"Disrespecting the FA Cup"

[Anderson Searl]

Had this thrown at me twice today already and it's 8 AM here at work... i'm a bit shocked but quite pleased that this has sort of stayed away from the lot of you, but I suppose everyone has to open a can of worms.

I know there's great pride in our youngsters and so and such and whatever else, but does anyone feel Fergie disrespected the FA Cup and all it stands for?

Anyone who thinks there was any disrespect for the Cup, i'd like to hear your opinions here because I know there's someone who feels that way.

(I don't think he was for one, don't so don't shoot the messenger, I share the common notion that he's prioritized the competitions and the FA Cup is a clear cut third.)

 

[spinoza]

Of course not. It's not like we got spanked 4-0. We could (and arguably should) have beaten Everton.

 

[Xander45]

Disrespecting the cup would have been for that team to get thrashed 4-0 whilst Fergie doing a jig on the touchline.

 

[anver]

Priorities, mate. Not disrespect.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Yes but what about always field your strongest line up bla bla bla..


I personally was thrilled when I saw the starting line up! Specially with Fabio and Rafael playing together for the first time.

By the way is Fabio ok? what's up with his injury?

 

[7dan]

Yes but what about always field your strongest line up bla bla bla..


I personally was thrilled when I saw the starting line up! Specially with Fabio and Rafael playing together for the first time.

By the way is Fabio ok? what's up with his injury?

Me n all, i was well up for the game when i saw all the youngsters on the team sheet, Fergie should be applauded not condemned for giving youth a chance.

 

[Man Utd Mrs]

As I see it ,anyone suggesting that Fergie is disrespecting the FA by playing the youngsters is disrespecting the youngsters by suggesting that they aren't good enough to play for Uniteds first team when they so very clearly are!

What would they have said had we won with them?

 

[spinoza]

Fergie once said that if he fields a young team, you may not be watching the great players you know, you could be watching great players that you haven't heard of yet.

I don't know about great, but we had some pretty good ones on the pitch yesterday.

 

[Coxy]

I don't think you guys disrespected it at all - this is coming from a neutral - it made complete sense playing the team you did, giving the youth a chance, and seeing as Fergie has come out and said the pitch impacted his decision too, makes it even more obvious.

 

[gaffs]

I think the selection disrespected the fans.

40,000 reds travelled to Wembley for a Sunday 4pm game. For that, i expect a much stronger team to start the game than that XI that started yesterday.

The FA Cup may not be the top priority, but its one game, i don’t think it would have hurt us to play as stronger team yesterday. Plus, the FA Cup final this year is after the Champs League final so Fergie should not have been worried about it getting in the way.

 

[gaffs]

Fergie once said that if he fields a young team, you may not be watching the great players you know, you could be watching great players that you haven't heard of yet.

I don't know about great, but we had some pretty good ones on the pitch yesterday.

So why not play the kids all the way through then?

Look at the lineup V Fulham in the QF.....

Van der Sar ,O'Shea (Eckersley ,52),Ferdinand (Evans ,45) ,Vidic ,Evra, Fletcher ,Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney (Welbeck ,64) ,Tevez

Plus, that was 4 days before the Inter game!!!

 

[Anderson Searl]

As I see it ,anyone suggesting that Fergie is disrespecting the FA by playing the youngsters is disrespecting the youngsters by suggesting that they aren't good enough to play for Uniteds first team when they so very clearly are!

What would they have said had we won with them?

Well said MUM

 

[jojojo]

So why not play the kids all the way through then?

Look at the lineup V Fulham in the QF.....

Van der Sar ,O'Shea (Eckersley ,52),Ferdinand (Evans ,45) ,Vidic ,Evra, Fletcher ,Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney (Welbeck ,64) ,Tevez

Plus, that was 4 days before the Inter game!!!

Because immediately after the Inter game (which Ronaldo, Giggs and Berbatov had been rested for) we then lost 4-1 to Liverpool and 2-0 to Fulham? Learning from mistakes? 6 points lost?

 

[spinoza]

So why not play the kids all the way through then?

Look at the lineup V Fulham in the QF.....

Van der Sar ,O'Shea (Eckersley ,52),Ferdinand (Evans ,45) ,Vidic ,Evra, Fletcher ,Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney (Welbeck ,64) ,Tevez

Plus, that was 4 days before the Inter game!!!

Carrick, Fletcher and Rooney were injured.

 

[Moriarty]

Disrespecting the cup would have been for that team to get thrashed 4-0 whilst Fergie doing a jig on the touchline.

Or the winners taking a crap in the old pot after the final.

