southhampton, qpr, newcastle.... a few little facts

its obviously a distraction to league form unless you've got a good enough squad to compete on both fronts. anyone who thinks it isnt is kerrrrazy

I think it's obvious that excessive games with small squads are always going to cause a problem. There's a fine line between success and failure. Look at the goal difference debacle a few years back for Cardiff when we missed out to Preston in the Play Offs on goals scored when we had let in 12 goals in 4 games including six at Preston.

Extra games can cause injuries, suspensions and tiredness, but success can also breed confidence.

only 1 of the 8 teams promoted automatically in the last 4 seasons went further than the fourth round

shows where their priorities were, the league and not the cup

only 1 of the 8 teams promoted automatically in the last 4 seasons went further than the fourth round

shows where their priorities were, the league and not the cup

But only one in eight got knocked out in the 3rd round. They still went up.

only 1 of the 8 teams promoted automatically in the last 4 seasons went further than the fourth round

shows where their priorities were, the league and not the cup

But only one in eight got knocked out in the 3rd round. They still went up.

only one in 8? that's not true at all

But only one in eight got knocked out in the 3rd round. They still went up.

Were you looking for a cup run?

I'd love to think we could do a WBA, get to the Semi's and get promoted but as they are the only club that have done it out of 15 clubs in the last 5 years, it was highly unlikely.

It was a poor loss, but where would you have accepted an FA Cup loss? I would have hated for a poor January and February in the league to have coincided with a 3rd round 1-1 draw, a replay won, the beating of Wigan in the 4th round and getting Chelsea at home in the 5th round. We would then be in a situation where we could make the quarter's if we put out a full team in front of a sell out home crowd. THAT weighed against trying to turn around league form.

I know it's an unpredictable scenario but I would rather the current situation to the one I described.

Birmingham went out 3rd round
Reading went out 3rd round, at home, to Stevenage
Norwich went out 3rd round, at home, to Leyton Orient
QPR went out in the 3rd round


Newcastle were out of the cup before the end of January
Wolves were out of the cup before the end of January
Southampton were out of the cup early February

But only one in eight got knocked out in the 3rd round. They still went up.

Were you looking for a cup run?

I'd love to think we could do a WBA, get to the Semi's and get promoted but as they are the only club that have done it out of 15 clubs in the last 5 years, it was highly unlikely.

It was a poor loss, but where would you have accepted an FA Cup loss? I would have hated for a poor January and February in the league to have coincided with a 3rd round 1-1 draw, a replay won, the beating of Wigan in the 4th round and getting Chelsea at home in the 5th round. We would then be in a situation where we could make the quarter's if we put out a full team in front of a sell out home crowd. THAT weighed against trying to turn around league form.

I know it's an unpredictable scenario but I would rather the current situation to the one I described.

i wish people would get over this.

Yes to do what west brom did is unlikely, but the "unlikely" part of it is reaching the latter rounds of the cup!


for gods sake, these teams that got promoted over the years didnt get there BECAUSE they got knocked out of the cup! there will only ever be a handful of championship sides that make it to the 5th round in any year.

It seems a lot of posters believe winning in the 3rd round of the cup could have hindered our promotion push. Lets look at the last three years of teams to be top of the championship at chistmas....

Last year... southhampton... 3rd round fa cup WON. Promoted.



Year before... Qpr, 3rd rd fa cup WON....Promoted.



Year before that.. N/castle, 3rd rd fa cup WON....Promoted.

QPR lost to Blackburn in the 3rd round the year they went up. So these facts appear to be lacking in truth