The chance is to keep it tight at the back and potentially get something on the counter. This could get us to penalties. But it's incredibly unlikely.
25th May, city in the final: What could swing it in our favour? Scenarios?
- Thread starter simplyared
- Start date
Sacking ETH, Shteeeeeve switching to a 3-4-2-1 for the final and hitting City on the counter out of a solid defensive formation with Maguire, Varane and Martinez as CBs (miracle recoveries).
De Bruyne picking up a hamstring in training, ruling him out and Pep leaving City at the end of the season to rejoin Bayern, telling te players the evening before the match, leaving them in shock and sorrow.
We need a miracle.
With Ten Hag in charge our chances are 0.00 %.
Our only slim chance is to sack him and hope for some bad luck on Shitty's part.
De Bruyne picking up a hamstring in training, ruling him out and Pep leaving City at the end of the season to rejoin Bayern, telling te players the evening before the match, leaving them in shock and sorrow.
We need a miracle.
With Ten Hag in charge our chances are 0.00 %.
Our only slim chance is to sack him and hope for some bad luck on Shitty's part.
Final is in just over 2 weeks. So, it's hard to see them even playing one game before then.
Food poisoning to majority of City players could theorytically help
Somehow Alonso agree to join us replacing ETH.
World War III
Plague
Invasion of Visigoths
Internal human combustion
Anthrax
The Grassy Knoll Shooter
Take your pick, really.
Plague
Invasion of Visigoths
Internal human combustion
Anthrax
The Grassy Knoll Shooter
Take your pick, really.
Has Erik's United ever beat City, actually? I can't remember
We certainly need Licha and Varane back and in form, but it will still take a miracle considering we don't have a midfield other than a kid called Mainoo and Bruno who loses balls left and right
We certainly need Licha and Varane back and in form, but it will still take a miracle considering we don't have a midfield other than a kid called Mainoo and Bruno who loses balls left and right
At home last season in the league. Late Rashford winner.
Beat them at home last season. It was the one with that controversial Bruno goal where Rashford was in an offside position. Lost the other 4 games against them.
We need to investigate what secret super medicine Bayer AG is making
A semi-competent referee who doesnt worship at the altar of pep, giving an early red or something. Realistically it will need to be one of those outlier events that turn things our way - a red card, a penalty at the right time. We're miles off them, didn't get close in either league match this season. Also need one of those very rare days where absolutely everybody performs to an 8 or 9 out of ten.
Just don’t play it out from back. Play Maguire up front and just hit long balls to him and actually man up for change and win the second ball
The club should just write to the FA and request a 2-1 defeat without having to play the game.
I wouldn't be surprised if miraculously a lot of people are suddenly fit for the final, bit like a Sunday league team.
"Congenital heart defects have apparently felled the City team moments before they could step on to the pitch"
Things that could go our way:
-All of our defenders make it back from injury and start
-Rodri goes in for a bad challenge early and gets sent off
-A freak deflection from an errant shot from Antony goes off Dias and into the back of the net for a City own goal
-A Kyle Walker handball in the box gives Bruno a penalty and he converts
-By some miracle of pure chance, every United player somehow manages to put in his best shift of the entire season, all on the same day
If all these things happen, we might have a chance of drawing 2-2 and pushing it to penalties
Otherwise, we're losing this by 3 or 4
-All of our defenders make it back from injury and start
-Rodri goes in for a bad challenge early and gets sent off
-A freak deflection from an errant shot from Antony goes off Dias and into the back of the net for a City own goal
-A Kyle Walker handball in the box gives Bruno a penalty and he converts
-By some miracle of pure chance, every United player somehow manages to put in his best shift of the entire season, all on the same day
If all these things happen, we might have a chance of drawing 2-2 and pushing it to penalties
Otherwise, we're losing this by 3 or 4
Shaw, Martinez and Varane being fit would be a start, other than that... an act of god
If you simulate this fixture 100 times, we lose 110 times.
A radical 1-3-1-5-0.
a sweeper, man to man mark their front 3 and de bruyne. 2 wingers cover the city full backs and 3 central midfielders smother the centre. Practice diving and set pieces.
a sweeper, man to man mark their front 3 and de bruyne. 2 wingers cover the city full backs and 3 central midfielders smother the centre. Practice diving and set pieces.
Our best chance is that in the run-up to the final at the press junket someone accidentally leans against a curtain switch and the curtain slowly pulls back to reveal the City squad getting a variety of injections administered by Pep (seen for the first time without his fake bald cap, resplendent in ginger dreadlocks) while other Manchester City club officials are caught in the act of handing over suitcases of cash to FA officials, referee's and Premier league dignitaries.
Embarrassed by the ensuing media storm the FA and Premier league announce that each of the 115 charges against City is a "relegation" offence and they must spend the next 115 years in the National League with no ability to be promoted before this time period is up.
The FA Cup Final is thus played by Manchester United versus a Soccer Aid Celebrity team.
