QPR's atrocious FA Cup record during the last two decades doesn't look like it's about to get a lot better with League One 'giant killing' specialists Sheffield United in town on Sunday.

Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United

It is a time of year when we hear various things that “make the cup what it is” and are “what the cup is all about” from television presenters wandering around lower division and non-league outposts.

The boy that works in the newsagent scoring a last-minute winner for Blyth Spartans is “what the FA Cup is all about”, grown men in fancy dress is “what the FA Cup is all about”, Yeovil Town suddenly finding that 6,000 people who’ve never been to see them play before suddenly want to come because they’re playing Manchester United is “what the FA Cup is all about” and so on.

It would seem, from the coverage provided by BT Sport and the BBC, and the advertising run by the competition’s sponsor - American fizzy beer brand Budweiser - that the tradition and history of the FA Cup is its main selling point and attraction.

Why, therefore, they’re so keen to bump and bash FA Cup Third Round games left and right away from the traditional 15.00 kick off time on the first Saturday of January is something of a mystery. For Hull City fans, for example, what the FA Cup is all about this year is a Sunday tea-time kick off away at Arsenal, with the final whistle coming long after the last train back to Hull has left Kings Cross. Hull will no doubt take a large following to Ashburton Grove anyway, where both teams will make a load of changes to their teams because the FA Cup is a priority for neither, and we’ll get a shot of them and be told that this is what the “FA Cup is all about” as well.

What the FA Cup is all about for West Ham fans - one of those Premier League teams safe from relegation who should feel free to have a real hit at the trophy this year, but probably won’t - is a Tuesday night trip all the way up to Liverpool. This time last season BT Sport moved Southampton’s tie at Sunderland to a 12 noon kick off, necessitating a 3am departure for the away teams supporters’ coaches. Showing a lack of self-awareness akin to a Chelsea fan asking Man City fans where they were when their team was shit, Jake Humphreys and the boys then had a conversation about what a shame it was to see such a low crowd at the Stadium of Light.

What the FA Cup means for the Premier League teams is another fixture just 48 hours, or 72 hours, after their last one. The decision to make the top flight play on the 26th, 28th and 1st before FA Cup games on the 3rd and 4th cannot do anything other than devalue the competition further as teams prioritise, just at a time when it should be being protected and promoted. Just 17 of the 32 Third Round ties were played on the Saturday.

QPR took up the option to move their game to Sunday following a gruelling Christmas period - something visiting manager Nigel Clough has, rightly, spoken out against. One thing Clough has inherited from his father is a healthy respect for the knock-out traditions of football in this country and the Blades, in the FA Cup last season and League Cup this, have made hay while other teams have chopped and changed their sides. The League Two side are an awkward opponent for QPR, who have their own recent FA Cup “tradition” which would make a win for the visiting team at Loftus Road tomorrow anything but a shock.

Trevor Sinclair’s regular punditry work has meant regular showings of his magnificent bicycle kick goal against Barnsley in the Fourth Round of the competition back in 1997. That 3-2 win sent the R’s, then in the First Division, to Premier League Wimbledon, backed by a five figure travelling support at Selhurst Park. Stewart Houston’s men were beaten 2-1 which started a run of cup heartache which continues through until today. Over the following 18 years up to the present day QPR have not won a single FA Cup tie without the aid of a replay - and they’ve only won four of those. They’ve been no further than the fourth round since that day in 1997.

In 1998 they were beaten 2-0 by Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium in round three after drawing the first game 2-2. They lost 1-0 at home to Huddersfield the year after and then, after surviving a replay at Third Division Torquay in the Third Round, lost 1-0 at Charlton in Round Four in 1999. A year later they drew 3-3 at Luton, won the replay in extra time at Loftus Road and were then beaten 6-0 by Arsenal at home in Round Four.

Having also been relegated that year they then embarked on three embarrassing First Round exits during their three year stay in the third tier. Swansea (4-0), Vauxhall Motors (on penalties after a replay) and Grimsby Town (1-0) all knocked Ian Holloway’s team straight out. Following promotion they were beaten in successive Third Round ties by Nottingham Forest at home (3-0), Blackburn away (3-0), Luton away (1-0 after a replay), Chelsea away (1-0), Burnley away (2-1 after a replay), Sheff Utd at home (3-2 after a replay) and Blackburn away (1-0). It meant that from 2001 to 2011 QPR failed to win a single FA Cup tie in ten attempts.

They won through to the fourth round in both of their most recent Premier League seasons, but both victories were after replays against MK Dons and West Brom and followed by comfortable defeats in Round Four against Chelsea and MK Dons respectively. Last year they surrendered 4-0 at Everton.

It means that since that Sinclair goal 18 years ago QPR have played 30 FA Cup games, won four, drawn eight and lost 18.

