So this means that the perceived quality of private-sector loans to the Spanish government would deteriorate - which, in theory, would have the perverse effect of making it harder and more expensive for Spain to borrow from conventional sources.

BBC: Messy Spanish rescue

Allardyce clearly does not adhere to the theory that a good Cup run builds a team's confidence and has a beneficial knock-on effect on their league form.

BBC: Has the magic of the FA Cup returned?