Aim for a final not Europe

The next step on the route to Wembley could be away to Aston Villa tonight.

Rovers have been something of a bridesmaid in recent times with a hat full of semi final appearances over recent years in cup competitions without ever cracking the big time and reaching the showcase final.

To me nothing can beat the feeling of a big day out and that buzz feeling you get when you go to a big stadium and have a big match atmosphere.

For as much financial significance that the Premier League holds and the importance of the bread and butter, it doesn’t hold the same feeling for the fan as a good cup run.

Call me silly but I would prefer finishing 11th/12th in the league and having a day out at a cup final than doing nothing in the knockouts and finishing 7th in the EPL.

Sam Allardyce even seems to share my view on this.

Allardyce spoke to Sky Sports yesterday and said – ‘My priority every year is about finishing as high as we can – Premier League first, those are my instructions from my bosses,’

‘Anything else over and above that is a bonus, but I’ve always said from an ambition point of view and just from a pure football point of view, everybody wants to get to a cup final.

‘For me, it’s probably more exciting getting to a cup final than it is competing in Europe.

‘If you get to a cup final you could be up there on the rostrum picking the trophy up and that stays with you for the rest of your life.’