FA Cup Betting: Who are the bosses who still cherish the magic?

Ralph Ellis
03 January 2017

Will Pep Guardiola think he has bigger priorities than the FA Cup?

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The FA Cup always brings shocks and giant-killings. Ralph Ellis has been searching for clues to find this year's upsets...

"Sam Allardyce once took West Ham’s youth team to a TV tie at Nottingham Forest and didn’t apologise for getting stuffed 5-0. That’s why taking 4.1 for Phil Parkinson’s in-form Bolton to knock out Crystal Palace could be value."

Who wants it? If there's one question that will be the key to the third round of the FA Cup, then that is it.

For some clubs and their managers, this is a chance to relish the tradition of the game's oldest trophy and to write their own bit of history into its legend. For others - well, let's be honest, it's the chance to give a few a break after the hectic holiday schedule.

So the biggest task seeking some value bets this weekend will not be to study the form, but to second guess the attitude of the managers and the teams they might pick.

Will Pep Guardiola, for instance, be absorbed with dreams of taking Manchester City to Wembley when he plans his side to go to West Ham in Friday night's first tie of the weekend? City are 1.75/7 in the match odds, but even given my bias I'd much rather back the Hammers at 5.39/2.

Guardiola looked shattered from his first taste of an English Christmas after the 2-1 win over Burnley, bizarrely talking about his plans for retirement. If he does rotate his team, will that be sending the right message to those who do start. Slaven Bilic, in contrast, understands West Ham's traditions in the competition and the demands of their fans to have a go at it.

When it comes to those with the motivation, you'll struggle to find anybody to beat non-League Eastleigh's boss Martin Allen. It was with the FA Cup that he built his Mad Dog management reputation in the first place, swimming the icy River Skerne on the morning of a fifth round tie at Hartlepool and then doing the same thing in the Solent before his then Brentford team played Southampton.

The magic of the Cup draw is now taking his Eastleigh team to Brentford, and you can be sure he'll have another motivational trick up his sleeve. Laying Brentford at 1.511/2 in the match odds looks hugely tempting.

The glamour tie of the round is the return of Jaap Stam to Old Trafford, as he takes Reading to face holders Manchester United. On a run of eight wins from their last 10 Championship games, the Royals have just the right level of form and confidence to take this one on.

For Stam, in turn, it's an occasion to lay down a marker for his own blossoming career as a boss as well as to relish a bit of nostalgia. His team's possession football could easily frustrate United, especially if Jose Mourinho decides to give Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Paul Pogba an overdue rest. I'm tempted to lay United at 1.261/4.

One manager who won't be bothered about Cup glory is Sam Allardyce, focused only on making sure he doesn't get relegated in his new job at Selhurst Park. Have a look at his record. This is the manager who once took West Ham's youth team to a TV tie at Nottingham Forest and didn't apologise for getting stuffed 5-0. That's why taking 4.1 for Phil Parkinson's in-form Bolton to knock out Crystal Palace could be value.

Finally I'm picking out Burton as a big threat to out of form Premier League side Watford. Nigel Clough grew up with his dad's love of the famous old competition and has cherished that tradition - taking Sheffield United to the semi-finals two years ago. If anybody wants it, he does.

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