[Berbasbullet]

I saw on Twitter Chelsea set a record for most fouls without receiving a card. Anyone know if that’s true? Seemed like they were getting away with a lot.

Amazing amount of fouls.

 

[Bastian]

What a terrible outlook. Fan or no fans, that was a chance to get to an FA Cup Final where a below par Arsenal team waits. Perfect chance to win a big trophy and build a winning mentality.



Dont care about winning trophies? Again, another disgraceful outlook from a fan. How our fans dont want to win things really irks me.

Get off your high and mighty stance. We have run our players into the ground. Some people on here think logically. They'd have preferred a second string yesterday, and who knows, they might have surprised Chelsea. But we have to prioritise.

You do get an award for being a top red though.

 

[Mount's Goatieson]

Like I said when this draw was made, there was no better way to judge Lampard’s ability to learn from mistakes than to play an opponent who have already beaten you 3 times with the same strategy.
Credit to him. To be a top manager, sometimes you have to acknowledge the strengths of your opponents too and try maintaining a balance between nullifying those threats and imposing yourselves on the game.
Switching the system to a back 3 and incorporating tactical fouls completely nullified United's counter attacking prowess, nipping them in the bud before they even started. Its understandable that United fans didn't like it, its a tactics opposing fans hate but still a tactics anyway.
United's struggles with playing out from the back also played into our hands which I think Lampard also caught on to and played Mount instead of Pulisic(who has been our best player since the restart) to harry and press United's back line into making mistakes which worked.
Our goals was fjust about taking the chances when it came but this game(and against City) is one of the few occasions this season where it was evident we did our homework on our opponent instead of just jumping in and hoping we score more than them.
Kuddos to Frank and hopefully we see more of this next season.

 

[croadyman]

Apparently yesterday was the first time in 22 years we have conceded 3 in an FA Cup tie.

Anyone remember who the opponents were and which player scored two for them on that occasion.

 

[Smithy89]

Ole had an absolute mare with them tactics. Playing that formation and starting James over Igalho and Greenwood was criminal and some sort of sentimental nonsense.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Apparently yesterday was the first time in 22 years we have conceded 3 in an FA Cup tie.

Anyone remember who the opponents were and which player scored two for them on that occasion.

Was it United 5 Chelsea 3 by any chance? Vialli got two.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

1. De Gea should be dropped. He is clearly complacent about his starting chances
2. Lindeloff gets bullied too much. Needs more gym work
3. Beating a chelsea 4 times in one season was a big ask. Its a pity we lost by shooting ourselves in the feet
4. On to the next one. We beat west ham all is forgiven

 

[Craig Ward]

1. De Gea should be dropped. He is clearly complacent about his starting chances
2. Lindeloff gets bullied too much. Needs more gym work
3. Beating a chelsea 4 times in one season was a big ask. Its a pity we lost by shooting ourselves in the feet
4. On to the next one. We beat west ham all is forgiven

You can forgive losing an FA Cup Semi Final by beating a team in the premier league.

Yes we have goals for the season but Top 4 doesnt replace winning a cup.

Players needed a wake up call and they have got it. They have to improve

 

[croadyman]

Was it United 5 Chelsea 3 by any chance? Vialli got two.

Good effort pal but that was earlier in the competition

 

[pacifictheme]

The worst of all worlds that.

Wrong formation, wrong tactics. Didn't rest anyone.

Hope we bounce back against West ham, if we do then I won't care about this.

The players do look a bit fecked though.

 

[croadyman]

The worst of all worlds that.

Wrong formation, wrong tactics. Didn't rest anyone.

Hope we bounce back against West ham, if we do then I won't care about this.

The players do look a bit fecked though.

Yeah I thought we would have been able to take more than the two points needed to qualify for top four,however after seeing how jaded we looked yesterday I am definitely a bit worried.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Good effort pal but that was earlier in the competition

No idea then. That was my first ever away trip to the bridge. I was 12. It was an incredible game.

 

[croadyman]

No idea then. That was my first ever away trip to the bridge. I was 12. It was an incredible game.

