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When giants fall: the dangers of playing in a cup tie you are expected to win | Karen Carney
Feisty tackles and underhand methods can fuel the underdogs, and for the favourites the hard work has to start days in advance
The men’s FA Cup fourth round gets under way on Friday, and from Middlesbrough visiting Manchester United to Boreham Wood’s game at Bournemouth on Sunday, it is full of potential upsets. In theory this should be a normal week of preparation for the top players but when you are facing a side from a lower division things can change in training. Looking back I can see how it affected teammates I played with.
Managers would often alter the side for a cup tie against a team who, on paper at least, are weaker and this could affect the squad in many ways. For a player who knows they will be given a chance to impress, it puts extra pressure on them to perform. They know it could be their one chance to prove to the manager they can be trusted more often and if they fail to seize the opportunity they might not be in the side for a long time.
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