'We must use the experience to fuel our fire'
There were 16 FA Cup ties involving teams from the Premier League facing opponents from a lower division over the weekend – and only one of those 16 top-tier teams failed to reach the Fourth Round.
Brentford were the sole losers, beaten 1-0 at home by Plymouth, one of the least likely upsets on paper.
And there were some heavy defeats too with West Brom beaten 5-1 at Bournemouth, QPR hammered 6-2 at Leicester, and Norwich thumped 4-0 at home by Brighton.
“The gulf is massive and I don’t want to patronise any Championship club by saying that, but the gulf is huge,” said Tom Cleverley.
“There’s obviously the spending power but also the quality, the physicality, the intelligence, the way they have an elite mindset.
“It’s a great inspiration for me and my players to want to get to that level, and that’s how we have to use it.
“We must use the experience to fuel our fire. That’s twice this season, including a friendly, where Fulham – an eighth to 12th Premier League club – have beaten us really comfortably.
“We can’t get disheartened by that.
“We have to be inspired by those levels because only three years ago the boot was on the other foot.
“Fulham were in the league below us, and now we have to be inspired that we can get back to that level, because Fulham were where we are now only three or four years ago.”
Of course, of all the characteristics Cleverley highlighted, the ability to splash the cash makes a huge difference.
“Not having the money makes it much more difficult, but we have the tools in the building to work with,” he said.
“My job is to make sure our players believe they can get to that level, and give them the best technical help that they can get.”
The other disappointing aspect of Third Round weekend was seeing non-league Tamworth hold Spurs to a 0-0 draw over 90 minutes but, because the FA removed replays this season, the National League side were denied a money-spinning second game in North London that could have set them up financially for some time.
“It’s come to a head hasn’t it with Tamworth’s performance,” said Cleverley.
“Financially had they got a replay at Spurs it would have a big impact on them as a club.
“I’m sure Ange would say that if he knew a replay was coming and there wasn’t extra time then he would have gone for it more in the last half an hour.
“If I was the Tottenham coach that’s certainly the argument I would be making.
“But I do think it’s very sad for the lower end of the pyramid that replays are gone.”
