The Romance of the F.A. Cup?

When I followed Wolves in the 1950s a cup run was the highlight of the season. My dad took me to most of the games, invariably at packed-out stadia, and if Wolves were not playing in the final, we watched the match with several others on a small black and white TV at the home of the bloke who ran the local Working Mens` Club.

How times have changed, I thought, as I sat in the family enclosure at the Putney End of a half empty Craven Cottage yesterday. Only 11,879 fans braved the rain and the cold. At least it wasn`t as wet or as cold as the last time I visited the ground on 4 March 2012. We didn`t lose either, though I wouldn`t have minded another 5-0 drubbing if it meant that exit from the competition would ensure at least a play-off place at the end of the season. That`s how little the F.A. Cup is valued nowadays.

Clearly, Kenny still believes in the romance of the Cup because he fielded virtually the strongest side he could, with obvious replacements for the absent KM and KH. Only Dicko didn`t feature in the starting line-up, a decision which we all agreed with since we need him fit for the more serious business of winning Championship points.

Nonetheless, our toothless attack soon prompted the WW fans to shout for the appearance of our talismanic striker, especially in the aftermath of Clarke`s dreadful miss in the 29th. minute. ND eventually replaced the hapless no. 9 with twenty-eight minutes of the match remaining. And he did add extra bite to our attack. What we were not aware of at the time was that KJ was so keen on making it to the next round that he took an enormous risk when he brought on the injury-prone striker. It later transpired that ND was suffering from a ‘bad’ back, as well as a gammy hamstring, possibly an associated injury. We wouldn`t have chanted his name so loudly had we known. We can only pray that he has suffered no ill-effects.

Taking the day as a whole, I did experience a great deal of excitement, unfortunately none of it the result of events on the pitch. As the entire rail network of South-west London was beset by signalling problems, getting to the match required a good deal of inventiveness and lateral thinking. Pondering on what to do at my local station, I met two other WW supporters who suddenly found themselves in the same predicament. I advised an indirect, circuitous route, which, with the help of a free taxi service, a train ride and a taxi from Surbiton, enabled us to arrive at The Railway PH at the top of Putney High Street at 12.30 p.m.

With 30 minutes to wait before I met my mate in the pub I enjoyed a couple of pints of Youngs Special with my new friends, one of whom had been following WW since 1961, even though he was brought up in the London area. We were doing well at the time and in any case he liked the colour of our strip. He`s a real WW fan though, unlike others who latch on to the in-team of the moment. Engrossed in the banter, I forgot about ordering lunch and had to make do with a dodgy hot dog at the ground. Big mistake and one I am currently paying for! Of course, the three pints of Special, two-thirds of a bottle of wine and the evening curry could have had something to do with it.

Going home was even worse, with trains stacked up all the way to Clapham Junction and beyond. On several occasions we had to wait while the queue shuffled forward in front of us. Coupled with my wife`s under-estimation of the time taken to walk to Putney station from the ground (and the stop at The Railway but I did not tell her of that), she began to worry that I had fallen foul of the nasty Fulham supporters. It`s just as well that Strictly Come Dancing has finished because, if not, I would have had to walk the three miles home.

As for the match, this was not a game which belied the implication of the score. It was boring, flat and without much incident. Defences dominated, and Ikeme only had to make one save throughout the whole game. Bettinelli was busier and did well to push Sako`s shot on to the post in the 29th. minute. The ball rebounded out to Clarke and with the goalie stranded on the ground, he could hardly miss from a couple of yards out. Oh yes he could!

Apart from this, the first half passed without incident. After the break the game started off at a higher tempo and clearly a bollocking from KJ had galvanised our lads. Then, Fulham began to exert some pressure without really looking like scoring. Once Dicko had replaced LC we took the initiative again. Indeed, one might reasonably have concluded that we were the only team likely to score were it not for a shot from Rodallega in the 71st. minute which ended up in the side-netting and one from Fofana 12 minutes later which he hit straight at Ikeme. In the 69th. minute Henry had squandered a chance as he elected to shoot when the better option would have been to pass the ball to Dicko to his right.

Overall, the game was mostly played in midfield as both sides lacked a cutting edge in the final third. I thought that Fulham passed the ball around somewhat better than our lads, though they often misplaced passes too. We were very sloppy and even Price was at fault. He did improve in the second half, showing why his presence benefits our side. Evans, given the opportunity to stake his place in the absence of KM, did little to improve his claim. Naturally, we saw some of his signature sweeping diagonal passes but his play was … er … rather hit or miss. He also committed a number of fouls, one of which gained him a yellow card.

We will miss Sako over the course of the next month. While not at his best, he not only panicked the defence whenever he received the ball but also tangibly raised the level of anticipation in the crowd. Henry, in contrast, was pedestrian. He has had his moments this season but VLP, for all his faults, offers us more with his pace and penetration. Edwards, as ever, ran himself into the ground but at this level commitment and energy is not enough. We need a no. 10 who is more comfortable on the ball and who can receive and distribute it much more effectively.

At the back I was keen to have a look at Iorfa, given the enthusiastic reports he has received recently. He is certainly a great prospect and deserves his status as our first choice RB. Naturally, he displays his inexperience at times: yesterday he was sometimes caught out of position and was as guilty as his colleagues in getting himself into trouble and misplacing his passes. Of course, one should remember that he is being played out of position and make due allowance. On the other flank, Doherty looked rusty and ill-at-ease in the unaccustomed role of LB.

In the centre of the defence Batth and Stearman had solid games, dealing with Fulham`s rather feeble attack with ease. No wonder Ikeme had so little to do. Unfortunately, few other Championship sides will be equally as charitable. On account of his greater mobility and better distribution of the ball I would rate RS more highly than DB.

So, a game that hardly raised my pulse in anticipation let alone when watching it, is one that would be quickly forgotten were it not for its potential consequences. Firstly, let`s hope that Dicko has not aggravated his injury. Secondly, if we have to endure an unwanted replay, it might be prudent to rest our key players, while giving some of the fringe members of the squad the opportunity to shine. What about playing Iorfa and Hause in central defence, for instance?

Finally, the game indicated all too painfully that we are nowhere near ready for the Premiership, that is, if we make it to and through the play-offs. As the January transfer window is now officially open, I am anxiously awaiting tomorrow`s news for signs of possible recruits. We desperately need four or five players in key positions if we are to mount a serious challenge. If past experience is any indication, I should prepare myself for disappointment. Even though KJ has assured us that money is available, I will only believe it when I see the moths flying out of JM`s dusty purse.