United's biggest underdog story in a cup final?

[Offside]

We were a bigger underdog in the 2011 CL final.

 

[Hughie77]

It's a game that we will be underdogs and by a fair bit, can see us being around 5/1 with bookies. The CB partnership of Varane and Martinez is a massive miss, they gave us so much in defence and Attack . Can see us digging in for 20 plus mins then conceding and that's game over then.

It's a sad state of affairs that it could be such a one sided game, the gulf in quality squads needs to change.

 

[Skills]

Keeping it to a 3 goal margin will be an achievement tbh.

 

[SteveCoppellFan]

Its a one off game, anything can happen on the day.

The doom merchants these days is sad to see, maybe this has something to do with fans who started supporting United under the Fergie era and only remember the success and now hate to see where we are at these days.

Trust me, we have had much worse times and worse sides than this one, this squad and manager have the capabilities to beat City on any given day, if City are going into the FA Cup final still on for the treble then no doubt United will be bang up for it.

 

[DOTA]

We'll batter 'em.

 

[DJ_21]

Anything can happen in a 1 of game. If we lose concentration we’ll get hammered. We can’t concede early or we’re in for a long day. Our fighting spirit has gone. Or it could come down to a dodgy VAR/ref decision that turns the game. We’ve shown this season though we can beat the top teams, just need the right mentality and focus.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Don't see us stopping them. Half of the team seem to be done for the season. They have given up.
Injuries to Licha and Varane just sealed the inevitable.

 

[lex talionis]

Without Varane and Martinez, concern is warranted. But if Casemiro and Rashford are on their game we may be able to smash and grab their ugly faces.

 

[MoskvaRed]

The final is on a neutral ground whereas we tend to be most flakey at away grounds. We will also have the chance to prepare properly for the game rather than being on the Sunday-Thursday-Sunday carousel. City are clearly much better than us at the moment but, if we play ugly with counter-attacking tactics, we have a chance. It’s not 2011 - there are no GOATS in this City team.

 

[Bobade]

Madrid drew with them 1 - 1 last night. Barca beat Madrid 2 - 1 on 19th March. As we beat Barca, we are obviously on a par with Madrid, so would expect a draw full time then see what we can do on pens.

Edit - actually thats moronic. We beat Barca so we're better than Madrid, so can expect us to do the business in the 90.

 

[Irwin99]

It wasn't really a cup final or a massive underdog story considering that Arsenal's invincibles actually never beat United in a competitive game (03-05), but in the FA cup semi final of 2004 we were considered the underdogs. The crowd played its part as they absolutely outsang the Arsneal fans and we got the better of them. Very much a deserved win too after a nervy first 10 minutes.

Beating City would have to be something like that; the fans really loud and the players 100% up for it.

 

[Moriarty]

How many times have underdogs won cup finals? I can remember loads. Swindon Town beating Arsenal, QPR beating WBA, Wimbledon beating Liverpool, Southampton beating United, Wigan beating City, Sunderland beating Leeds. The list goes on. Anything can happen at Wembley.

 

[The Dane]

How many times have underdogs won cup finals? I can remember loads. Swindon Town beating Arsenal, QPR beating WBA, Wimbledon beating Liverpool, Southampton beating United, Wigan beating City, Sunderland beating Leeds. The list goes on. Anything can happen at Wembley.

I actually think that a team like Southampton would stand a better chance than us if they were in the final. We might be underdogs in the Bookies and everyone’s mind, but no matter how shit we are we are still Manchester United and City will unfortunately not underestimate us or mentally not be ready.

 

[RedDevil@84]

The doom merchants these days is sad to see, maybe this has something to do with fans who started supporting United under the Fergie era and only remember the success and now hate to see where we are at these days.

You are confusing people who are predicting a United loss with people who are wishing for a United loss.

