THE FA CUP gets a bad rap mostly. With clubs motivated by money rather than prestige and the excitement of winning some silverware, it’s struggled to keep its head above the parapet.
Last night at the Boleyn Ground, there was an energy and electricity between West Ham and Manchester United as the Hammers desperately chased a way back into the game for the last half an hour.
It brought back some memories of when the Cup still meant something.
Like on April 14 1999, when United faced Arsenal in a semi-final replay at Villa Park.
Just three days before, the teams couldn’t be separated after 120 minutes in a dull encounter that lacked any real spice.
They more than made up for it second time around.
The season before, Arsenal had pipped United to the league championship and claimed the Cup too. So the rivalry between both was just nicely simmering.
The replay had everything.
United began brightly as David Beckham whipped a superb opener to the far corner after Teddy Sheringham’s lay-off.
Arsenal replied through Dennis Bergkamp’s deflected equaliser in the second half while Nicolas Anelka thought he scored the winner shortly after as he pounced on Peter Schmeichel’s fumble to tap to the net. But, he was whistled back for offside and both the Arsenal players and management took an age to realise, making it all the more agonising.
Roy Keane was then sent-off after picking up a second yellow for a foul on Marc Overmars and in stoppage time, incredibly, Arsenal were awarded a penalty when Phil Neville brought down Ray Parlour.
Bergkamp saw his subsequent strike saved by Schmeichel – the Dane flinging himself to his left to beat away the Dutchman’s tentative effort.
And the end? Well, we all know what happened, don’t we?
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Ashley Yonng never came across as the sharpest tool in the box
@Kieran: how is it dumb to keep trying to compete? He’s not saying they’ll be successful , just that he won’t give up trying. Real losers are the ones that quit. What would you do?
@Andrew Keane: thing is, United don’t try and compete. Especially not against good teams. They try not to lose.
@James Doyle: They competed against Chelsea!
@The Bunk: I said good teams….
But in fairness, they were at home against a team that has lost 3 out of the last 4, were beaten by 3 by both Watford and Bournemouth, and even then only “went for the win” with 30 minutes left, and Chelsea still had a goal incorrectly disallowed to equalize. It wasn’t all that great, really.
@Kieran: Tool? Yes. Sharp? No.
Ha.
Easy on the glue there Young ya gimp!
@glenn kilfeather: what do you expect him or anyone else put in that position to say ! Now who’s the ‘GIMP!’
@thatsnotme: Ashley Young
@thatsnotme: Ashley Young?
Playing to win? Is that what he calls turning out Jose’s patented 6-4-0 formation anytime United play a team in the top 6? Playing not to lose may get United tremendous results like a 0-0 at Anfield, or a 2-1 over an out of sorts Chelsea, but it does not a “title challenge” make. United have lost 16 points on Man City in 21 games. They were level after 7. That’s the opposite of “going to win every game”.
Deluded as the rest of them!
@Eoin McCarthy: why is he deluded?
@Andrew Keane: By thinking that United, or any team for that matter, might catch City at this stage.
New story on Young tomorrow, “Ashley Young fails drug test”
Dived in there Ashley
Well you hardly expect them to concede matches do you. Everyone else is playing for top 4 places since before Xmas.
Ah brilliant. You have to love Marlo Stanfields optimism. Hahahhah.
@England’s Envy: Careful now, or Young will get Chris and Snoop to put you up in those vacants.
@Alan J. McKenna: Haahaha McNulty will get their asS
You’re talking shiit Ashley….probably just returning what that bird dumped in your mouth that time though ha!
Clown
Hahahahahahahahaha…..lolololilolololololololol