 

[MUFCgal]

No I don't think it was a lack of respect for the FA Cup. Some of the young ones he started have played their part in the run-up to yesterday and with all the games we've to come, priorities and all that I can understand. The simple fact is he put out a team which, on the day, were a whisker away from beating a near full strength Everton side. Only for spastic refereeing and a silly mistake by Berba, we'd be excitingly waiting for 30th May right now but we aren't. Let's move on, shall we?

 

[mariachi-19]

It takes giant balls to put kids on a stage like that and they didn't let down. It was older heads that should have taken charge of the game but didn't.

 

[spinoza]

I think the selection disrespected the fans.

40,000 reds travelled to Wembley for a Sunday 4pm game. For that, i expect a much stronger team to start the game than that XI that started yesterday.

The FA Cup may not be the top priority, but its one game, i don’t think it would have hurt us to play as stronger team yesterday. Plus, the FA Cup final this year is after the Champs League final so Fergie should not have been worried about it getting in the way.

I actually do enjoy watching the kids play, sometimes more so than the first team. I had tickets to Wembley but ended up not being able to make it, and I wouldn't have felt disrespected if I had gone.

 

[grahamo]

Those lads that played yesterday deserved to be on the pitch for the semi-final, after all, they are the players that got us to the semi-final and they did themselves proud, all played very,very well! (Nice to see Anderson back to his best also).
As for the team selection disrespecting the FA Cup????
Our so called 'weaker team' went out and hammered Fulham 4-0 a few weeks back. Our so called strongest team went to Fulham a week or two later and lost 2-0!!!!

 

[UTD_FEVER]

I think I recall warnock or someone having a huge go at Benitez for putting out a second string team against his in the prem league when he was focusing on the champions league. People said he disrespected the premier league and..whatever that other team was. Sheffield UTD? I see no difference here as to what benitez did, except he didnt do it in a cup competition. I think everyone here basically said benitez disrespected everyone and was an arogant blahetc. I'm pretty surprised a few of the big names were left out. Especially Ronaldo. He's the guy who wins the team their games. Without him theres some struggle. Disrespect? Because he wants to focus on a different competition? I think so.

 

[gaffs]

Carrick, Fletcher and Rooney were injured.

Ok. Replace Rooney with Berbatov. We replaced Fletch with Anderson and then put Scholes/Giggs in ahead of Gibson. Maybe Nani rather than Wellback.

Suddenly, we have a much stronger lineup.

 

[Xander45]

I think I recall warnock or someone having a huge go at Benitez for putting out a second string team against his in the prem league when he was focusing on the champions league. People said he disrespected the premier league and..whatever that other team was. Sheffield UTD? I see no difference here as to what benitez did, except he didnt do it in a cup competition. I think everyone here basically said benitez disrespected everyone and was an arogant blahetc. I'm pretty surprised a few of the big names were left out. Especially Ronaldo. He's the guy who wins the team their games. Without him theres some struggle. Disrespect? Because he wants to focus on a different competition? I think so.

Difference is that second string team lost and played very poorly it was obviously a throw away game. Our team played well, the manager was visibly into the game, angry about decisions etc.

 

[kouroux]

There is no such things as disrespect but there are priorities and the need to rest players or compensate injuries/suspensions

 

[gaffs]

Those lads that played yesterday deserved to be on the pitch for the semi-final, after all, they are the players that got us to the semi-final and they did themselves proud, all played very,very well! (Nice to see Anderson back to his best also).
As for the team selection disrespecting the FA Cup????
Our so called 'weaker team' went out and hammered Fulham 4-0 a few weeks back. Our so called strongest team went to Fulham a week or two later and lost 2-0!!!!

Weaker team - what you on about? We put a very strong team out against Fulham when we beat them 4-0.

Fabio and Macheda have not got us to the Semis.

 

[gaffs]

I actually do enjoy watching the kids play, sometimes more so than the first team. I had tickets to Wembley but ended up not being able to make it, and I wouldn't have felt disrespected if I had gone.

You may have felt different if you had been there.

 

[SteM]

If anything the FA disrespected the club and it's fans. Sunday afternoon kickoff in London for 2 northern teams, the FA couldn't give a shite about fans.

The team we put out were perfectly capable of winning that match.

 

[jojojo]

I think I recall warnock or someone having a huge go at Benitez for putting out a second string team against his in the prem league when he was focusing on the champions league. People said he disrespected the premier league and..whatever that other team was. Sheffield UTD? I see no difference here as to what benitez did, except he didnt do it in a cup competition. I think everyone here basically said benitez disrespected everyone and was an arogant blahetc. I'm pretty surprised a few of the big names were left out. Especially Ronaldo. He's the guy who wins the team their games. Without him theres some struggle. Disrespect? Because he wants to focus on a different competition? I think so.

