Things were looking bleak for Fulham prior to Saturday's trip to West Brom, but having survived a fightback from the hosts they ran out worthy winners.
That confidence-booster should see them edge back towards mid-table because with Brede Hangeland and Dimitar Berbatov among their ranks, Fulham are surely far too good to go down.
In terms of this competition, they meet a Blackpool side who've been struggling to convert reasonable performances into wins of late with seven draws in 11 games.
The future of Tom Ince continues to dominate the headlines and if he does go, Blackpool will be looking over their shoulders rather than upwards in the league.
They found a trip to Everton too much in the FA Cup last season and to be perfectly honest Fulham will also look too much if team news confirms that Martin Jol - as we expect him to - is taking this very seriously.
Head-to-head
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Fulham and Blackpool have faced each other 100 times in league matches, and five in cup ties. The Lancashire club lead by 40 wins to 35, with 30 drawn.
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The Cottagers have won three and drawn one of the last four, since Blackpool's 2-1 home win in February 1998.
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The Seasiders have won the most recent three of their four previous FA Cup meetings. Their last was 6-2 in the fourth round at Bloomfield Road in January 1957.
Fulham
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The 1975 runners-up Fulham have progressed beyond the third round in each of the last four seasons, since losing to League One Bristol Rovers on a penalty shoot-out in 2008.
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The Cottagers have been eliminated by fellow Premier League clubs in each of the last four seasons, and have dismissed the last seven second level league clubs they have been drawn against, subsequent to Burnley in the fifth round in February 2003.
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Martin Jol's side, who were knocked out of the Capital One Cup by Sheffield Wednesday in August, have won only two of their last 13 Premier League games.
Blackpool
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Blackpool are one of seven Championship clubs trying to end the interest of Premier League opposition in this third round, but they've not dismissed a top-flight side since Burnley, in the third round in 1976.
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Last season's run to the fifth round was the first time the Seasiders had made any progress in the competition in five years.
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The 1953 winners, who are 21 league places lower than Fulham, have kept one clean sheet in 11 FA Cup matches.