The FA Cup 2007-08



So, the 3rd round draw was made yesterday afternoon, and as always cooked up some interesting ties. What does everyone think about their respective games? confident?


North East Ties:


Bristol City vs Middlesbrough

Sunderland vs Wigan Athletic

Stoke City vs Newcastle United


Unfortunately Hartlepool and Darlington didn't make it to the 3rd round this year. Would have been good to see them in the draw and up against one of the three premiership sides. Strangely enough, Gateshead didn't make it to the 3rd round either..

Personally, I'm satisfied with the draw, though being drawn against a premiership side is never what you want (unless you're in the lower leagues). It will no doubt be a scrappy game like, but being at home is what matters in these games, and im obviously confident we can come out on top. Wigan hammered us 3-0 down at their place at the start of the season, and keeping that thought in mind should spur us on to make it into the 4th round draw, i hope.

I suppose Newcastle and Boro would be rather happy with that. Its a tough one for Sunderland though, should be a good game.

Stoke and Bristol City are both tough away games mate. On paper the Premiership should win everytime, but that isnt always the case with the FA Cup. Both teams are doing well in the championship this season, with Bristol City in 5th, and Stoke in 7th.

All im saying is dont put your expectations too high, they wont be easy games at all.

I agree. I never said they would be easy games. I just said we would be reasonably happy with the draw. Look at some of the other teams that were in it, it could have been a lot worse.

Originally I thought that we had a great tie but I can't see us winning this. We may get a draw away from home but our players will be expecting to walk over Bristol and that is completely the wrong attitude.

All this talk about Big Sam getting sacked this weekend is bollocks. Newcastle have too much quality to lose to Stoke so Sam will keep his job for now.

Difficult draw for Sunderland but I think Keano will have his players up for the FA Cup (no rhyming intended). because it is a home fixture I can see Sunderland winning it - it will be close though.

Bristol 1-0 up against Boro
Wigan 0-1 up against Sunderland

Final Scores:
Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Bristol City
Sunderland 0 - 3 Wigan Athletic

The FA cup represents a chance for salvation for Big Sam and his boys. The league is pretty much gone for this season, a mid table finish is highly likely.

It puts all the more importance on the FA Cup, mess this up, and I think Big Sam will be on his way.

It's 0-0 at HT, with Stoke looking the most likely to score, particularly Fuller.

A fat man came on for Stoke, and almost scored.

Stoke are all over the place, Newcastle are doing very poorly....

Well 0-0 so replay at st james' park

I expect stoke city to go and beat the geordies at home as they will be without their african players as well.

Decent result considering we've lost our last three games and Stoke are a inform team. I think a draw is a fair result, Both teams had chances but failed to take them. I thought it was a improved team performance which is a change and kept a clean sheet which is fantastic for Given and the defenders. A few players that stood out for me, N'zogbia in LM was brilliant, In the first half but faded a bit in the second, Duff playing out of position on the right done a fine job, Still looks a bit unfit which is to be expected but he did cause Stoke a lot of problems with his skill, they ended up double teaming on him. Butt yet again showing us why he's so important to our team, Unbelievable how much energy he has for his age, All over the place so committed tacking everyone, passing even had a few pops at goal, Taylor most probably the man of the match. As Alan Hansen said " Made some World Class tackles" Still does make the odd mistake but he's still young and learning the game. Also it was nice to see some of the younger toon stars in action. (LuaLua, Carroll aka next big AL)


"I expect stoke city to go and beat the geordies at home as they will be without their African players as well"

Faye was the only African player playing tonight!, And i expect Stoke to crumble when they come to St James Park, 50k Toon army supporters booing them will make them extremely nervous and i think Stoke had the perfect chance to go thru but didnt take it. Newcastle ftw

4th Round Draw:

Arsenal vs Newcastle/Stoke City
Mansfield Town vs Middlesbrough

I have to say I am quite pleased how this turned out . A big, difficult team for Newcastle and a lower-league side for us. I don't think it will be easy but I can't really see us slipping up, saying that, we all know what Southgate's like

Merged the Newcastle FA Cup topic with this thread

Well Well Well beat them with 10 men

god i hope newcastle batter arsenal so they have two games of beaing thrashed but i see an arsenal backlash here so newcastle better watch out.

£1.99 team hehe

Well Well Well look what the cat dragged in!!!


£1.99 Internet

keep on topic or you be have a verbal warning lmfaooo

my internet is fine lool

and gdluck with the game with arsenal you will need it

looooooooool, Yea cheers mate, u've really pissed them off now they will take it out on us, lol. Catch u later bruvva.

Currently 1-0 to Middlesbrough at Field Mill against Mansfield.

Lee Dong-Gook scrambled home a goal and should have had a second but screwed his header wide. Mansfield though have given as good as they've got with Boulding crashing the crossbar.