United ease into an early 2 goal lead through Bruno and Rashford. Around the 80 minute mark Bernie Clifton scores with a looping header off the Ostrich's head, against the run of play, leading to 10 minutes of madness as Timmy Mallet rifles in an equaliser from a free-kick on the edge of the box.
TV's Mr Tumble (Justin Fletcher) earns a last minute penalty for the Celebrity team but after a protracted argument the penalty is taken by Usain Bolt.
Rather than shoot for goal from the penalty spot he runs back towards the Celebrity goals and ruthlessly slots past their advancing goalkeeper Tommy Fury - who advances all the way upto the United team and begins celebrating with the United players.
United are crowned FA Cup Winners and the Etihad Stadium is turned into "HIs Majesties Prison - New Strangeways"
3 days later a ginger haired Rastafarian is seen in a "small boat" in the Bay of Biscay area.
Embarrassed by the ensuing media storm the FA and Premier league announce that each of the 115 charges against City is a "relegation" offence and they must spend the next 115 years in the National League with no ability to be promoted before this time period is up.
The FA Cup Final is thus played by Manchester United versus a Soccer Aid Celebrity team.
United ease into an early 2 goal lead through Bruno and Rashford. Around the 80 minute mark Bernie Clifton scores with a looping header off the Ostrich's head, against the run of play, leading to 10 minutes of madness as Timmy Mallet rifles in an equaliser from a free-kick on the edge of the box.
TV's Mr Tumble (Justin Fletcher) earns a last minute penalty for the Celebrity team but after a protracted argument the penalty is taken by Usain Bolt.
Rather than shoot for goal from the penalty spot he runs back towards the Celebrity goals and ruthlessly slots past their advancing goalkeeper Tommy Fury - who advances all the way upto the United team and begins celebrating with the United players.
United are crowned FA Cup Winners and the Etihad Stadium is turned into "HIs Majesties Prison - New Strangeways"
3 days later a ginger haired Rastafarian is seen in a "small boat" in the Bay of Biscay area.
This, nothing more needs to be said
ETH in the final will be lucky to get away with a slim beating, more likely will be embarrassing
Anyone else in the final we will probably lose but it is the only chance
Anyone else in the final we will probably lose but it is the only chance
Every single player wearing a red shirt gives his all for 90 minutes and fights for everything. If they can't manage that in an FA Cup final, they might want to reconsider their choice of careers.
It will probably be like when Spurs sacked Mourinho before the Carling cup final. In that game spurs just sat back.
City bus or plane exploded en route to the venue decimating their senior squad and they must field their U-23 side. Serious answer I dont think we are ever winning this one. I know the ball is round yada yada yada but with the current bozo in charge we have 0 chance.
I dont think pashun is gonna be enough to overcome our tactical weakness and ineptness under our current manager. For his tactics to work we need 4 maldini, 4 vieira and prime messi+cr7 on top.
MUTV adding laugh track, everytime team tries making long / through pass should help someone in something.
Maybe we can ask the French footie federation to assist with that. They have some practice from 1998.
They get a red card in the first 20 minutes, we have a chance.
Otherwise it's over from minute 1.
Otherwise it's over from minute 1.
It's getting to the point that our team is so dysfunctional and a shit house of so called injuries, that I honestly believe there is no hope until we see the team sheet.
We could end up with a few good players back who have just been keeping out the way for this one game, like Shaw and Martinez. Or it could all go to shit and we could start with Casemiro and Evans as centre backs
. Imagine.
We could end up with a few good players back who have just been keeping out the way for this one game, like Shaw and Martinez. Or it could all go to shit and we could start with Casemiro and Evans as centre backs
. Imagine.Rodri getting a red card in the third minute after pulling down Rashford through on goal, then another red to Ruben Dias just before halftime
... so just the 0-2 loss then.
Everyone being fully fit
United playing out their skins
City having an off day
Dodgy VAR
Ancient gypsy curse
City hiring our old chef to cook their chicken dinner the night before
United playing out their skins
City having an off day
Dodgy VAR
Ancient gypsy curse
City hiring our old chef to cook their chicken dinner the night before
I think the way we may win is if City lose the league and they suffer from some sort of hangover going into the cup final.
What we really need is to find some form going into it, we could be going into the final losing 4 or 5 games in a row if we can't pick up form I don't hold much hope for the final.
What we really need is to find some form going into it, we could be going into the final losing 4 or 5 games in a row if we can't pick up form I don't hold much hope for the final.
The FA finally levy the punishment for the 115 charges, one of which is expulsion from the cup and we win by default.
If we have Martinez back we will obviously win easily.
I'm not sure I've ever been so pessimistic about our chances in a big game.
Bring Ole back in and find a way to sign Dan James and Fred before the transfer window even opens.
The reality is this group, assuming some injuries return and we have CBs, is capable of raising their game when they can be bothered. It depends on if ETH wants to go out on his sword and play this no midfield setup (we will get hammered) or if he decides to adapt as it's a cup. We'd not be favourites but I'd back us to give them some issues if we just play 451 and sit in, play Rashford alone up top, no pressing just always on the shoulder of the last man and stick Antony as a free man on Rodri, one thing he's good at is running.
New manager bounce?