"Disrespecting the FA Cup"

[manufanatic]

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.

this

when berbs came on he should have lead and he didnt thus some of the consterantion on this site.

 

[ralphie88]

How can anyone argue that by playing our kids in the FA Cup Semi Final, we were giving it due respect? Some of the red-tinted spectacles need to be taken off here.

I backed United back in 2000 because of the pressure we were under from the FA, but there was no such pressure on Sunday. They disrespected the FA Cup and I feel sorry for the fans who were not just there on Sunday, but have spent hundreds of pounds following United for the previous rounds only for Fergie to basically decide he didn't give a shit.

 

[gbgary]

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

this!!

 

[Twisted_Woody]

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.)

You're in Canada who the throws that around.

I guess I live in a hole.

 

[MrMarcello]

I didn't have an issue with the team selection only Blue Riley letting the media get to him. What is interesting is just how did the 1999 side manage to survive the grueling last two months with so many fixtures and tight matches with a squad about half the size of today's? Really puts in perspective just how great an achievement 1999 was.

 

[Dans]

I think he did "disrespect" the cup. But he did it because winning the FA Cup is nothing compared to winning the league or champions league. Disappointing, but may well turn out to be a Fergie masterstroke. Of course, if we win feck all...............

 

[pillory]

What is interesting is just how did the 1999 side manage to survive the grueling last two months with so many fixtures and tight matches with a squad about half the size of today's?

There was some rotation. We had all of Stam, Johnsen, Berg, Brown, Irwin, Gary and Phil doing their fair share in defence (pretty much the same situation as this season). Giggs only started 20 league games, the same as Blomquist. Scholes and Butt shared duties quite evenly alongside Keane. Yorke and Cole were sometimes rested and frequently substituted for Solskjær and Sheringham.

 

[Instant Karma]

What is interesting is just how did the 1999 side manage to survive the grueling last two months with so many fixtures and tight matches with a squad about half the size of today's?

We had many genuine match winners then.....we now have just 2. Even if we had played our entire first team bar Rooney and Ronaldo, i doubt the result would have been different.

 

[Laphroaig]

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.

Not really, Rio and Vidic were perhaps our two best performers. (While Park and Tevez were poor.) In the end we were unlucky not to win it, and I see no reason to complain about either the old ones or the young ones.

 

[gaffs]

As it happens Welbeck did a bit better than Berbatov, Scholes / Giggs can't last full games, and Nani has been awful recently.

Welbeck deserved to be there on form, so did Macheda.

So if Macheda and Wellbeck are on form, do you think they will be in ahead of Berbatov/Scholes/Giggs/Nani on Wednesday?

 

[gaffs]

I spoke to two different United fans today (1 a season ticket holder, 1 who went to his first game of the season yesterday) who were at wembley and both said they were dissapointed with the team and squad selection so maybe it's the guys who made the effort to travel to and from london on a sunday who were treated with little respect.

As for disrectecting the fa cup, I don't think so. The team you put out was more than good enough to beat Everton and but for a poor penalty decision or more luck in the shootout Fergie would be being hailled as a genuis today.

Like there is on here, there is oftern a difference of opinion between matchgoers and non matchgoers.

I have not heard anyone on here say they were at the game on sunday and were pleased with the selection and performance.

Im not bothered about "disrectecting the fa cup". But i do feel let down by Fergie fielding a poor team.

 

[VoetbalWizard]

I didn't have an issue with the team selection only Blue Riley letting the media get to him. What is interesting is just how did the 1999 side manage to survive the grueling last two months with so many fixtures and tight matches with a squad about half the size of today's? Really puts in perspective just how great an achievement 1999 was.

because that team had more bollocks and more match winners.

 

[jojojo]

I didn't have an issue with the team selection only Blue Riley letting the media get to him. What is interesting is just how did the 1999 side manage to survive the grueling last two months with so many fixtures and tight matches with a squad about half the size of today's? Really puts in perspective just how great an achievement 1999 was.

The squad size doesn't really give the key players that many days off. In 99 we had 8 players who started more than 40 matches and 12 players who started more than 30 matches, it'll be about the same this year.

It's a fine line between winning and losing and it was then as well. It went right to the wire in the League and beyond it in the CL. It's just hard to do, which is why it doesn't happen very often - and you're right, it does put their achievement into perspective. Still, I'll be impressed if we win our last 10 matches!

Could Roo and Ron have made a difference coming on from the bench? We'll never know - it's not as if they managed it when they came on at Derby away in the League Cup.

 

[cj_sparky]

The reason that everyone has made such a big deal out of it is because we lost.

They don't take into account the fact that over 120 minutes of Normal and extra time, we where the better side. If we had won the penalty shoot out, the media would of talked about the new dynasty of Fergie's fledglings.

Like said the main disrespect is having the semi finals at Wembley so that the money grabbing FA can pay for that over priced toilet bowl. Which has a pitch that most League Two clubs would be ashamed of.

Also I think the match summed up the Premiership. An Everton side missing only Arteta and Yakubu, full of first team players got outplayed by a mostly second string with 4 teenagers. This is as much a bad advert for the League as it is for the FA Cup.