No sexy please, we’re British

THE creaking main stand and homely setting of Craven Cottage always creates the feeling of a time-warp but Saturday’s FA Cup tie was a throwback to an era that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp believes will soon be lost to the game.

Unlike other ties in this season’s competition, this game was played in front of a full house that left both sides in no doubt that progress to the semi-finals mattered, a view that, refreshingly, was shared a view shared by both managers.

In contrast to other Premier League managers, Redknapp and Roy Hodgson have a keen sense of the history of the competition and view the FA Cup as a chance to deliver a moment of glory in contrast to more pragmatic targets in the league. As a footballing romantic, Redknapp must have almost expected the possibility of a reunion with Portsmouth in the semi-final.