Final whistle gone, 2-0 to Boro

Good win for Boro, and Lee Dong Gook getting on the score sheet is a added bonus. Lets see if he can take the confidence into Tuesday's 6-pointer against Wigan!

A 0-0 draw would be nice though

The highlight, for me, was seeing Mido fit again. Admittingly, he looked a bit out of shape but I'm sure he will be back amongst the goals before long. It was a bit suspect that Tuncay wasn't even on the bench but I think we can take the confidence into the Wigan game (but I doubt Lee D G will score )

Someone at Boro needs to coach Lee Dong Gook and Tuncay how to put away sitters. Gook today with the header and Tuncay on the weekend.

Shouldn't really be insulting our lack of goals when we scored 2 and you scored 0

Im just pointing out u missed two sitters in two games mate. Plus, We played Arsenal you played Mansfield

Draw against Sheff Utd wasnt a good result. Despite what fans say, I am not happy with that, we needed to get it over with, now they will be up for it even more as they have nothing to lose. Alves and Mido need to get fit quickly.

Drawn against Cardiff

I'd put us down to beat both teams and go comfortably into the Semi Finals.

Middlesbrough, Manchester United, West Brom and Chelsea in the Semi Finals. I reckon we have an alright chance of making it to Wembley (that is if we get drawn against West Brom). Of course we won't win it but it'd be nice just to make it to a final.

Boro got some pretty easy draws in the FA cup so far. I expect them to get thru to the semis.

I can see your point, but its not completely valid.

I mean, Cup games are always tough, especially against the so called weaker teams because they really fancy a dig at the big boys in the cups.

And then there's the fact that we ourselves have lost to pretty average sides in this competition over the years.

Come on Boro

0-0 after 90 minutes in the Boro v Sheffield replay.

9 minutes of extra time gone, and still 0-0.

Own goal by the big man in goal.

We're going to Wembley only Cardiff to go. (Before someonesays that beating Cardiff would land us in the semis, the semis are at Wembley too)

Can anyone tell me anything about Seb Hines? I noticed in FM that he was born in America and when I was flicking through the channels today I saw him playing for Boro. I think he's pretty young, does he have potential?

Seb Hines isn't a bad player, looked a bit shakey against Sheff United though. I don't know much about him other than he can play anywhere across the back line, he was praised as MOTM against Shef United (but I thought he looked shakey - everyone has their own opinion). Looks to be a decent player but I doubt he will be a regular in the Boro side. He seems the sort of player that could settle into a Championship side.

Overall the match was poor, ah well, at least we'll be going to Wembley

Cardiff shaln't be much of a struggle.

It's currently 1-0 to Cardiff. Not a struggle at all.

2-0 to Cardiff. A great diving header.

This is not going to be much of a stuggle for Cardiff, 2-0 up now and they'll look to make 3-0 no doubt.

Hahaha 2-0 HT at home, This was a fantastic opportunity for you to go to Wembley and you fucked it up.


Edit: Mido on for Alves

Firstly Ballons, Arsenal were held to a draw by an average Wigan side.

Secondly, Smith, you're a Newcastle fan, don't talk to me about fucking things up.

Finally, the referee was fucking awful, Parry should've walked for raising his arm, ref gave them everything, every 50-50 went their way. I'm not saying we were great because we weren't, we were shocking and got what we deserved.

Haha u sound upset Adam. Your doing a SAF and Carlos Queiroz.

True we may fuck a lot of things up but this, lol you had the perfect chance to go to wembley and potentially win the FA cup!!! What a disgrace for Middlesbrough football club. I didn't watch the full game but i had it on while i was at my computer and every time u had a free kick or corner u wasted it. Your players didn't look like they wanted it.



Correction, Cardiff are going to Wembley

Very dissapointing display by Boro given the opportunity that they had to go all the way in the tournament. Decent strike for the first goal for Cardiff who looked like they wanted it a lot more and weren't really troubled that often although Boro can feel unlucky with a few of the decisions as Adam mentioned above.

How Mike Dean did't spot the handball is beyond me.

At least we went out by 2 goals, one of which being offside, rather than 4 goals. I mean, what side can call themselves decent when getting beat 4-0, haha what a fuck load of nothing that team must be.

Ok lets say the handball was given, It wouldn't really change the match u still got outplayed by Cardiff at home. Credit to the fella who handballed it, He still had a lot of work to do.

Of course it would've changed the game, I'm not searching for excuses but it would've done. The players wouldn't have dropped their heads and conceeded another goal in quick succesion, thusfore removing negativity and improving positivity which would allow us to attack better and possibly score.

You being a Newcastle fan and not being intelligent I will put it bluntly for you:
You are wrong.

Haha, You pathetic little twat. Is that the best insult you can come up with? You just dont want to accept the facts. Your shite team got outplayed by Cardiff at home. I guarantee you wont have a better chance of going to Wembley/FA cup semi final in the next 20 years.