This FA Cup weekend showcased what makes English football truly great.. to quote Plymouth hero Katic: I f***ing love it

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE’S Bosnian centre-half Nikola Katic had ne'er antecedently played successful the FA Cup.

But successful the aftermath of his team’s daze fourth-round triumph implicit Liverpool, Katic summed up our feelings towards the contention beauteous succinctly.

“I f***ing emotion it,” said the Roger Mellie of the Balkans.
And then, without allowing clip for his interviewer to apologise for specified concern language, Katic added the rejoinder: “I f***ing emotion it.”

Well said, sunshine, and good played.

What a glorious agelong play it’s been for a contention which has struggled for elbow-room successful a congested calendar and struggled to clasp this nation’s love.

After Katic’s outburst, I was sent a photograph of 2 lucifer tickets from a person of a person who supports Argyle.

His spot outgo £29, his teenage son’s conscionable 9 quid. Not a atrocious terms to witnesser the bottommost nine successful the Championship defeating the Premier League leaders, ending Liverpool’s hunt for a Quadruple.

Plymouth’s pricing argumentation shames galore top-flight clubs who complaint importantly much for Cup games, adjacent to those already paying done the chemoreceptor for play tickets.

And the lucifer was 1 of 9 fixtures screened connected ITV oregon BBC implicit a five-day festival of football which concludes backmost successful Devon, with Exeter versus Nottingham Forest tonight.

This has been a invited improvement for the Cup.

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While traditionalists bemoan the lack of a job-lot of fixtures astatine 3pm connected Saturday, present is an accidental for the tens of millions who can’t spend Sky and TNT subscriptions to feast their eyes.
Sure, Arne Slot fielded Liverpool’s reserves but that’s portion of the competition’s improvement — making upsets much likely.

Likewise, the scrapping of replays increases the chances of giant-killings.

The Cup cannot past connected nostalgia alone.

It’s not astir Ron Manager from The Fast Show getting misty-eyed astir supporters with tinfoil trophies.

And portion specified sharp-toothed underdoggery remains the Cup’s raison d’etre, determination has been plentifulness much to savour.

The lack of VAR brought a invited spontaneity.

Yes, Harry Maguire’s injury-time victor for Manchester United against Leicester was a travesty — with replays leaving america wondering lone whether 4 oregon 5 United players had been offside.

Yet alternatively that than the cruelty of past year’s semi-final astatine Wembley, erstwhile Coventry were denied the top FA Cup comeback owed to a toenail offside ruling retired Victor Torp’s victor successful the last seconds of extra-time, aft the Championship broadside had trailed United 3-0.

Sadly, VAR returns for the 5th circular but it should beryllium absent from the full competition, marking it retired arsenic a location for old-school authenticity.

On Saturday, Leyton Orient’s Jamie Donley scored astir apt the top FA Cup extremity by an underdog since Ronnie Radford’s rocket for Hereford against Newcastle successful 1972.

It scarcely mattered that Manchester City came backmost to triumph due to the fact that the method and audacity required for Donley’s perfectly flighted 45-yarder volition spot it replayed for decades.

Oh, and we’re evidently ignoring the killjoy nonsense of Donley’s effort being awarded arsenic a Stefan Ortega ain goal.

But past again was Donley’s adjacent the top extremity scored by an FA Cup underdog connected Saturday?

The sheer almighty wallop of Tomoki Iwata’s effort for Birmingham against Newcastle was surely much Radford-esque. St Andrew’s was rocking for that classical Cup necktie which dripped with play and contention earlier Eddie Howe’s broadside edged it 3-2.

At Birmingham’s ground, I erstwhile witnessed a squirrel falling from the rusty rafters of the Main Stand connected to the laptop of the bloke sitting adjacent to me.

At Plymouth’s Home Park, I was struck connected the caput by a flying pasty aft an Argyle goal.

And Brisbane Road is simply a crushed I visited often with my precocious Uncle Henry, an Orient play ticket-holder for decades.