With survival in the Premier League the stated aim of the season, and the modern thinking being that cup runs are detrimental to such aims, cup speciliasts Sheffield United will surely fancy their chances against what’s certain to be a much-changed QPR side at Loftus Road tomorrow afternoon. For Rangers, for far too long, that’s what the FA Cup has been all about.

Links >>> Clough left to clean up - opposition focus >>> Evans, cup runs and league frustrations - interview >>> Clattenburg takes cup tie - referee

Sunday

United have been hit be a couple of their senior loan players being recalled by parent clubs. Centre back Patrick McCarthy has gone back to Crystal Palace, and striker Chris O’Grady was on the scoresheet for Brighton at Brentford today. That will mean a start upfront for Marc McNulty. Another centre half, Chris Basham, starts a three match ban. James Wallace is back in training but likely to be fit for the bench only. Craig Alcock has been missing since November with a back complaint but is in contention.

Elsewhere: League One Rochdale were arguably the big giant killers in Saturday’s action, nudging Stuart Pearce closer to the Nottingham Forest exit door with a 1-0 victory at Spotland. Blyth Spartans attracted plenty of attention pre-match, and went 2-0 up against Championship side Birmingham, before eventually losing 3-2. Ian Holloway clings to life at Millwall following a late equaliser against League One side Bradford in a 3-3 draw. Southport held Derby at 0-0 until succumbing to an injury time penalty.Championship side Norwich lost 2-0 at League One high-fliers Preston.

The few Premier League clubs involved today negotiated safe passage with West Brom sticking seven through Gateshead in Tony Pulis’ first game in charge and Swansea winning 6-2 at Tranmere. Leicester beat Newcastle 1-0 at home in an all-Premier League fixture.

The Sunday action is headlined by Crystal Palace’s trip to Dover and Louis Van Gaal’s visit to Yeovil. Wimbledon host Liverpool on Monday evening.

Referee: QPR could certainly do with some luck in the cup, and the appointment of Mark Clattenburg as referee for this Third Round tie may be just the ticket. The Durham official is a lucky mascot for Rangers having taken charge of the 1-0 play-off semi-final win against Oldham in 2003, the 3-1 promotion sealing win at Hillsborough in 2004, the final game of the 2010/11 Championship winning season and last year’s 2-1 play-off semi-final success against Wigan. Even Clattenburg may find QPR’s cup curse difficult to shift. Stats and QPR history can be found here.

Form

Sheff Utd: The Blades have been a formidable opponent in cup competitions in recent times. They’ve knocked Mansfield, West Ham, Orient, MK Dons and Southampton out of the League Cup this season on their way to a semi-final while passage to the Third Round of the FA Cup was secured with a replay win against Crewe and 3-0 home win against Plymouth. Last year they defeated Colchester, Cambridge, Aston Villa and Fulham away from home, and then beat Nottingham Forest and Charlton at Bramall Lane, to get to the semi-final of the FA Cup where they lost 5-3 to Hull at Wembley. They’re currently sixth in League One, with just two defeats from their last ten matches in all competitions.

Prediction: A competition QPR have a dreadful record in, an opponent that relishes knocking out under-strength, under-committed Premier League teams in the cups, this outcome looks so obvious it can barely be described as an upset. Actually, I’m going to be even more pessimistic than tipping a defeat for the R’s… I’m going to back a replay, which would be an unwanted ball-ache for both teams.

LFW’s Prediction: QPR 1-1 Sheff Utd. Scorer - Niko Kranjcar.

The Twitter @loftforwords

Pictures - Action Images

Photo: Action Images

ShotKneesHoop added 18:37 - Jan 3 If I was a betting man, I'd bung a fiver on the Blades tomorrow, knowing the sort of side that 'Arry puts out for the Cup. I was robbed of hard earned lookah paying to see the R's throw in the towel after just fifteen minutes against the Mighty Milton Phooking Keynes a couple of years ago. I hope those paying £15 tomorrow get a bit more value than I got in that game.

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CiderwithRsie added 19:30 - Jan 3 Got my eyes closed and now going "nah nah nah nah nah nah can't hear you" solid for the next 48 hours.
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derbyhoop added 20:26 - Jan 3 I knew our cup record was awful. But, 4 wins in 18 years - all after replays, is even worse than I thought. God help anybody going who has to endure another 90 minutes of SWP's attempts to imitate a footballer.
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AgedR added 20:49 - Jan 3 Despite all the Premier League diatribe and hyperbole, three of the four most memorable matches I have ever witnessed as an R have been at Wembley (2 good/1 bad...the 4th was in Wales - and the potential 5th I was allowed out for because it was too late). I love the cup and, right up until we lose ignominiously, no fucxer can take that away from me.
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ShotKneesHoop added 22:28 - Jan 3 Looks like you'll be pretty unhappy tomorrow, based on "losing ignominiously" - that's something that SWP couldn't spell or hit with either foot from 5 yards.
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TacticalR added 02:11 - Jan 4 What an appalling record.
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