 

[Moriarty]

I actually think that a team like Southampton would stand a better chance than us if they were in the final. We might be underdogs in the Bookies and everyone’s mind, but no matter how shit we are we are still Manchester United and City will unfortunately not underestimate us or mentally not be ready.

Pep won't allow that and if we aren't up for it, they will show no mercy.

 

[bosnian_red]

Cup finals are different, never know how it'll go. We have quality but obviously they are better, but the better team doesn't always win. We have to want it more, and show quality. We should want it more. They have the league and possibly CL final after. But it won't be a blow out.

 

[2 man midfield]

We just have to keep it tight and hope for the best. Taking the game to them will only end one way.

 

[youngrell]

Any confidence in us winning has dwindled over the past few weeks as expected given recent performances. However, watching the CL tie last night has given me a little hope back.

Real showed that a compact and aggressive defence can keep City at bay and they can also be caught by speedy attacks, so if that is our approach and we are, for once, clinical in our attacks, I give us a chance to win.

Would have been a massive help to wrap up a top 4 spot early so we could rest a little beforehand, instead we will be further running ourselves into the ground right till the death it seems.

 

[Red the Bear]

1977 fa cup final?
A similar situation actually thinking about it.

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

I agree. Those two getting injured at the same time killed our season.

Lindelof and Shaw have coped reasonably well in their absence. It's the almost complete lack of goals upfront that's killing us at the moment!

 

[Sarni]

In a way we should be hoping City are playing in CL final the week after as that will make them go easy on us and prioritize that game, which could mean simply a 2-0 or a 3-0 loss. If they don’t have that game this could be the largest margin final win ever (now at 6-0) if things go right for them on the day.

 

[Harry190]

It's not so much United I fear rather than some of the players playing for United. Some of them are truly not up to it.

 

[micmac]

We are going to win 2-1 Rashford and Martial scoring in the first 15 mins and with 28% possession after 10 mins added time to give City a chance.

 

[Red00012]

So much so I’ve a flight booked after the game and I don’t expect to be delayed

 

[lex talionis]

As great as our 2011 side were I had zero expectation that we'd beat Prime Barcelona, considered going into the match as the greatest club side in the history of the game. We're underdogs against City, but distance between these two clubs is smaller than between those two clubs.

 

[Muninman]

1977 fa cup final?
A similar situation actually thinking about it.

In many respects yes, especially since Liverpool were going for the treble of League, FA cup and European cup. However, Liverpool had 'only' won their second league on the trot, and had not achieved their decade of dominance. United were close to them the season before. Make no mistake Liverpool were the favourites, but the FA cup had thrown up so many surprises in the 1970s, not least second division Southampton beating United the year before (which was largely seen as a done deal by United fans in my recollection), and Sunderland's totally unexpected victory over dominant Leeds in 1973. Even though the big teams have dominated post-millennium, there have still been some surprises such as Wigan and Leicester.

I think most MU fans are pessimistic based on current form, including me, but it was not that long ago United beat City and Barcelona. It is possible; unlikely but possible. And just maybe history will repeat itself and we will once again be treble party poopers, and I for one will 'love it' if we beat them.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

The way barca destroyed us in 2011 was unseen, it was a miracle we only lost 3-1.

If we can copy real madrid we can hurt them on the counter. Real was not ashamed of playing super defensively at their own ground, we should not be either.

Real Madrid didn't really play that super defensive. They picked their spots when they drop deep and push a bit higher up.

They had 42% of the ball and probably had the better chances.

If we have 42% of the ball, I'd be stunned. We had sub 30% last time. We'll need to keep the ball a bit against them. You can't just go for quick transitions all the time.

 

[justboy68]

I've certainly never felt quite this hopeless about our chances of winning a final. 2011 CL final does run it close though, but there was still a lot to be proud of about that team.

 

[arthurka]

Perhaps this will show TH's mettle and he changes tactics 4 5 1 and man marks de bruyne. He is their playmaker and city have shown when he doesnt play they play a lot worse than when he does. If he thinks playing the same team, the same tactics will work, then we are beat from the start.

