On Monday night, fans across the Football League found out who their respective teams would be facing in the FA Cup third round, and Sunderland’s fate has sparked one unanimous reaction.
Sunderland have got to sort out their league form before they start thinking about a cup run, with five straight draws and a defeat in the last six games leaving Regis Le Bris’ side falling down the table.
However, the magic of the FA Cup is usually the kind of thing that can change seasons for some, especially when teams outside the top flight pull off a giant-killing result.
There were teams Sunderland would have loved to face in the FA Cup third round, and some they’d want to avoid, but in the end, Stoke City were selected as their first opponents in the competition.
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Fans think Stoke City FA Cup draw is boring
It goes without saying that the idea of facing a team in the same league is not all that exciting, and no offence to Stoke City, but they’re not exactly the most glamorous side in the Championship, either.
The game will be played at the Stadium of Light on the second weekend of January, meaning Sunderland will play the Potters three times in a little over a month (December 7 and December 29 in the league, and then the cup game).
Reacting to the news on Twitter/X, one fan said, “Boring… play the kids… top six is the only objective,” while another added, “Minging draw for both teams. Put the B team out.”
One fan even made the claim that this “genuinely might be the most boring draw in the history of the FA Cup.”
It wasn’t all bad, though. One Sunderland supporter looked on the bright side, posting: “Good opportunity to win and then who knows, two more favourable home ties and you’re one win away from Wembley.”
That sentiment was echoed by another fan, who said, “Let’s have a cup run for a change,” while another added, “Hopefully [Sunderland] actually try and beat them so we can be in the fourth round draw.”
The draw had one fan contemplating the potential issues with attracting a crowd for the game, writing: “I really hope people attend, just because it’s a championship team doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get near the same attendance as our league game.”
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Sunderland face a lose-lose situation against Stoke City
The life of a football manager is never easy, and it’s impossible to please everyone, but Le Bris faces a bit of a problematic situation with this Stoke City cup tie. Lose the game and fans will bemoan an early exit. Win, and fans will grumble that it’s a distraction from their efforts in the league.
There’s obviously the potential for injuries and fatigue that could come with a cup run, but at the end of the day, Sunderland fans will want to see their team win any and every game they are involved in, and a home tie against Stoke is a great chance to make it into the next round.
From there, Sunderland could well end up pulling a more interesting fixture in the fourth round. But, as many of the fans have suggested, progress in the league is largely the focus this year for the Black Cats.
Indeed, the next two games are huge for Sunderland as they look to get back on track. While the idea of a cup game against Stoke can be put aside for now, they do need to find a way past the Potters on Saturday.