FA Cup Ifs & Buts - Blades or Tigers or Maybe Not

The Clarets will face either Sheffield United or Hull City at Turf Moor in the FA Cup Quarter Final if they can get past the 5th Round.

The draw was made at the FA headquareters in Soho Square and was shown live on ITV on Sunday 15th Febraury just after the Derby v Manchester United match about 6:30 pm.

United of course were in the hat alone after just beating Derby 4-1 and all Clarets fans had eyes on ball number 8 as Frank McLintock pulled out the home balls in the draw and Graham Souness the away balls.

The first ball out of the hat was Blackburn or Coventry. How many Clarets fans were hoping Number 8 would be the next ball?

Well sadly it wasn't. It wasn't going to be Chelsea again either because that was next ball out!

Manchester United were also successfully avoided too (or not depending on your point of view))with the Red Devils facing a trip to either Swansea or Fulham.

So next ball up, phew Number 8! We would have at least a home draw if we could see off either Arsenal or Cardiff on away soil in the 5th Round. But who would we play?

Sheffield United or Hull City was the answer. Maybe not the most glamourous tie either way but it gives us a good chance of getting to another cup semi-final this season if we get as far as the FA Cup Quarter final.

So loads of ifs and buts but just to recap:

The result of the Arsenal v Cardiff match tonight at the Emirates will decide who our fifth round opponents will be.

The majority of Clarets fans will be hoping for a Gunners victory which would set us up nicely for a juicy and finacially rewarding game at the Emirates on the weekend of Saturday, March 7 or Sunday, March 8th, 2009.

On the other hand, Clarets fans will have to drag themselves to Ninian Park on the night of Wednesday, February 25, 2009 should the Bluebirds progress to the 5th round.

Should we get through than all interest will be on the result of the game between Hull and Sheffield United in the FA Cup 5th Round replay at the KC Stadium on Thursday 26th February.

If we have defeated Cardiff by then or can beat Arsenal a few days later, we will have a FA Quarter Final match at Turf Moor to savour although a date for the match will have to be sorted out depending on the outcome of tonight's game between the Gunners and the Bluebirds.

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