Warnock's argument with Liverpool was that when you play a weakened team against a relegation contender (I think it was Fulham) and lose, you damage the other relegation contenders (like Warnock's Sheffield).

 

[Drifter]

Priorities, mate. Not disrespect.

Very dangerous game to play.You could end up with nothing.Play each competition like it's your last.

 

[UTD_FEVER]

Difference is that second string team lost and played very poorly it was obviously a throw away game. Our team played well, the manager was visibly into the game, angry about decisions etc.

Theres no such thing as a throw-away game in any competition. I'm sure Ferguson wasnt planning on losing that game. He expected more out of the players and didnt get it. I'm sure there was some screaming in the backroom after the match. Like ANY loss.

 

[gaffs]

Very dangerous game to play.You could end up with nothing.Play each competition like it's your last.

I agree.

If we get knocked out to Arsenal in the CL and end up losing out to Liverpool in the league (heaven forbid), then we may wish we were in an FA Cup Final.

After all, we owe Chelsea one for beating us in the final a couple of years back.

 

[Makki]

Warnock's argument with Liverpool was that when you play a weakened team against a relegation contender (I think it was Fulham) and lose, you damage the other relegation contenders (like Warnock's Sheffield).

And also, it should be pointed out that everyone thinks Warnock is a cnut for constantly moaning about that.

 

[red2deadboy]

SAF has mentioned today that he chose not to risk a few 1st teamer's on that shit FA pitch they've charged us £750 mill for, and use to rinse fan's in semi's.
I thought the kids played rather well, and lets not forget there 6 internals out there from the off. I believe yesterdays game will have been a great experience for the kids who play, and competed against the 6th placed team in the toughest league in the world.

 

[henno]

Manchester United had 7 internationals in their starting 11, and we brought on 3 internationals as subs...

Everton started with, what, 6 internationals...... and at that only howard, pienaar, cahill, and fellaini are 'regular' internationals...

its not our fault we have such a strong squad... we should be applauded for this...!!!

 

[Sylar]

I think playing our first team may have been worse. We've seen after Champions League matches (this season especially) that the lads have been tired looking.

Yesterday there was a freshness, and has we been awarded a rightful penalty, there would be no talk of any of this. We lost on pens ffs.

 

[Crustanoid]

They played better than some of our regulars have recently

 

[Muckamore Red]

If anything the FA disrespected the club and it's fans. Sunday afternoon kickoff in London for 2 northern teams, the FA couldn't give a shite about fans.

Was going to make this point. The real ones to disrespect the FA Cup is the FA. Ever since they moved to the semi-finals from a neutral venue to Wembley to get some more money they tarnished the reputation of the cup.

 

[gaffs]

Manchester United had 7 internationals in their starting 11, and we brought on 3 internationals as subs...

Everton started with, what, 6 internationals...... and at that only howard, pienaar, cahill, and fellaini are 'regular' internationals...

its not our fault we have such a strong squad... we should be applauded for this...!!!

Thats not really the point.

Everton may not have as many "Internationals", but they have a strong unit who play together every week.

We put out a team that, compared to Everton, are largely unfamiliar with each other.

I think that has been one of our problems over the last couple of months. Our team seams to change quite significantly every game. Its maybe a necessary evil when your fighting on every front, but it does not help with continuity and maintaining a good level of play. Its perhaps a reason as to why Berbatov has not settled.

 

[Striker10]

I think it's disrespectful to the competition to have the semi's at wembley. For me that is the worst thing but the media are full of crap it obviously doesn't suit their desires to slam the fa as United are bigger 'news'

I find it sad some people are saying United disrespected the competition. The reality is if United didn't have a fixture pile up, United would have played a stronger team

Maybe there should be a winter break or less friendly internationals

I was happy with the team and when you look at how we played, I think it's pathetic anyones moaning about the selection. The people the media asked - clearly aren't proper supporters

These reserve players are part of the clubs future. If they weren't good enough they wouldn't have played so many games

I also find it a bit rich, the ref wasn't changed. What good is tampered goods?

What happened to respecting the officials? Oh yes, people are full of shit...lol

The majority of supporters will have been happy and proud that our 'kids' worked their bollocks off and took a strong everton side to penalties

 

[Sir A1ex]

Simple response - It's the FA who are behind the lack of respect for the cup. They do their best to devalue it, first getting rid of replays, then moving the semis to Wembley.

 

[Sir A1ex]

I think it's disrespectful to the competition to have the semi's at wembley. For me that is the worst thing but the media are full of crap it obviously doesn't suit their desires

Snap (you bastard)