'Classic FA Cup ties over the years have involved underdogs entertaining giants on suspect pitches. When the clear underdog is the fourth-placed club in the Premiership one begins to wonder whether the English game is now irretrievably in the dominant hands of its leading trio.
Manchester United were so far ahead of Everton on Saturday evening it was embarrassing. The Wayne Rooney factor added spice and unfortunately controversy to the occasion but as far as the football went it was so one-sided the referee would surely have stopped it had he been allowed to.
Only the appalling Goodison Park surface (it is not used for training or reserve games so there is no excuse for the mess it is in) saved Everton from a real lesson because Sir Alex Ferguson's men were in the mood to give them one.
Perhaps United have concluded that the one trophy they hold provides them with the best chance of more silverware, given that Chelsea are almost out of sight in the title race and that AC Milan are due in town for the Champions League on Wednesday.'
New Fanzine out Wednesday