And so we say farewell to the round of 16 in the FA Cup, traditionally a viscerally thrilling process that embodies what we romantics like to think of as the glory of the Cup. With eight matches over four days, there was a lot of dross that all felt much worse for being spread so thinly. It began with Watford grinding out a dreary and just-deserved win at QPR on the Friday and ended with a thumping for Chelsea from the new, all-smiling United outfit. In between, only the mighty efforts of Newport County, at home to Manchester City at a terrible Rodney Parade pitch, held the interest.
And the fans seemed to agree: there were 14,010 at Doncaster, and only 11,261 at Swansea — to see Daniel James score one of the goals of the season. And even if there had been any draws, there wasn’t the prospect of dramatic replays to look forward to.
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