Cup win would be good way to mark boss’s milestone
THE Teletext striker. Fernando Torres ending his goal drought. Pedro beating Kasper Schmeichel in the air.
Leicester City’s FA Cup quarterfinal history is becoming as infamous as their overall reputation in the competition.
But manager Brendan Rodgers has called for his side to write their own history and finally end the club’s wait to lift the old trophy, starting by progressing past the quarter-final in what is their sixth attempt to do so since the turn of the century.
Their last semi-final appearance came in 1982 against Tottenham.
Manchester United are the visitors to the King Power Stadium, and City will hope to do what they couldn’t against Wycombe, against Blackburn, and, on three occasions, against Chelsea.
Rodgers proved he could break these cycles of quarter-final failure by getting City to a League Cup semi-final last season, and he will hope to do so again on what is a milestone for the manager, tomorrow’s game marking his 100th in charge of the club.
“I’ve been educated on it,” Rodgers said of City’s FA Cup history, with this their 121st attempt at winning the competition.
“I said when we came in that we want to create our own history here. The club has got to four finals and not got over the line, so we would love to be the first.
“It’s a quarter-final, we want to take the next step, it’s going to be a difficult step for us.
“But if we can play our game with the attitude and mentality and the ethic we have shown, it gives us an opportunity.
“You always have to have an eye on the history of a club and understand that.
“But it’s all about creating your own history and that’s what this team is looking to do.”
This week has seen fans debate their preference over winning the FA Cup or finishing in the top four, but Rodgers won’t be joining in.
He did, however, say for the first time this season that finishing in the top four was City’s target.
“Don’t ask me to separate,” he said. “We’re very hungry for both.
“We will fight to the very end to finish in the top four. It is possible for us, so let’s see if we can do it.
“It’s also possible for us to get to the final and win an FA Cup, so if we get a little bit of luck along the way, we can do both.”
City’s five FA Cup quarter-final slip-ups:
■■City 1-2 Wycombe – 2000-01
Little-known Roy Essandoh answered Lawrie Sanchez’s Teletext appeal, joining on a two-week contract and writing his name in the history books with a last-minute winner at Filbert Street in what is remembered as one of the club’s most embarrassing defeats.
■■Blackburn 1-0 City – 2004-05
After a dour 83 minutes at Ewood Park, Darren Kenton fouled Morten Gamst Pedersen, and Paul Dickov, who had joined Rovers from City for £150,000 the summer before, converted from the spot.
■■Chelsea 5-2 City – 2011-12
An out-of-form Fernando Torres scored twice to end his 24-game goal drought as the Blues hit five, but unfavoured City did have two goals of their own to cheer, including a rasping 25-yard effort from Ben Marshall.
City 1-2 Chelsea – 2017-18
It was not the result they deserved after creating the better chances, but City succumbed in extra-time, when Kasper Schmeichel came for an N’Golo Kante cross and missed, allowing Pedro to head Chelsea into the last four.
■■City 0-1 Chelsea – 2019-20
Last year’s quarter-final just missed the pandemic cut-off point, and so was played behind closed doors, preventing City fans from willing their side to victory. Instead, Ross Barkley came off the bench to bag the winner.