We're only 5 days into the New Year yet there is already pressure and excitement building on both football fans and players as another weekend of potential football 'magic' beckons. Yes, it is that time of year again, it's FA Cup weekend.
The typical cliques will come out, as some ties will mirrror David & Goliath as the non-league minnows have the opportunity to prove their worth against some of the Football League & Premier League's biggest clubs. And isn't it funny that famous quotes even relate to this situation, "Everybody pulls for David, yet nobody roots for Goliath"
We face non-league side and current occupiers of Blue Square Premier's number one spot Wrexham FC, who are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the non-league ranks. Boasting one of the strongest sides in the BSP, you have to go back to the 27th September to witness the last time Wrexham lost a league game, a massive 15-match unbeaten run since, including an impressive 4-0 triumph over ex-Football League side Stockport County.
As many fans of Brighton will know, manager Gus Poyet definitely isn't one for cup competitions. Last season he made comments suggesting that the Johnstone's Paint Trophy should be scrapped from the football calendar, and his desire to perform in such competitions was evident after crashing out in the First Round.
I'm not saying for one second this also applies to the FA Cup, as last season we saw our Seagulls fly as far as the Fifth Round, before unfortunately falling to the powers of Delap in a 3-0 defeat to Stoke. However, it was our earlier ties in the competition which are getting me worried for this Saturday's encounter.
Last season we faced two non-league sides, Woking FC and FC United of Manchester, and on both occasions, we were forced into replays away from home which only further congested our busy fixture list, and with ambitions to maintain top spot in League One, extra games in the FA Cup were certainly not what we wanted.
I went to both of the home games against Woking and FC United and wasn't surprised to see the team when I turned up, the bigger players rested for the league and some of the development squad given their chance to prove their ability in an attempt to stake a claim for more first team action. Now I know this is what the Cup is all about, giving your younger players an opportunity to shine, but in our case it nearly spectacularly backfired, and we nearly landed ourselves in some trouble.
I'm not slating the commitment the players put into the game because I'm sure they were giving it their all, but I don't think I was the only one who had my head in my hands as I witnessed Evo Stik Premier side FC United dazzle our defence.and nearly pull off one of the biggest Cup upsets last season would have seen.
There is a reason for this, though. It's easy to see that the minnows want it more as they believe they are the ones who have to go out and prove their worth to the world. The Football/Premier League players will be expecting an easier ride, however, but they are occasionally blown away by some of the astonishing play our non-league teams produce.
From what I witnessed last season I think that some changes will need to be made before our encounter with Wrexham on Saturday, as it's certainly not going to be easy, we've drawn the biggest non-league side who will be going out with nothing to lose, trying to prove their all, and we will have to be on our guard to avoid another potential upset.
After our recent triumph over Championship top dogs Southampton, I'm quietly confident going into FA Cup weekend, but it's the cup, and it's magic, so you never know what it round the corner. The reality is, the minnows will be going out to topple the big teams over to prove that the magic of the FA Cup is still alive, and we will have to be on our guard to assure that there isn't a repeat of last season's early round antics, and we''re not facing another potential upset.
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