Yeah we were 5-0 up at one point in that game and Chelsea were holders at the time

 

[Annihilate Now!]

The worst of all worlds that.

Wrong formation, wrong tactics. Didn't rest anyone.

Hope we bounce back against West ham, if we do then I won't care about this.

The players do look a bit fecked though.

Yeah, I'm a bit annoyed we just didn't go with our normal starting XI now considering nobody got a rest anyway.

 

[dcrompton]

Good effort pal but that was earlier in the competition

It was Barnsley 3-2 but can't remember who scored for them, only players I remember are Craig Hignett and John Hendrie

 

[Stacks]

Just shocked by the amount of people calling an FA Cup semi a meaningless result. United fans becoming small time Spurs fans chasing that "top 4 trophy". Did City Chelsea and Arsenal see this as meaningless? Top clubs win things, not just pkay in the CL

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Just shocked by the amount of people calling an FA Cup semi a meaningless result. United fans becoming small time Spurs fans chasing that "top 4 trophy". Did City Chelsea and Arsenal see this as meaningless? Top clubs win things, not just pkay in the CL

It’s part of the toxic fanbase we have.

Half the posters wanted us to play a reserve team in any case. Well they got what they wanted.

 

[crossy1686]

Just shocked by the amount of people calling an FA Cup semi a meaningless result. United fans becoming small time Spurs fans chasing that "top 4 trophy". Did City Chelsea and Arsenal see this as meaningless? Top clubs win things, not just pkay in the CL

We're well off being near winning things. For us now, the focus is becoming a cemented top 4 side and going from there, at the moment we're not even that. With a strong summer of recruitment we'll be in with a much better shout of winning a trophy outside of the EL.

 

[crossy1686]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

.....

Yes we have goals for the season but Top 4 doesnt replace winning a cup.

....

We still have europa league. A much bigger cup to try and win

 

[r0663664]

It’s part of the toxic fanbase we have.

Half the posters wanted us to play a reserve team in any case. Well they got what they wanted.

I disagree. Alex used to have good players on the bench where rotation doesn't affect performance. The current is 3-5 players of being able to complete. Top 4 will enable more revenue, with revenue we can built a stronger team to complete everything trophies. We look at the bigger picture, not a FA cup success like LVG.

 

[Stacks]

We're well off being near winning things. For us now, the focus is becoming a cemented top 4 side and going from there, at the moment we're not even that. With a strong summer of recruitment we'll be in with a much better shout of winning a trophy outside of the EL.

We were just in an FA cup semi. Why should our attitude be any different from Chelsea's? they win things every season and get top 4. They won Europa last year and finished 3rd. Before that beat us in the FA cup final. You gotta keep adding to that CV. Getting top 4 will not magically transform us into title contenders. Liverpool became title contenders by signing players from teams not even in the CL. We can and should go for both (top 4 and trophy).

 

[Stacks]

I disagree. Alex used to have good players on the bench where rotation doesn't affect performance. The current is 3-5 players of being able to complete. Top 4 will enable more revenue, with revenue we can built a stronger team to complete everything trophies. We look at the bigger picture, not a FA cup success like LVG.

We played CL for a few seasons and it didn;t make a squat of difference in recent years. It didn't just transform us into some top side. You think Pogba and Co just want to play in the CL or do you think they came to win trophies?

 

[SalkinA]

Apparently yesterday was the first time in 22 years we have conceded 3 in an FA Cup tie.

Anyone remember who the opponents were and which player scored two for them on that occasion.

Was it United 5 Chelsea 3 by any chance? Vialli got two.

FA Cup 1997/1998 » Round of 16 » Barnsley FC - Manchester United 3:2
Scott Jones scored twice.

https://www.worldfootball.net/report/fa-cup-1997-1998-achtelfinale-barnsley-fc-manchester-united/

Google for the win. :P

 

[Pav1878]

We were just in an FA cup semi. Why should our attitude be any different from Chelsea's? they win things every season and get top 4. They won Europa last year and finished 3rd. Before that beat us in the FA cup final. You gotta keep adding to that CV. Getting top 4 will not magically transform us into title contenders. Liverpool became title contenders by signing players from teams not even in the CL. We can and should go for both (top 4 and trophy).