I enjoyed the fantabulous enactment of existent ale successful the supporters’ nine bar, the gallows humour of the fans and the magnificent absurdity of the club’s Tijuana Taxi walk-on music, arsenic overmuch arsenic the football.

But for an hr connected Saturday, Orient — revived aft a spell nether ruinous ownership had plunged them into non-league shot — were starring Pep Guardiola’s filthy-rich City.

These places correspond the psyche of the English crippled — wherever supporters be successful anticipation alternatively than expectation, by virtuousness of generations-old contented alternatively than glory-hunting opportunism.

This Cup play showcased what makes English shot genuinely large — not the planetary improvement of the Premier League but the extent of the passionate enactment for clubs further down the pyramid.

Now Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal person each been banished earlier the past 16.

And portion the anticipation of a 3rd consecutive Manchester derby last remains, the signifier of some City and United suggests a genuine accidental of a victor from extracurricular of the Big Six.

If that happens, past we tin each echo the words of Plymouth’s Bosnian centre-half.

BECK IN TIME

REAL MADRID get astatine Manchester City contiguous with a wealthiness of attacking endowment — Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Endrick — but with hardly immoderate fit, elder defenders.

This is reminiscent of the highest years of Real’s Galactico epoch erstwhile a squad which included Zinedine Zidane, the archetypal Ronaldo, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and David Beckham won precisely thing for 3 seasons.

KANE'S A GUN FOR HIRE

INTRIGUING that details of Harry Kane’s merchandise clause person been revealed midway done his 2nd play astatine Bayern Munich.

These things seldom hap by mishap and it suggests the England skipper mightiness beryllium unfastened to a determination location this summer.

Of course, the large Premier League nine astir successful request of a centre-forward similar Kane is Arsenal.

Now, I’ve got nary canine successful the North London derby combat but spell on, Harry, bash it. Just for the LOLs and bantz.

MISSION IMPOSSIRBLE

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE’S mate Sir Dave Brailsford has launched Mission 21 — a cunning program to triumph Manchester United’s 21st league title.

This aft United’s main enforcement Omar Berrada launched Project 150 — a cunning program to triumph the rubric connected the club’s 150th day successful 2028.

With truthful galore flip charts, travel charts, buzzwords and power-point presentations, however tin United perchance proceed to fail?

LOST POST

ANGE POSTECOGLOU talks a superb game.

The Aussie’s impassioned defence of his injury-ravaged squad aft Tottenham were knocked retired of some home cupful competitions wrong 72 hours was a compelling watch.

Yet galore of his arguments autumn down connected person inspection.

Yes, Spurs were bushed but that doesn’t excuse conceding truthful passively wrong 58 seconds astatine Aston Villa.

Yes, the broadside Postecoglou picked had an inexperienced keeper and a makeshift defence, truthful wherefore play retired from the backmost against specified an assertive high-pressing squad arsenic Villa?

WORN BEEF

FORMER Aston Villa defender James Collins revealed helium erstwhile wore a steak wrong his footwear to support a breached foot.

And during Felix Magath’s slapstick reign arsenic Fulham boss, Brede Hangeland applied food to his injured thigh.

Perhaps Premier League clubs are missing a trick.

There indispensable beryllium request for an artisan deli selling match-worn foodstuffs.

GREAT SCOTT

BURNLEY haven’t fto successful a extremity successful the Championship since Christmas, they person conceded conscionable 9 successful 31 games each play and person contested TEN goalless draws.

Clarets brag Scott Parker didn’t play precise overmuch during the play helium spent nether Jose Mourinho astatine Chelsea — conscionable 7 starts successful 2004-05 — but helium definite arsenic hellhole listened and learned.

CHEERS

A TRIP to Twickenham ever leaves maine asking the aforesaid question: How travel posh radical get to ticker athletics with a brew successful manus and not america plebs astatine the football?

Believe me, it’s not arsenic though the toffs tin grip their ale immoderate ­better.