Yeah like when they beat us the last time we played..

 

[Apokalips]

Our main problem is we don't raise our game like other teams do and we also have no qualms avout rolling over and letting our biggest rivals tickle our belly.

I think any player who doesn't go all out trying to prevent their treble should get transfer listed.

 

[Bondi77]

How many times have underdogs won cup finals? I can remember loads. Swindon Town beating Arsenal, QPR beating WBA, Wimbledon beating Liverpool, Southampton beating United, Wigan beating City, Sunderland beating Leeds. The list goes on. Anything can happen at Wembley.

That is the beauty of the competition

 

[Bondi77]

I've certainly never felt quite this hopeless about our chances of winning a final. 2011 CL final does run it close though, but there was still a lot to be proud of about that team.

If you cannot get excited about your team playing in a FA Cup final then you need to look at following another sport or get another interest.

 

[Loony BoB]

No matter how down you get, we have at this time still won the last match we played against them. Saying winning is a fool's dream is over the top and likely a protective measure for your emotions, a way of preparing yourself for the worst so you don't get too upset. I get that - I do it a lot, too.

Do I think we're most likely to win? No.

Do I think we have a solid chance? Yes. We beat them the last time we played them. There is the best possible proof you can ask for that we CAN beat them.

Really just depends on which teams show up on the day.

 

[foolsgold]

We beat them last time we played them.

We're not favourites, I put our chances about 1 in 4, but 1 in 4 chances happen every single day.

 

[wangyu]

Real Madrid didn't really play that super defensive. They picked their spots when they drop deep and push a bit higher up.

They had 42% of the ball and probably had the better chances.

If we have 42% of the ball, I'd be stunned. We had sub 30% last time. We'll need to keep the ball a bit against them. You can't just go for quick transitions all the time.

Yes but the first half they were really defensive and it worked they kept the two main creative or dangerous players in de bruyne and Haaland quiet. They grew more adventurous in the 2nd half because City started doubting themselves. If they had kept to their initial plan they would have won the game.

 

[MancunianAngels]

It's our most important game since the 2011 Champions League final.

Stopping the divs winning the Treble is massive.

 

[justboy68]

If you cannot get excited about your team playing in a FA Cup final then you need to look at following another sport or get another interest.

It's not about being excited or not excited, of course being in the final is great, just never felt like we had such a slim chance of winning a final before. Especially with it being City, losing it would feel absolutely shit. I know my uncles and my mates who are ST holders and likely going to it feel the same, because I just talked with them all the other night. Hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

 

[Lemon Moon]

We can't match them toe-to-toe on the day. They will demolish and humiliate us if we even think about it. Hate to say it but we probably need to play 'anti-football' for most of the game and stop them from playing. We'll need to be an animal defensively and aggressive but stick to our task and try to hit them on the break. Diagonal long balls and through balls likely their criptonite with Garnacho, Rashford, Antony making runs into space. There's hope but not much of it unfortunately.

 

[Todd]

If we were in our mid-season form I'd say we had a chance in this one, unfortunately these are two clubs trending in very different directions. We've lost all of our mojo whereas City can't put a foot wrong at the moment.

The only way we've got a chance in this is if Haaland, De Bruyne, Silva, Gundogan, and Rodri all pick up injuries between now and then and cannot play.

Our best chance is it currently stands is to do our best to shithouse it to penalties.

 

[Bondi77]

It's not about being excited or not excited, of course being in the final is great, just never felt like we had such a slim chance of winning a final before. Especially with it being City, losing it would feel absolutely shit. I know my uncles and my mates who are ST holders and likely going to it feel the same, because I just talked with them all the other night. Hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

If we get smashed then deal with that after it happens but until it happens just enjoy and be excited about the team you support has made it to the final of the best and most famous domestic Cup competition in world football.