Should we take the FA Cup seriously?

[TMDaines]

Please reminds me, what players did we get after coming 2nd with Mourinho? What happened to "our future"?

We must have also only dreamt about signing Pogba, Zlatan and Mkhi whilst in the Europa too.

 

[Ralph1386]

So much of our future depends on getting top 4. It's about finances, even without considering Covid issues, attractiveness to players, keeping ahold of our best players (Pogba) and being there to stop the scousers from dominating.

We cannot afford to be sentimental about this after missing out on top 4 last year after a similarly great run, so just rest our players. Winning the Europa League will give us that trophy Ole so desires and possibly in much easier competition. It's also a nice a backup in case we fail to get it through the conventional means but when our players will be less tired.

I agree.
Play the B-team.

 

[izec]

Throw it away.

 

[remo]

I hope none of our first 11 will start. After this Sunday we have two very important games every three days.

 

[Isotope]

Starting eleven for the 2009 FA cup semi final against Everton:

Man Utd: Foster, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Fabio Da Silva (Evra 63), Welbeck, Gibson, Anderson, Park (Scholes 67), Tevez, Macheda (Berbatov 91).

Ronaldo and Rooney weren't even on the bench.

Rooney was injured. And we're just finished away to Porto on April 15, and went to CL semifinal (then went on to win the CL). We also were neck to neck with Liverpool for the League.

Meanwhile us now chasing Top 4, and in Europa League. Ole just spent 200+m this season on players. Surely he needs/wants to show more than Top 4 "trophy"?

 

[Isotope]

We must have also only dreamt about signing Pogba, Zlatan and Mkhi whilst in the Europa too.

Yeh. Future of signing good players was ruined because of not getting Top 4 trophy.

 

[sammsky1]

And promise them a brand new Corvette C8 if they beat Chelski. Would be peanuts to Chevy anyway.

they probably cost around $40k to make, so $500k for the entire team. Defo worth it.

 

[Isotope]

Romero; Dalot, Bailly, Maguire (because it's either him or Vic - thank you Jones and Tuanzebe)), Williams; Fred, McTominay; James, Mata; Lingard; Ighalo. That's such an average side, but load up on the bench. This team selection has to be done with an eye towards the league match against West Ham, the last home match of the campaign with David fecking Moyes coming to OT.

We're against team facing relegation battle. At home. We surely don't need a full strength team facing them.

 

[Red00012]

Make 2-3 changes . Go for it. We need to get back to winning trophies

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

Make 2-3 changes . Go for it. We need to get back to winning trophies

Agree and also stop City from getting another trophy. I do not understand why people want to give up and only focus on the league. We even have Europa league that can give us CL qualification.

 

[Rightnr]

Please reminds me, what players did we get after coming 2nd with Mourinho? What happened to "our future"?

I'll actually go ahead and remind you but first another reminder. Mourinho was an idiot when at our club and his transfer policy followed suit.

Now for the second reminder. I hate the Glazers and we have awful transfer negotiators BUT we spent 75m on Lukaku and bought Matic for 40m. Lukaku was the wrong signing for that kind of money but we are similarly looking at Sancho who is the right one. Matic has proven he still has magic in him, so it was more the previous manager who failed him.

All in all, we spent >115m which is very unlikely to have happened without the sponsorship deals staying at full price which won't have been the case if we'd missed the CL.

At the current moment, it is even more crucial for our leechers of owners to get that dough in. There's also been a lot speculation, which given his history and action ring true, that Sancho may have been here last year if we'd qualified.

So, yes, top 4 is that BIG. No two ways about it.

 

[sammsky1]

Has no value to us in our current context. It doesn't even offer a day out to Wembley for the fans.

Let's put it another way, if we win the FA cup (still have City in final) but lost out 4th place and entry into CL, it would be catastrophic for our plans next year. We've won a few cups in recent years anyway. Europa Cup still an option for a shiny end to the season.

I can see no upside for taking the risk. No player from OGS's preferred 1st XI should be risked and should all be fully rested (ie left in Manchester with strict orders to stay at home)

 

[Isotope]

I'll actually go ahead and remind you but first another reminder. Mourinho was an idiot when at our club and his transfer policy followed suit.

Now for the second reminder. I hate the Glazers and we have awful transfer negotiators BUT we spent 75m on Lukaku and bought Matic for 40m. Lukaku was the wrong signing for that kind of money but we are similarly looking at Sancho who is the right one. Matic has proven he still has magic in him, so it was more the previous manager who failed him.

