RAUL SPOT ON FOR SILVAWARE

Cottagers cruise past Hornets as Marco's men look worth a bet

- BY MIKE WALTERS

HOPE they enjoyed it in the overseas territories where TV viewers are considered more important to the FA than supporters of their own clubs.

Thursday nights were once the preserve of English football's also-rans in Europe, but desecration of the FA Cup is now permissible vandalism for a fistful of foreign currency.

Marco Silva's Fulham were far too good for his old club, whose bright start to the season is now floundering after four consecutive defeats.

But we should neither forgive nor forget the FA clots who sold out the best weekend of their knockout showpiece. Instead of a tasty reunion between Silva and his former employers on a Saturday afternoon, we got a poorly-attended Cup tie on the middle shelf of the fridge on a school night.