/ 5 January 2001

First steps on the long road to … Cardiff

Neal Collins soccer England’s bleak midwinter will enjoy a traditional post-New Year lift this weekend with the arrival of the Football Association Cup third round, comfortably the best weekend of mud-and-guts football to be found anywhere in the world.

This is when the top clubs join the long road to erm … well, it was supposed to be Wembley (and has been since 1923), but now with the Twin Towers soon to fall, I guess it’s the even longer road to Cardiff’s Millennium stadium, the famous roofed rugby arena in Wales that has been earmarked for May’s final.

For some clubs, the 2001 FA Cup has become do-or-die. Defeat in round three will spell disaster for fans desperate to add meaning to their sad, post-Christmas lives.

Spurs, who won the FA Cup in 1961, 1981 and 1991 will be hoping that 2001 is their year, particularly as they also won the League in 1951 and 1961, plus the European Fairs Cup in 1971, while their current manager George Graham was playing in Arsenal’s double-winning team. GG will come under real pressure if they lose to fellow Londoners Leyton Orient, third in division three, at Brisbane Road on Saturday.

The epic 4-2 win over Newcastle on Tuesday night where three players were sent off and three penalties were awarded by referee Steve Bennett will have raised morale but Orient fans might point out Spurs have yet to win away in the Premiership this season.

It’s Leeds that most need a long cup run it may be the only route to Europe for last year’s third-best side who have come crashing back to earth and are a lowly 14th in the premiership. Their captain Lucas Radebe knows exactly how much pressure there is on coach David O’Leary after his 18-million splurge on Rio Ferdinand and the loan of Milan’s Robbie Keane.

Radebe, the Bafana Bafana captain, is 31 and desperate to bring silverware to Elland Road’s impatient fans but he confesses before the FA Cup trip to Yorkshire neighbours Barnsley on Saturday: “It’s so important for us to end up with some silverware and qualify for Europe. Anything else would make this a terrible season for us. Personally I’m desperate for a trophy. We’re hoping to improve our league position but being realistic we are a long way behind the other teams. We are doing well in the Champions League but it will be very tough to win the trophy and qualify again in that way.

“That means the FA Cup is our last route into Europe and I believe we have a good chance, but only if we start to put things right. We’re all a bit down at the moment but one good win can get us flying again. Somebody soon is going to take a beating from us.” Barnsley, 17th in division one, have been warned.

Saturday’s other big games see London giants Arsenal travelling to rock-bottom division three minnows Carlisle, high-flying Charlton facing their Conference (non-league) neighbours Dagenham and Redbridge, Chelsea going up the A1 to division two strugglers Peterborough and Leicester taking on division three club York. Liverpool have division two promotion pushers Rotherham at Anfield, Sunderland have financially troubled Crystal Palace at the Stadium of Light; Ipswich go to tiny Conference club Morecambe

The Premiership clubs should cruise through in all those games. An all-Premiership clash sees Newcastle entertain Aston Villa on Sunday with a replay and eventual Villa success the likely outcome. The only other all-Premiership (for how long?) game pits bottom-of-the-table Bradford against Middlesbrough (18th) at Valley Parade on Monday

But watch out for the traditional January giant-killing at Pride Park, where lowly Derby must see off division one’s fourth-best club West Brom. Relegation-threatened Manchester City won’t relish the visit of Trevor Francis’s division one promotion-chasers Birmingham, and Southampton face a visit from Sheffield United, seventh in division one.

My giant-killing selections? West Ham’s visit to division two’s third-placed Walsall and, of course, runaway Premiership leaders Manchester United’s trip to division one runaway leaders Fulham.

But the side most likely to fall are Coventry. Gordon Strachan’s men go west to Swindon, currently recovering from Colin Todd’s reign near the foot of division two.