Totally agree with this. I can't understand the attitude of some fans about this. Have some ambition! Why can't we go and win trophies while we are building towards the biggest prizes?

Tottenham under Poch turned their noses up at the fa cup and League cup, as they were concentrating on the league and CL, and look where it got them?

If you don't win something, you won't get experience of winning things and that won't develop into a culture of winning which you need for sustained success and not just a flash in the pan

 

[Craig Ward]

We still have europa league. A much bigger cup to try and win

Is it though? Debatable.

I'm just not happy with throwing a relatively easy route to an FA Cup trophy

Chelsea nor Arsenal should be much threat and we blew it. Disappointing

 

[cyril C]

We played CL for a few seasons and it didn;t make a squat of difference in recent years. It didn't just transform us into some top side. You think Pogba and Co just want to play in the CL or do you think they came to win trophies?

If you ask Pogba, or any foreign players, the difference between playing in CL Vs winning FA, the answer is straight forward. Only English fans care FA more than Top 4. In fact, winning Europa is strategically more important than winning FA.

The fact that FA schedules FA Cup in the 2nd half of the season, meant that it will always be 3rd choice, after CL, EPL.

 

[Pav1878]

It’s part of the toxic fanbase we have.

Half the posters wanted us to play a reserve team in any case. Well they got what they wanted.

Thank you! Some sensible United fans at last

 

[Annihilate Now!]

The team selection - I was wondering whether we'd concentrate on trying to win the game, or trying to rest players. I'd have been fine with either. Turns out we managed to come up with a team selection which was neither trying to win the game or rest players. We rested literally no one and yet picked a team that would struggle to beat Chelsea's u18 side. Well done.

Honestly we could have made 11 changes today and said "feck you" to the whole thing and no one would have been able to complain given the game was 2 days after the last one and 2 days before our next one. Or we could have treated the game seriously and picked a team to attack and win. Anyone able to explain what we actually did instead?

This is exactly it.

And if we had picked a full string second XI, I don't think it would be possible and for them to look as bad as whatever that team we put out did. For a start they would have been comfortable with the system/formation.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

You can forgive losing an FA Cup Semi Final by beating a team in the premier league.

Yes we have goals for the season but Top 4 doesnt replace winning a cup.

Players needed a wake up call and they have got it. They have to improve

Making the Champions League is infinitely more important for the club than winning another FA Cup.

Plus, we have another bigger cup to play for yet.

 

[pacifictheme]

Just shocked by the amount of people calling an FA Cup semi a meaningless result. United fans becoming small time Spurs fans chasing that "top 4 trophy". Did City Chelsea and Arsenal see this as meaningless? Top clubs win things, not just pkay in the CL

Not really. Next season if we get CL we may have sancho which will mean far more to our progress than winning the fa Cup. And anyway, we still have the possibility of the europa league which I'd prefer over the fa Cup anyway.

Its called prioritisation.

 

[croadyman]

It was Barnsley 3-2 but can't remember who scored for them, only players I remember are Craig Hignett and John Hendrie

Yeah it was and Hendrie actually scored the first in that game. The other two were scored by youngster Scott Jones.

 

[NewGlory]

False dawns. False dawns. Quite a few of them!

What is clear from this mauling is that City, and especially Liverpool, are head and shoulders better than Chelsea and United! Chelsea and United are evenly matched - they've have had terrible days and we've had shockers too. The league table is an accurate reflection of the quality of the top four big clubs.

All that said, I cannot overstate the importance of the next two league matches for United, particularly the next one against West Ham. If United miss out on the CL, it will be disastrous not just for the next season, but probably for several seasons to come. Chelsea already have a better spending power compared with United and with the extra cash from CL revenue and a better transfer window, the gap between the two clubs may be huge next season.

That may change if we win the Europa, but I wouldn't be too optimistic about winning the Europa when we cannot even finish in the top four in the domestic league or win any domestic cups.

