Newcastle United

We picks out the best rants and raves from this Saturday’s topsy-turvy action.

The magic of the Cup has been in short supply in recent years but it was back with a vengeance as the Premier League lost four clubs to lower league opposition, while another three face tricky replays before they can start thinking about the fourth round.

Easily the biggest shock of the day came at Broadhall Way where League Two side Stevenage (1500/1 FA Cup outright) took revenge on Newcastle after a 13-year wait.

In 1998 then non-league Stevenage took Newcastle to a replay before narrowly losing at St James’ Park.

However, there was no need for a replay this time around after Boro produced the performance of the day with a 3-1 win over the Toon.

Newcastle never got to grips with the youngest team in the Football League and after the match, Pardew was forced to eat humble pie, blaming the Christmas fixture list for their lacklustre performance.

“I can only say we are sorry for the result and for the performance because it was the performance level which was the problem tonight,” said Pardew.

“We were running on empty. It’s been such a tough sequence of games. The team was a shadow of the team which played at Wigan and West Ham. Our energy level just couldn’t match theirs. In both boxes we got dominated. The team looked tired.”

Pardew wasn’t the only boss looking for an excuse to explain his team’s defeat, with North-East rivals Sunderland (7/2 top six finish) forced to explain themselves after a 2-1 defeat to Notts County at home.

The Stadium of Light has been a fortress for the Black Cats this season, with just one team having previously won there before the League One Magpies came calling.

Notts showed the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal how to do it and after the full time whistle, Bruce lashed out at his side, slamming them for their under-par performance.

“Certainly by looking at what we have just witnessed today with six or seven missing, we simply aren’t good enough,” said Bruce.

“With six or seven (out), we simply couldn’t handle it, so that’s the disappointing thing for me.”

Middlesbrough completed a miserable day for the North-East as they were also embarrassed by League Two Burton Albion, the Brewers coming from a goal down to snatch the tie 2-1 in the last minute.

Joining the North-East sides on the FA Cup scrapheap will be West Brom after they slumped to a sixth straight defeat as they lost 1-0 at Reading (9/2 to be promoted).

The Baggies looked more at home against Championship opposition than they have done against the Premier League sides in recent weeks and they could be heading back there if results don’t improve soon.

Blackpool were also dumped out unceremoniously by League One Southampton, although with the Seasiders fielding a team made up of youth players, it might have been a shock had the Saints not gone through.

The trio of top flight clubs who hung on to their FA Cup status by their finger nails were Arsenal (6/1 FA Cup outright), Wolves (80/1) and Stoke (50/1) after their respective draws with Leeds, Doncaster and Cardiff.

Quote of the day came from QPR manager Neil Warnock after he launched an astonishing attack on the man everyone loves to hate, El Hadji Diouf.

The Senegalese international hasn’t made many friends in football and didn’t do himself any favours during Blackburn’s 1-0 win over QPR, apparently calling Jamie Mackie a ‘disgrace’ after he suffered a serious injury.

X-rays later revealed Mackie had broken bones in his leg and Warnock chose not to mince his words when talking about Diouf.

“I think for many years he’s been the ‘gutter’ type of boy. I was going to call him a sewer rat, but that might insult the sewer rats. I think he’s the lowest of the low,” said Warnock.

“I can’t see him being at Blackburn much longer because I can’t see Steve Kean putting up with someone like that in the dressing room when he’s creating a new image.

“I think he’ll be the first to go. Good riddance. I hope he goes abroad. I won’t miss watching him. Sign him? I wouldn’t want to talk to him.”

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