their participation in the FA Cup very seriously before the tie, and now the draw has been made there is little doubt about the biggest matchup of the round.
Nottingham Forest Vs Leicester City
Two Midlands giants desperate for a return to the Premiership will be hoping to outlast each other in an all-Championship third round clash.
The most recent meeting between the two teams ended as a 2-2 draw with Steve Maclaren’s Forest sneaking a last minute equaliser against Sven’s Foxes. Since then, both teams have changed managers, and will be hoping for an upturn in fortunes, something which has yet to full materialise on either side of the midlands.
The FA Cup is by no means a priority for either but when local pride is at stake the emphasis on victory become much more important.
MK Dons Vs QPR
Like fellow promotees Swansea and Norwich, the FA Cup comes second in a list of priorities to Premiership safety for QPR, so there would be no surprise if Rangers were to play somewhat weakened teams after a busy Christmas schedule and a three month period which could determine their safety.
All this combined together with MK Dons’ lofty position in League One means that there is definitely the ingredients for an upset at Stadium MK in January. Neil Warnock’s side are unlikely to surrender easily, and a win could give them momentum towards staying up. That said MK Dons are a good side who play excellent football and could well be one of the few League One clubs to progress beyond the third round.
Fleetwood Town or Yeovil Vs Blackpool
Sitting mid-table in the Championship, the Tangerines could see their season go one of two ways after a busy festive period. Should it materialise that re-promotion to the Premiership may be available through the playoffs then Holloway’s men may have bigger things to attend to, allowing Yeovil or Fleetwood to progress.
Avoiding relegation may be Yeovil’s immediate priority, but Fleetwood Town would certainly like to give extra spice to their appearance in the third round by beating the Glovers and taking on their local rivals at home. The short eight-mile trip to the side flying high in the Blue Square Premiership might be one of their more difficult away games this season.
Barnsley Vs Swansea
As mentioned previously, Swansea would settle for 17th place in May if it meant them sacrificing a place in the latter stages of the FA Cup, presenting a dilemma for Brendan Rodgers side and seeming as though Barnsley may have draw an ideal opponent, not just because of their playing style.
Overachieving in the Championship under Keith Hill, Barnsley will be hoping to ride their confidence through the festive period and into the New Year.
Facing up against some Swansea players who may not have seen much first team action this season might be on the agenda, and with players like Jacob Butterfield and Craig Davis at their disposal, it may be hard work for Swansea if they don’t show up committed.
Crawley Town Vs Bristol City
Cash-rich Crawley almost caused the biggest surprise in FA Cup history last season when they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, and off the back of that experience have another chance to impress as a fully fledged league side a year later.
Hovering just above the relegation zone, Bristol City will be there for the taking if the League Two high fliers can gain the initiative from playing at home. Riding on the crest of a wave for their performances in last season’s competition, Crawley will be unlikely to give their Championship opponents a warm welcome.
Bristol Rovers Vs Aston Villa
The other team in Bristol have just as good a chance of making Round Four as their city rivals do. Rovers have the advantage of playing at home, but must take on Aston Villa of the Premiership in order to progress through Round Three.
Villa, weakened by the sales of Young and Downing, are an inconsistent mid-table side who are capable of beating anyone, but also well known for failing to perform.
After a solid start to the season, Alex McLeish’s men could be tempted to rest a few of their senior players when they travel to the League Two side, but with a full house likely for a televised game, Bristol Rovers have a chance to turn a relatively mediocre season into a memorable one with a victory over the Villa.
Birmingham Vs Wolves
Now separated by a division after the blues relegation last season, Wolves and Birmingham get their chance to renew acquaintances in the FA Cup third round. Always a passionate game between two local rivals, it will be interesting to see how each side approaches the game.
Wolves are in the midst of a relegation struggle, and may have an eye elsewhere with home fixtures against Villa and Liverpool before the end of January.
Birmingham’s involvement in the Europa League has already left them with games in hand on their Championship rivals, and to ensure that they stay with the chasing pack, they may choose to have other priorities ahead of the FA Cup.
Although this may culminate in a tepid affair, it must be remembered this is a local derby with bragging rights at stake and it’s highly likely that both teams will go for it.
Peterborough Vs Sunderland
Another Championship Vs Premiership clash which could have all the elements of a cup-set brewing. It is difficult to tell how Sunderland’s future will pan out, particularly with the introduction of Martin O’Neil, a manager with an FA Cup pedigree, as the club’s new leader. With survival on their mind, it would be easy for Sunderland, even with a new manager, to under estimate Peterborough.
Darren Ferguson’s side are comfortably mid-table in the Championship and will be hoping to make the most of a Premiership side visiting London Road. The club can add to their increasingly impressive resume of recent seasons if they can knock out an inconsistent top-flight side.