Because City didn't lose to fecking Arsenal the day before, in the same competition? Feck City, seriously. Stop this self-beating and putting City + Pool on a pedestal. It's disgraceful. Pundits do it because they are money-grabbing clowns, there is no need for a United fan to do this.

 

[EwanI Ted]

The team selection - I was wondering whether we'd concentrate on trying to win the game, or trying to rest players. I'd have been fine with either. Turns out we managed to come up with a team selection which was neither trying to win the game or rest players. We rested literally no one and yet picked a team that would struggle to beat Chelsea's u18 side. Well done.

To be fair, the team selection and formation are almost identical the one that beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in February.

Spoiler

Team in Feb

De Gea
Bailly Maguire Shaw
AWB Matic Fred Williams
James Martial​

Team yesterday

De Gea
Bailly Maguire Lindelof
AWB Matic Fred Williams
James Rashford​

Only two changes and both like for like. So, the decision didn't work, but not the illogical choice it might appear.

 

[NewGlory]

I actually think Romero is better and more focused than De Gea. DDG's list of howlers keeps growing. Ole needs to make a big decision on his No 1 soon.

Yes, but Romero can't do #1 goalkeeper job for a big club that wants to fight for trophies. He just doesn't have enough in him for that level. Dean Henderson is better than both of them. And Henderson is dying to come back and prove it. We have to let him.

 

[Denis79]

Just shocked by the amount of people calling an FA Cup semi a meaningless result. United fans becoming small time Spurs fans chasing that "top 4 trophy". Did City Chelsea and Arsenal see this as meaningless? Top clubs win things, not just pkay in the CL

Have to agree with this. My feelings were the opposite of most fans when I saw our lineup, I disliked us not going all in to try and grab that place in the final. FA Cup is a major trophy.

 

[Craig Ward]

Making the Champions League is infinitely more important for the club than winning another FA Cup.

Plus, we have another bigger cup to play for yet.

We have two routes into the champions league though. Its in our hand in the premier league and we're in with a shout for the Europa too.

Chelsea have been inconsistent of late and we've had the better of them this season. Arsenal are also pretty poor this season and easily beatable.

You couldnt have asked for an easier route to a trophy.

If your in the semi final and thats your route - anything but winning the competition is a bit of a let down in my opinion.

We were tactically poor and out played man for man. Chelsea outfought and outplayed us and made us look very very ordinary. It wasnt an acceptable performance from any of our players on the pitch.

Will history remember we finished 3rd or 4th or that we won the FA Cup? I get what your saying - champs league is important but so is winning a trophy.

Im amazed more of our fans arent as annoyed as i am. Shambles

 

[Craig Ward]

Totally agree with this. I can't understand the attitude of some fans about this. Have some ambition! Why can't we go and win trophies while we are building towards the biggest prizes?

Tottenham under Poch turned their noses up at the fa cup and League cup, as they were concentrating on the league and CL, and look where it got them?

If you don't win something, you won't get experience of winning things and that won't develop into a culture of winning which you need for sustained success and not just a flash in the pan

Brilliant post.

I wish our fans would see this, probably the same fans who mocked Spurs are claiming we are doing the right thing now.

We need to aim to win trophies. We wont get much of a better chance than that last night. Shambles of a performance and shambolic comments from some "fans". Mentality is all wrong

 

[croadyman]

FA Cup 1997/1998 » Round of 16 » Barnsley FC - Manchester United 3:2
Scott Jones scored twice.

https://www.worldfootball.net/report/fa-cup-1997-1998-achtelfinale-barnsley-fc-manchester-united/

Google for the win. :P

Haha yeah I remember watching the game on Sky Sports. We just couldn't handle him that night.

If memory serves me right Schmeichel sliced a clearance in the first game straight to Hendrie.

 

[Stookie]

Well.... it’s the next day and usually I’m fairly meh after feeling shite about a loss on the day as it’s still raw. But today I’m still really pissed off about it. That and the fact my phone is going mental with dippers and Leeds fans crowing on like feck. Thanks United. Thanks a bunch.