FOOTBALL Association chief executive Martin Glenn has defended Cherries boss Eddie Howe over his FA Cup selection.

Howe, in common with a host of other Premier League managers, made sweeping changes for Cherries' third round clash at Millwall on Saturday, the League One outfit running out comfortable 3-0 winners.

His decision to make 11 changes to his starting line-up received a mixed reaction from supporters, while some commentators claimed widespread squad rotation was disrespectful to the world's oldest cup competition.

Plymouth held Liverpool to a draw at Anfield after Reds boss Jurgen Klopp named the youngest starting line-up in the club's history, while both Manchester clubs made nine changes apiece, although City thrashed West Ham 5-0 and United eased passed Reading with a 4-0 success.

"I think Bournemouth were an outlier. Eddie Howe can make his own reasons for it," Glenn told the BBC.

"It doesn't upset me. The Premier League teams really understand the value the FA Cup brings them.

"You'll get more viewings of your club on free-to-air television than you will on paid satellite.

"It's good for them because they get noticed and everyone wants to get to Wembley for a special occasion.

"People want to do well in the cup, but the positive side is that all of these bigger clubs have big squads, you want to give people game time and that's really important.

"Rotation is a good thing. Giving a chance for young players to get real game experience is not a bad thing."

While some clubs could be accused of indifference towards the competition following a host of changes, supporters up and down the country also showed deference by staying away, with some attendance figures dwindling.

The sparsity at Hull, where just 6,608 spectators watched new boss Marco Silva win his first game at the helm with a 2-0 victory over Premier League rivals Swansea, may have been down to a protest against the club's owners. But the lack of crowd at the KCOM Stadium was by no means in isolation.

Barely 5,000 people turned out to see Fulham win at Cardiff, with fewer than 12,500 attending Norwich's last-gasp draw at home to Southampton at what is a usually-packed Carrow Road.

Sunderland have averaged crowds of more than 40,000 so far this season but fewer than 18,000 saw the Black Cats' stalemate with Burnley.