Clinton Morrison: It's the best FA Cup draw for years
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week it's a huge weekend with the third round of the FA Cup pitching non-league and lower league sides against Premier League opposition, creating more chances for famous upsets and fairytale stories, and Clinton has his say on the biggest stories of the weekend.
Here's a full transcript of everything discussed this week.
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Magic of the FA Cup
Q: It’s the FA Cup third round this weekend. Is it one of the best weekends in the football calendar, especially for players outside the Premier League?
Yeah, it's the one you look forward to.
If you feel like you're never going to get to play in a Premier League and you've been playing in League One and League Two, these games are the best ones, especially if you go into a Premier League ground to play and get an opportunity to go and showcase your ability.
When I was at Exeter I remember we got Liverpool (in the third round). Some of the lads had never played against Liverpool, we probably should have beaten them but the second leg was a great day out for the club, getting to play at Anfield.
It's things like that that people remember and don't forget, and it's something you have for the rest of your life.
It was good when you see all the youngsters getting excited, sorting their tickets out for their families, and going to Anfield.
It is a great occasion.
It was different for me because I’d already played there quite a few times, but when you see it and the smile on the faces and fans getting excited, it's nice.
Q: The FA Cup doesn't seem to be quite as big a pull now as it used to, but is that just among Premier League fans and players? Is it still as big as it ever was in the lower leagues?
I think Premier League players now could do without the FA Cup because they play so many games, but for me growing up and for anyone else growing up the FA Cup was everything.
You would get up on final day and watch it all day on TV and dream as a kid of making it to an FA Cup final, so I think it's still a big competition and a brilliant one but because Premier League players play so much football in Europe and stuff like that, it’s not quite the same
But the main thing about the FA Cup is the magic of it and everyone still gets excited by it, especially in the lower leagues.
For someone like Tamworth playing against Tottenham superstars this week, this is what dreams are made of because some of those players are never even going to play in the football league, let alone against Premier League world-class players.
That's what the FA Cup's all about.
Q: Is that the big pull of the FA Cup for players, to give them something to aspire to in their career?
I think as a youngster when you're playing in League One and League Two it inspires you to say, ‘we've had a taste of playing against Premier League players and done alright, can I work harder in my team when I go back and continue to impress?’
It is a shop window for all the youngsters. You always get a gem of someone who could be really good, and then all of a sudden another team's watching him and then all of a sudden they're scouting him, watching him week in, week out.
So even though it's a massive game, it's what you do after this when you go back to your club and people know about you.
But it is one of those where you're live on TV and people are watching and you have a good game, it makes everyone take note and say, well, we do have some gems in the lower leagues.
Sometimes I do think a lot of people turn their noses up at people in League One and League Two. We’ve seen over the years, a lot of players have made the step up and are now doing well in the Premier League.
FA Cup Memories
Q: What are your best memories of the FA? First of all, growing up and then playing in it as well
Growing up, I always remember being a Tottenham fan when the Gascoigne free kick with the famous commentary "is he going to have a crack? He is, you know" and he bends it into the top corner.
Those moments are fantastic.
I always remember the FA Cup moments and my FA Cup memories have always been good. I remember getting to the last 16 against Chelsea and losing when I was at Coventry, when they had players like Terry, Drogba and Ashley Cole.
I think Lampard played too, it was a fantastic team. We knew it was going to be difficult and we know we probably didn't have much of a chance, but to be able to play against that quality of players and stuff, just go and enjoy it. And that's what we did.
The FA Cup was always special to me. You always want to go as far as you can.
The Carabao Cup is different FA Cup - we got to like the semi-final, but it was totally different. But you want to try and go as far as you can in these competitions and get recognized.
The FA Cup Draw
Q: Does it feel like it really starts now, in the third round? With the Premier League teams coming in, all the TV games, it really kicks onto another level
I don't care what anyone says, you don't want to play someone in League Two or League One, you want to play the Premier League teams because you know you're going to make money for the football club.
You get to play against world-class players, could be on the TV and have a great day out for fans and also for the players and their families.
So you look out for those big games, and when the draw comes out you're sitting there watching with your teammates or at home with your family praying that you get a big Premier League team because that is what the FA Cup is all about.
That's what the dreams are.
Dreams are made of going to the big ground, and if you manage to score on the day, it's a great feeling that you have with you for the rest of your life.
Q: What is the best kind of draw to get? Looking at some of the games this weekend, I think a lot of the bigger teams are at home against smaller teams. So as a smaller team, do you like going to the big ground or do you want to have them at home?
I think the chairmen would rather them have the the big trip to a big ground, but then it's a hard one because if you have a home draw like Tamworth against Tottenham this weekend, they could get a replay, have a great day out and then get half of the cake when they go and play at the Tottenham Stadium.
So then it's a win-win situation for Tamworth.
I think as the lower teams, if you think you can cause an upset, you'd rather be at home. But if you don't think you can cause an upset, you'd rather be away because it's different experience going to places like Anfield or Old Trafford or Tottenham Stadium or the Emirates.
Most teams would rather be away, going to play at them big Premier League stadiums because at home you’re there week in, week out most of the time.
The Tottenham and Arsenal Stadiums are probably two of the best in the country so if you're going away and playing at those grounds it must be a fantastic experience.
Upsets?
Q: Looking ahead to the games this weekend, are there any that stick out as potential upsets to you?
The game I'm looking forward to the most is Arsenal v Man United. Both teams need a result. Arsenal will have been disappointed not to get a result in the Carabao Cup and then you look at Manchester United, who got a good result against Liverpool but have been nowhere near it.
I think Ruben Amorim needs a cup run because it’s not been good enough for Man United. I know they're not one of the lower teams, but that looks like a great game with a lot riding on it.
Of the games involving smaller teams, Tamworth v Tottenham is the biggest game. Tamworth Football Club - the lowest-ranked team left in the cup - have been first class to get to where they have and beaten a few football league teams.
It is a hard place to go because of their 3G pitch, they have Tonks in midfield who has got one of the longest throws you'll probably see in the game and could go and cause a lot of problems. I think Tottenham's class will show but it's a big game and they'll know it'll be hard.
It's a televised game because people think there might be an upset, but I do think Tottenham will be too strong for them. They will have to go in there and be professional because if not, you will get a surprise.
You also have Newcastle v Bromley. Andy Woodman - the manager there - he used to work at Newcastle with Alan Pardew on his coaching staff. So him going back there is a great story.
I know Morecambe have got Chelsea, that’s a good day out for Morecambe at Stamford Bridge. There is Salford at Man City, but knowing Karl Robinson, he thinks he'll go there and beat them because he's so confident!
If it's at Etihad it wouldn't be a banana skin because I think Man City would be too strong at home, but it makes me laugh because it's Gary Neville against Man City, isn't it?
Karl Robinson will love it because he actually thinks he's Pep Guardiola. So him putting himself up against Pep, he will think he can get one over on Pep!
I think this FA Cup draw is probably been one of the best for many seasons because a lot of the Premier League teams are at home, and the lower teams would want to go to the Premier League grounds.
So I think it's a win-win situation for all clubs. I think it's brilliant. I think it will be a great day out. It'll be enjoyable. Fans will look forward to it.
I love it. I love the FA Cup, I love working on it because you love to see upsets and hopefully we get a few on the weekend.
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