Brilliant point, and what bigger scalp than Manchester United, or Liverpool?

As with all things football there is always tons of hindsightism.

MUFC have been drawn at home in the third round against lower league opposition last season AND this.

There is no way either of those games should have been televised live as there were better options. And as for tuning in to watch them get beat the chances of that happening would be less than nil anyway so why bother

we may as well say they will be televised EVERY FA CUP TIE they play

I can CONFIRM there won't be one. Because they're showing a live game at four o'clock.

Brilliant point - and what bigger scalp than Manchester United or Liverpool.


Liverpool's rather unappealing tie was picked ahead of Manchester United's rather unappealing tie? And Manchester United were picked last so weren't the first pick of either broadcaster?

Will this resonate at all though?

On the point of the BBC I guess the argument might be that they need to cater for all licence fee payers not just a majority, but I personally agree with your point.

And Liverpool?

Can you prove this? I'd be willing to bet quite a lot of money on PNE v Arsenal and Man Utd v Reading being BT's second and third picks. BT are showing Liverpool's game with Man City on New Year's Eve and have Liverpool v Swansea on 21 January. A Man Utd game, therefore would be of much more value to them.

And, for what it's worth, I think the Man Utd game is more appealing than the Liverpool tie.

EDIT: And it's worth noting that the BBC got the Sunday 16:00 slot which suggests they picked Spurs v Villa before BT picked Liverpool v Newport or Plymouth.

I can't prove anything at all, I was responding to another's speculation. I guess we could look at timeslots mind...

I guarantee even if true it would still be the same outcome in terms of mock outrage.

Apologies, just referenced the time slots in my previous post.

Out of interest, are you a Man Utd fan? If you are, you really shouldn't take any of this to heart. Bottom line is Man Utd is biggest club in the country, followed by Liverpool. Both teams are probably picked more often than they should be, but that's not their fault.

The biggest problem is the TV money
Why give 144000 to Man U when a club like Barrow or Sutton have earned it by winning through to round 3

They need to change the TV pot around

Liverpool are not picked every time they play though.

Same as Leeds in the Championship not because they are any good (well.last few seasons anyway ) it's because they get highest viewing figures outside pl and thsts what sky is about not interested in football at all but how much Murdoch corporation van fleece out of you

I am, but trust me, I don't. It is not me making the picks for TV after all.

Whilst this is obviously all about Manchester United, I'm highlighting the hypocrisy of people who claim it isn't by pointing out that any criticism of the TV companies about the situation with MUFC equally applies to Liverpool, who seem to escape the attention for some unknown reason.

It's an interesting use of the word "every" given the context.

Because nobody in Cornwall/Devon. Will.be interested in eiher barrow or Sutton or other far away places but they will be to see likes of man utd . Liverpool etc

They aren't.

Liverpool were at Exeter in the third round last season

I do think replays are a slightly (only slightly ) different argument as I concede the replay at Anfield was shown

Want to do this dance all day?

As I say, it's an interesting use of the word "every" given the context.

Not being picked twice in eleven years is as close to every as you're likely to get, Manchester United aside.

But, hey, instead of fleshing out a debate let's go for meticulousness of language instead.

It was yourself that said Liverpool were always picked. I simply said that they weren't, before you replied that they were (although you edited your post before I could reply.) I was just pointing out that Liverpool are not always picked.

(If anyone is in any doubt by the way, it should be made clear that Liverpool are not always picked for every FA Cup tie.)

I don't think Liverpool v Newport or Plymouth should be on TV by the way.

As I also said, it depends on how far a team gets in the competition, the state of the draw and also the tie itself. There are probably not many Manchester United matches I wouldn't have picked, and obviously from the Quarter Final onwards all matches are shown anyway. It can also depend on replays.

Anyway I am about to do some further research on the subject.

Can anyone remember the last time Liverpool weren't shown live in the FA Cup?

I can actually - Liverpool v Oldham in the FA Cup 3rd round in the 2013-2014 season. (Oh ok, I looked it up.)

The beauty of the English language is that not everything should necessarily be taken at its most literal

If you ran a TV company you'd've picked them all, and all Liverpool games too

Obviously I don't run a TV company though.

The most disgraceful decision in the history of the TV picks though was Setanta not picking Kettering v Fulham.

Which is why I said "if"

But I was again making the point that criticism of the TV companies for doing their business in the best way possible is futile.