Barry Fry - shooting from the lip.

Byline: Barry Fry 

SO we thought we'd miss Manchester United in the FA Cup this season, don't you believe it.

You can't keep United out of the news at the moment, but the Cup hasn't suffered with them not playing.

I was surprised to hear the sponsors AXA come out and say they weren't worried about United's decision.

And I'll back them up because there were so many shocks that the real spirit of the Cup was back again.

It's just a pity that the crowds didn't seem to respond to the third round.

Perhaps messing around with one of the biggest dates in the soccer calendar was the problem.

But it was a fantastic weekend of football. Take Wrexham, for example. They haven't won at home since August but they beat Middlesbrough and showed you can't keep Fergie out even when United haven't entered.

Darren Ferguson scored the goal of course and he's a player I tried to sign for Blues when he was at Wolves.

Blues had a great result as well, going to Watford with a depleted squad and winning against the odds.

With ties like these, who needs Manchester United?

THE Bosman Ruling is biting hard at the moment, and Albion are the latest club to act quickly over the sale of Kevin Kilbane.

There is no doubt that Peter Reid has got a bargain but Albion realised that once Kilbane had entered the last year of his contract, he would have them over a barrel.

The likelihood was that Kilbane would leave for nothing and there are only two winners in that situation, the player and his new club.

So while Kilbane is worth twice what Sunderland have paid for him, Albion will see pounds 2.5m now as being better than nothing in 18 months.

Bosses have enough worries without rowing

MANAGERS have enough on their plates without squabbling among themselves.

Which is why I was surprised to read David Hodgson's comments about John Gregory after Darlington's defeat by Villa.

He was quoted as saying that he had never liked the Villa boss.

That suggested a feud between the two which went back to their playing days.

I think Hodgson was unhappy with Gregory's comments that Villa's 2-1 win had flattered Darlington.

Those two are both characters who aren't afraid to speak their mind.

But managers get enough grief from fans, players, players' wives and girlfriends and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all without getting stuck into each other.

I would think the League Managers' Association might be getting in touch with the Darlington boss and getting him to apologise for his remarks.

By the way, remember Jose Dominguez's days at Blues? It was Hodgson who acted as the agent when Jose came to England from Portugal to play for me.