Paul Parker looks forward to throwing off the glitz and glamour of the Champions League and getting stuck into the weekend's FA Cup semi-finals.

"I am really looking forward to the FA Cup semi-finals. It is a motley bunch of teams remaining but that makes it all the more interesting as you get to see a whole load of new personalities.

The players are always a bit more interesting because they haven't had all that media training, and it is truly a once-in-a-career opportunity.

If it were the usual suspects, I wouldn't be fussed to watch it. The 'Big Four' are already fighting it out in the Premier League and Champions League. If they were also in the Cup it would not be special at all - in fact it would be the trophy none of them wanted to win.

Instead, the atmosphere at Wembley should be incredible because everybody concerned knows they might never be in this position again.

It is good to have a change from the usual fare in English football. We are having so many custard creams shoved down our faces, but it's sometimes nice to have a garibaldi instead!

Portsmouth go in as favourites and know that if they are positive against West Brom they should have too much for them, even without the cup-tied Jermain Defoe.

It would be a huge anti-climax for Barnsley if they lost to Cardiff having beaten Liverpool and Chelsea, and will be desperate to make sure they get all the way to the final.

Barnsley are in the middle of a relegation scrap, but I can assure you that as a player you don't care about that. The only thing on your mind is playing at Wembley and trying to get to the cup final. You don't care about going down.

Obviously the manager and chairman might feel differently, but you cannot blame the players for being selfish. It's only natural for a second-tier player to get excited about the prospect of playing in an FA Cup semi-final.

As much as you would like them to be equally motivated for next weekend's trip to Preston, I'm afraid life just doesn't work like that. You don't get too many chances to play at Wembley in your career, and they should enjoy every minute.

As for this week's Champions League, Arsenal versus Liverpool was a strange game because it was Europe and yet it wasn't really. The quality was a long way better than the Liverpool-Chelsea semi-final last season because there was a team trying to play open, attacking football.

Liverpool were forced to change their style because they were getting stretched and couldn't stay compact, but as so often in Europe they had a bit of luck.

As soon as Dirk Kuyt pulled Alexander Hleb back I shouted 'penalty!'. It was blatant. He pulled his arm and twisted him around. I can't believe the referee failed to spot it from just a couple of yards away.

Nicklas Bendtner's miss was incredible - I've never seen anything like it. All he had to do was get out the way of Fabregas's shot and it was a goal. I'm not sure he knew exactly where he was, but it was still pretty inexcusable.

Arsene Wenger will be worried about the contribution - or lack of it - from Emmanuel Eboue, who really offered nothing. He started off life as a right-back and it shows. He cannot get a shot on target, he does nothing with the ball at his feet and he has a suspect temperament.

You have to be impressed with the way Manchester United performed at Roma. They were not perfect, but they controlled the game away from home against Serie A's in-form side. You can't ask much more than that.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to amaze with his endless supply of goals. The icing on the cake is that he can score any type of goal. He will shoot with either foot and is majestic in the air. The only goals he doesn't score are the scruffy tap-ins. If he sorts those out he could get 50 a season!

Chelsea will have to change their style if they want to see off Fenerbahce after losing 2-1 in Turkey. They need to go all guns blazing, like they did in the home leg against Olympiacos.

The reason they lost that game was because they didn't put Fenerbahce away when they had the chance. They have to go out their and back their talent."

Paul Parker was talking to Alex Chick / Eurosport