FA Cup Betting: Team selection tells us how much they want to win it

FA Cup / Ralph Ellis / 25 January 2010 / Leave a Comment

Ricardo Fuller celebrates after netting twice in Stoke's 3-1 win over Arsenal

"If you wanted any proof of that, it came on an FA Cup weekend when the Big Four became the Big One as Arsenal followed Manchester United and Liverpool out of the game’s oldest competition. An away trip to Stoke is never the easiest game, as the Gunners found themselves last season when they lost 2-0 at The Britannia Stadium. Yet Arsene Wenger still made nine changes to his team and paid the price as they lost 3-1."

As Arsenal made nine changes and Chelsea played virtually their best eleven, Ralph Ellis looks at how teamsheets give us a big clue as to how important the FA Cup is to the different teams still standing.

There's an old saying about the most important distance in football being the six inches between the ears. Speed of thought is as vital as speed across the ground. And attitude is more important again.

If you wanted any proof of that, it came on an FA Cup weekend when the Big Four became the Big One as Arsenal followed Manchester United and Liverpool out of the game's oldest competition. An away trip to Stoke is never the easiest game, as the Gunners found themselves last season when they lost 2-0 at The Britannia Stadium. Yet Arsene Wenger still made nine changes to his team and paid the price as they lost 3-1.

Meanwhile Chelsea faced up to Darren Ferguson's home debut as Preston manager with the strongest available line-up and cruised through with a 2-0 away win. There was no suggestion of giving John Terry's battered old body a rest as he not only headed out the home crosses, but headed in the second crucial goal (alright it was scored by Dean Sturridge after the effort was blocked, but morally it belonged to the England captain). Then Ray Wilkins summed up the attitude with the simple statement: "We are the holders and we are very keen to keep the trophy".

With a home draw against Cardiff in the last 16, that intent makes Chelsea justified favourites for the Cup at [2.8]. Carlo Ancelotti's side has a central spine of players like Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba who will play as many games as they are asked to, and won't have a problem when the Champions League starts up again. Drogba, incidentally, is on his way back after Ivory Coast got knocked out of the African Cup of Nations by England's World Cup group opponents Algeria. A treble is priced at [24.94] on Betfair Multiples.

Ironically the next test of Chelsea's ability to deliver on all three fronts - they are [1.9] favourites for the Premier League even though United's 4-0 win over Hull took Sir Alex Ferguson's side top - comes against one of the other sides who proved the value of attitude in a Cup competition. Alex McLeish's Birmingham stretched their unbeaten run to an amazing 15 games with a 2-1 win at Everton in which tricky Ecuador striker Christian Benitez boosted his confidence with one of the goals. McLeish also resisted the temptation to rest players and his side are interesting outsiders for the Cup at [16.0].

Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill did make changes to his line-up to play Brighton, only for an injury to Marc Albrighton after just 13 minutes meant James Milner had to come on and play most of his 28th game of the season. The 3-2 win kept Villa in the hunt for two Wembley appearances, and Milner seems to be one of those who doesn't want or need a rest. Villa could be worth backing at [3.4] to upset Arsenal on Wednesday night.

The man with the biggest problem over attitude among his stars is Roberto Mancini. Brazilian Robinho wants to go home and join Santos on loan leaving City to write off their British transfer record £32.5million fee, but keep on paying most of his £160,000 a week pay deal. One of the most talented forwards in the world game ended up as the holding midfield player in Manchester City's 4-2 win at Scunthorpe, presumably because he couldn't be bothered to run more than a few yards at a time. He won't get near the team picked at Old Trafford on Wednesday when City are [1.99] to qualify for the Carling Cup final.

One man who will be playing in that game is Wayne Rooney, and in pretty much every other game too. He's now five goals clear of the field to be Premier League top scorer as United cashed in on their early Cup exit by getting a Premier League game out of the way. What was impressive about Rooney's four goals was that the final three came in the last eight minutes, at a time when you might have expected him to be taken off to save his legs. The England striker wants to play every minute of every game. You still fear that might catch up with him in the form of an injury, but at the moment he is carrying United on his own broad back. Rooney is just [1.84] now to be Premier League top scorer.

Finally a mention for Portsmouth who defied all their current problems as John Utaka scored twice in a 2-1 win over Sunderland. It showed great attitude from a group of players who probably won't be paid on time again this week. But they will need that and more for tomorrow night's home game with West Ham that might be the last chance to get back in the fight for survival.