FA Cup ....a distraction for some..........

Here we go towards the sharp end of the season in the EPL and woe and behold we have further distractions to the main game...the FA CUP Quarters ...the last eight. Such is the distorting influence of the Europen Champions League nowadays that this oldest and best of cup competitions is considered by some, to be a distraction to the big picture of reaching the top four in the EPL. Why? Because it gives ECL qualification or at least a shot at it.
Indeed much has happened in the past month. Arsenal have emerged as the football equivalent of Born again Christians: Born again Gooners......BAG's - Arsene Wenger now walking upon what he was drowning in very very recently. Chelsea, now in the post Ranieri, Mourinho, Grant, Scholari, Ancelotti, AVB era have annoyingly started to win again staging classic European fight backs. They will be wishing the week away because on the following Wednesday they have Citeh away then Spurs on the Saturday...yes the chance they  have of fourth will give them a chance at / qualify them for ECL entry in 2013....hold on isn't that the same competition they have just reached the last eight in? Go figure:)
Citeh and United have both recently been thankfully released from the purgatory / shame of playing football on a Thursday evening........on Channel 5. They managed to escape this monthly humiliation by losing on aggregate to Portugese and Spanish clubs hardly worthy of the name......gallent was their exit from the European competition whose name should never be uttered by anyone aspiring to the top four.
In a strange way, Harry Redknapp and his Spurs team / followers are quietly but surely been  refocussing on the FA Cup aforementioned (the one they have won eight times)......the GAP is shrinking 11>1 point, so refocuss could be a useful saver. I always said my Spurs were a cup team after all:)

Saturday, March 17, 2012
Time	Home		Away	Stage	Venue
23:45 EST	Everton	v	Sunderland	Quarter-finals	Goodison Park
04:30 EST	Tottenham Hotspur	v	Bolton Wanderers	Quarter-finals	White Hart Lane

Sunday, March 18, 2012
Time	Home		Away	Stage	Venue
01:05 EST	Chelsea	v	Leicester City	Quarter-finals	Stamford Bridge
03:00 EST	Liverpool	v	Stoke City	Quarter-finals	Anfield

Saturday, March 17, 2012
Time	Home		Away	Venue
02:00 EST	Fulham	v	Swansea City	Craven Cottage
02:00 EST	Wigan Athletic	v	West Bromwich Albion	The DW Stadium

Sunday, March 18, 2012
Time	Home		Away	Venue
00:30 EST	Wolverhampton Wanderers	v	Manchester United	Molineux Stadium
3.00 EST	Newcastle United	v	Norwich City	Sports Direct Arena

Solution for golden point

Much has been said about the 'golden point' and the excitement it provides. Generally it avoids draws which leave both players and supporters flat. My solution would to make each NRL match worth 3 points for a win, not 2. Then if the 80 minute score is a draw they get a point each and then play the extra time to try to gain a second point for the 'golden point' win. This would in my opinion be much fairer and would also provide the golden point excitement.