HOW about that then – the magic of the FA Cup!

Handed a glamour trip to the North East to take on Sunderland we duly went there and served up a 0-0 draw meaning we need to do it all again, hopefully with added excitement, next week.

I’m being a bit flippant of course, but you get my drift.

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I love the FA Cup in reality but as a Premier League club, and one where the focus is very much on survival in the top flight, I’d rather not have us playing a replay against another side from our division.

I remember trips to Liverpool, Spurs and Derby County when we were languishing in the second, third and fourth tiers and they were great days and nights.

This season it just doesn’t hold the same appeal for me and that’s quite sad in a way. That said, I’d love us to turn the Black Cats over next Tuesday and kick-start my enthusiasm for the competition.

I do think a cup run has its benefits, the fact that fringe players are given a chance is a major plus point.

Nick Pope, James Tarkowski and Tendayi Darikwa all came into the side and having those players ready to step up is going to be key with the league run-in.

Saturday also saw the return of Joey Barton to the starting line-up following his re-signing.

Furthermore, he played alongside Steven Defour who not only managed 90 minutes but did so in a four-man midfield. So we now know that both can happen!

I’m just being flippant again.

Our attentions return to league action this weekend with the visit of Southampton and I’m massively excited for this one.

The Saints have played some lovely stuff over the last couple of years – despite frequent changes in personnel – and I think it’s those types of teams that bring out the best in us as a side.

Certainly a winnable home game, it’s a great chance for us to have a bit of a mid-season check on exactly where we are in the division.

There’s a long way to go but games against teams like Southampton are a good yardstick of progress for me.

We’ve done well so far, I’m just hoping the second half of the campaign continues in a similar way, albeit with a bit more success on the road!