IT'S FA Cup third round weekend and I think the FA Cup is very important, although the romance of the cup appears to be dying unfortunately.

I've always loved the cup. I think it's massive for players and I'm a little bit disappointed how it's gone over the last few years. Not enough people take it seriously.

The romance of the cup and the prospect of getting big teams and playing at big grounds is still there.

I know a lot of these players have played in the Premier League and played these clubs so maybe not so much for some of them but I still love it and I still think the romance of the cup is important.

Financially it's good as well for the club.

People for me make too much of squad rotation and players can't play more than a certain number of games in a season. I don't buy into that. Look at Burnley a couple of years ago when Sean Dyche named the same XI all the time and they constantly performed.

Players can do it if you manage them properly during the week. If you flog them then they're going to struggle.

If you take it seriously you can do well in these cups. Get a few good draws and next thing you know you're in the quarter-final or semi-final.

It's a good opportunity for Burnley. It's a tough game, but I think it's one they should take very seriously.

I would play the strongest team. Football is all about winning habits.

When you chop and change you can get yourself into trouble.

You bring a few fresh faces in and it can be quite detrimental in the end. You take a bit of a beating and it can have an effect for the next week. The mindset goes down a bit.

For me you should always play your strongest team, no matter who you're playing and what the competition is.

A good result can really kick you on. This is a massive month.

They've got to do better than last January. On and off the field it was poor last year. This time we've got the chance to get it right.

It's a big week but one massive performance at Middlesbrough can set the tone for that and get everyone up and running and put a smile on faces.

If you make a change or two and take a beating you could be in a bit of trouble for the next two away games. The importance of Saturday is massive.