All in all, we spent >115m which is very unlikely to have happened without the sponsorship deals staying at full price which won't have been the case if we'd missed the CL.

At the current moment, it is even more crucial for our leechers of owners to get that dough in. There's also been a lot speculation, which given his history and action ring true, that Sancho may have been here last year if we'd qualified.

So, yes, top 4 is that BIG. No two ways about it.

?? We bought Fred and Dalot, following that 2nd in the League. The rest of money went to Glazers pocket.

 

[Rightnr]

?? We bought Fred and Dalot, following that 2nd in the League. The rest of money went to Glazers pocket.

I got my dates all mixed up but actually the points all very much still stand.

The summer before we got Lukaku, we barely scrapped into the CL through the EL backdoor and were facing a similar cut in revenue, as we'd missed the top 4 the year before.

 

[Morpheus 7]

Yeah but changes needed, if we get through great. Keeps momentum it to the last games. Rotate key players and hope we Knick the win. Can't jeopardize CL football, so close to getting it.

 

[Bastian]

When people want to rotate key players, that includes all of the first XI right?

 

[Class of 63]

When did so many of our fans become flakes, we're in a FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea ffs. Best team available, no mercy.

 

[Cman]

This one is a no brainer for me. Didn’t use first 11 in last round and best not to in this round, cl spot is more important and the players are in bad need of a rest. Good chance Chelsea will also rest players as they play Liverpool next week. I’d like to see Greenwood, Shaw, Bruno, and maybe one other left at home with Maguire being the only one of our first 11 to start. Hopefully one or two players have a really good game and play a big part in the last couple of league games.

 

[cyril C]

I agree.
Play the B-team.

Agree. Our B team isn't exactly "B". Inghalo, James, Fred, Bailley, Mata etc. are all fresh. If Chelsea plays their same 11, Greenwood and Rashford can do a lot of damage at the final 10min.

 

[RedRonaldo]

We should give up FA cup this time, and field all our reserves player.

Seriously our first team players are all super tired, but we desperately need to win our last 2 game for top 4 spot.

If we field our first team and our players become even more stressed, or even injured, and jeopardise our league position, then someone need to be sacked.

 

[Class of 63]

We should give up FA cup this time, and field all our reserves player.

Seriously our first team players are all super tired, but we desperately need to win our last 2 game for top 4 spot.

Based on what? We've probably got the fittest squad in the Country.

 

[Wumminator]

My thread has been misconstrued somewhat

 

[Class of 63]

My thread has been misconstrued somewhat

Well if that doesn't get Google working overtime, nothing will

Other search-engines are available.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Based on what? We've probably got the fittest squad in the Country.

Based on our last few matches, our performance level has dropped a lot. Either our players are suddenly out of form, or they are just simply getting tired as they’ve played too many matches without any proper rest. I thought the majority opinions here would agree.

 

[Charles89]

I think we should make a few changes based on how the players feel, then go for it. If we can get a 2-0 lead or something, then sub off all the important players.

Chelsea will most likely want to rest their players too, as they will play Liverpool after the FA Cup and I think once they concede the game 2-0 down, they might just give up and look forward to their next game.

Winning will keep fueling tired minds and bodies.

 

[cyril C]

Based on what? We've probably got the fittest squad in the Country.

Ask Bruno, Pogba and Matic. Have Maguire played all games since re-start?

 

[Siorac]

Rooney was injured. And we're just finished away to Porto on April 15, and went to CL semifinal (then went on to win the CL). We also were neck to neck with Liverpool for the League.

Meanwhile us now chasing Top 4, and in Europa League. Ole just spent 200+m this season on players. Surely he needs/wants to show more than Top 4 "trophy"?

No he wasn't. Played 90 minutes against both Porto and Portsmouth.

(sadly, we also didn't go on to win the CL)

 

[TMDaines]

Has no value to us in our current context. It doesn't even offer a day out to Wembley for the fans.

Let's put it another way, if we win the FA cup (still have City in final) but lost out 4th place and entry into CL, it would be catastrophic for our plans next year. We've won a few cups in recent years anyway. Europa Cup still an option for a shiny end to the season.

I can see no upside for taking the risk. No player from OGS's preferred 1st XI should be risked and should all be fully rested (ie left in Manchester with strict orders to stay at home)

I bet the players would be truly inspired by your management.

 

[Isotope]

No he wasn't. Played 90 minutes against both Porto and Portsmouth.

(sadly, we also didn't go on to win the CL)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/apr/19/everton-win-fa-cup-semi-final

It said there Rooney was injured.

You're right on that CL. We lost in Final.

