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Robbie Savage’s Winners & Losers: Sympathy for Ange, no Argyle asterisk, Orient hero robbed

Robbie Savage

In association with Planet Sport Bet, Robbie Savage will give us his Winners and Losers from the weekend’s action…

On cup weekend, north and south of the border, Robbie reflects on Plymouth’s triumph against Liverpool’s reserves, while discussing his sympathy for Ange Postecoglou…

Robbie’s winners

My Football365 winners of this weekend’s cup action are Plymouth Argyle and Queen’s Park.

Two fantastic victories, with Plymouth Argyle beating A Liverpool team.

Liverpool were under-strength, they had a few superstars but Arne Slot’s team featured a majority of youngsters and second-string players.

You can’t take away anything from Plymouth, though. You’ve still got to beat what’s in front of you. In years to come, it will say Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool, it won’t say Plymouth 1-0 Liverpool Second String.

And then Queen’s Park go to Ibrox and win the game 1-0. Calum Ferrie with a penalty save in the last minute. Extraordinary scenes at Ibrox!

For a while, it seemed like we might have another shock on our hands at Brisbane Road before the big guns got Manchester City out of a hole. But Leyton Orient, under Richie Wellens, were fantastic against Pep’s men. They pushed City with both their graft and guile.

The fairytale wasn’t to be but Orient, a National League team not that long ago and now pushing for promotion to the Championship, gave a wonderful account of themselves.

Like City, United dug themselves out of a hole, the holders securing progress thanks to the head of Harry Maguire. Yes, he was half a mile offside – how has the linesman missed that? – but to score an injury-time winner at the Stretford End against his former club was a great moment for a player who has endured more than his far share of stick in recent seasons.

Aston Villa secured progress against Spurs but it was their changes that caught my eye more than the result. The Villans were able to bring on Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio… it just illustrates the squad depth now at Unai Emery’s disposal and how far he has brought them.

And, finally, another side in claret and blue… Burnley. It deserves more context than simply viewing it as ‘Championship side beating Premier League opposition’ since there are three places between them and the two clubs will likely swap divisions for next season. But Scott Parker was still able to make eight changes and keep yet another clean sheet while extending their unbeaten run to 20 matches.

Also, I have to mention Julian Alvarez… a panenka in the Madrid derby at the Bernabeu? I have my rules around penalties like that, but that took incredible cojones on that stage.

 

Robbie’s losers

My losers of this weekend’s cup action are Spurs and Rangers.

I’ve got huge sympathy for Ange Postecoglou. Any team in world football losing that many first-team players is going to struggle. The players are giving him everything but to go out of two cup competitions in the space of four days was a huge blow for Big Ange.

To lose against Liverpool, lose against Aston Villa… But I do have sympathy for the manager. And the good news: they need three more wins to stay in the Premier League, which I think they’ll comfortably do!

And then Rangers… going out at home to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup, miles behind in a title race, losing in the League Cup against Celtic. The only chance they’ve got of any silverware is the Europa League, but I think that’s a mile off. So this week’s biggest Losers: Spurs and Rangers.

One Spurs player who really shouldn’t be among the losers is Jamie Donley. The Tottenham loanee scored what should have been one of the great FA Cup goals on Saturday, chipping Stefan Ortega from just inside the City half. But the history books will record an incredible piece of skill as ‘Ortega OG’. Which robs Donley of the credit and prestige he deserves. Ortega doesn’t want it – give it to Donley!

Chelsea blew another lead – that’s the fifth time since Christmas they have gone in front but failed to win. This occasion cost them their FA Cup hopes, which didn’t seem to bother Enzo Maresca all that much. His post-match comments about the ‘positive’ of defeat allowing them to concentrate on the league and Europa Conference League were a little tone-deaf judging from the reaction of Chelsea supporters.

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