FA CUP ROUND 3:Baggies don’t see FA Cup as distraction

LONDON - West Brom have vowed to give the FA Cup their maximum attention as they plan for a quick reunion with QPR, who pulled off the shock result of the Premier League season by beating Chelsea away on Wednesday.

Saturday, January 05, 2013
Ferguson is expcted to have Shinji Kagawa (above) a rare start against West Ham United. Net photo.

LONDON - West Brom have vowed to give the FA Cup their maximum attention as they plan for a quick reunion with QPR, who pulled off the shock result of the Premier League season by beating Chelsea away on Wednesday.Albion won at Loftus Road on Boxing Day and return there for Saturday’s third-round tie at a time when Harry Redknapp’s bottom-of-the-table side are buoyant following their stunning victory at Stamford Bridge.Steve Clarke’s team are a little on the back foot after successive defeats against Manchester United and Fulham but have promised not to take the Cup lightly."When I came here, I said I would try to do well in the Cup competitions,” Clarke said. "I might have to rest one or two because that’s the stage of the season we’re at and it would be nice to lessen the load on one or two of those who have been playing every game."But trying to have a good Cup run is one of the aims for the New Year; that and consolidating and building on the first half of the season. We have thrown away three points against Fulham, so we just have to keep working from game to game for the rest of the season.”