 

[sammsky1]

I bet the players would be truly inspired by your management.

You think I’d get a dressing room revolt on football manager?

Maybe the 2nd team would be completely inspired?

 

[sammsky1]

Based on what? We've probably got the fittest squad in the Country.

Looked very fresh and vibrant in last 2 games ... not!

Being very fit is a moot point: it’s pointless unless you have enough time to recover and recharge.

You know this, it’s basics.

 

[Siorac]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/apr/19/everton-win-fa-cup-semi-final

It said there Rooney was injured.

You're right on that CL. We lost in Final.

Press rumours before the game said that Rooney had a metatarsal injury; all Ferguson would say that he and Carrick had minor knocks but nothing serious. And considering that both started against both Porto and Portsmouth, I'm sure Rooney would have played if the game had been a Premier League game at Anfield, for example.

Not that it matters that much, the rest of the team clearly showed that SAF had other fish to fry.

 

[Isotope]

Press rumours before the game said that Rooney had a metatarsal injury; all Ferguson would say that he and Carrick had minor knocks but nothing serious. And considering that both started against both Porto and Portsmouth, I'm sure Rooney would have played if the game had been a Premier League game at Anfield, for example.

Not that it matters that much, the rest of the team clearly showed that SAF had other fish to fry.

True that. He did still have Rio, Vidic, Park, Tevez, and Rafael as starters. Evra and Scholes entered on minutes 67. So eventually on 2nd half, it was a really strong team.

 

[romufc]

Rest the front 5.

I would start James, Ighalo, Lingard, Fred, Mctominay - Stay compact and then maybe bring a few of the players in at 60 mins and go for it.

 

[TMDaines]

You think I’d get a dressing room revolt on football manager?

Maybe the 2nd team would be completely inspired?

I mean Pogba was right all along, as I said he was at the time. We all want a new challenge. We all are fecking sick of just competing for top 4 every year. Now’s our chance to actually do something rewarding that will be remembered... yet people want our management to tell the lads to not worry about winning trophies and just focus on beating West fecking Ham for fourth! I’d get it if we had league deciders for the title and a Champions League quarter or semi sandwiched around this one, but not a game against 16th at home for third or fourth.

We’re gonna be tired against Chelsea regardless, so we may lose even with our strongest selection, but let’s look to make this season a memorable one. We’re not Spurs.

 

[Shane88]

I presume Chelsea will rest players too. Could be reserves vs reserves and if it is, who has the better B team?

 

[Random Task]

I presume Chelsea will rest players too. Could be reserves vs reserves and if it is, who has the better B team?

I don't know much about Chelsea's reserve team players, but they'd have to be pretty shite to be worse than ours.

 

[Siorac]

I mean Pogba was right all along, as I said he was at the time. We all want a new challenge. We all are fecking sick of just competing for top 4 every year. Now’s our chance to actually do something rewarding that will be remembered... yet people want our management to tell the lads to not worry about winning trophies and just focus on beating West fecking Ham for fourth! I’d get it if we had league deciders for the title and a Champions League quarter or semi sandwiched around this one, but not a game against 16th at home for third or fourth.

We’re gonna be tired against Chelsea regardless, so we may lose even with our strongest selection, but let’s look to make this season a memorable one. We’re not Spurs.

The problem is that an FA Cup win will not make it memorable. 2015/16 is memorable for basically not scoring goals ever, not because we won the FA Cup. Everyone still considered that season a massive failure.

Go all out for the Europa League once we have CL qualification secured. Best of both worlds: encouraging league position, shiny trophy. It's also easier as there's no Manchester City there.

 

[United Hobbit]

I'd possibly wait and see what happens with City & Arsenal tomorrow as while we've beaten City this season we could potentially prioritise the FA Cup only to get City in the final, lose to them and have lost 4th in the league at the same time

Chelsea are in a similar position but I'd say on average their back up is slightly stronger

Its hard as it would be lovely to win a trophy and possibly a springboard of momentum for the team but we could risk it costing us 4th place and the perks of that then to lose to City in the final but I also don't want the players thinking a cup is "disposable"

Maybe a mix of those that look least tired then try and get them off early then some of the back up players, bench would be strong but hopefully not needed.

Also the final would be without fans- would possibly reduce the pressure but would the players get the same sense of achievement and all the experience that comes from a trophy?

 

[lysglimt]

We should rest at least 5-6 players for this game - it simply isn't that important to us with West Ham coming up 3 days later

Play Bailly, Fred, McTominay, Lingard, Mata, Oghalo and James at least