MANCHESTER UNITED HAVE made the trip south this evening to take on fourth-tier Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium.
On paper it should be a straightforward task for Louis van Gaal’s side, but Cambridge will be keen to cause a famous upset in front of a sell-out 8,000 crowd.
A place in the fifth round of the FA Cup is up for grabs, and kick-off is at 7.55pm.
As always, we’d love to hear from you throughout the game. Send us your thoughts and comments via e-mail pauldollery@the42.ie, tweet us @the42_ie, find us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.
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It’s Friday night FA Cup football at Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium and Manchester United are in town. The visitors’ team is in…
Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, Rojo, Blind, Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Januzaj, Di Maria, Wilson, Falcao. Subs: Rafael, Shaw, Van Persie, Herrera, Fletcher, Valdes, McNair.
No Wayne Rooney in the Manchester United team. What formation can we expect from Louis van Gaal: 3-5-2 or 4-4-2?
Here it is, the one you’ve all been waiting for…
Cambridge United: Dunn, Tait, Taylor, Coulson, Donaldson, Champion, Elliott, Hughes, Nelson, McGeehan, Kaikai. Subs: Norris, Miller, Dunk, Simpson, Ball, Chadwick, Bird.
These fans look pretty jovial considering that — according to Gary Lineker — Cambridge is currently one of the coldest places on earth.
What ever happened to your man Luke Chadwick who played for Manchester United back in the day? He’s on the bench tonight for Cambridge.
No place in Cambridge’s match-day squad for former League of Ireland duo Gearoid Morrissey and Rory Gaffney.
Kick-off at Abbey Stadium is 20 minutes away, folks. Any chance of a shock tonight?
When discussing an FA Cup tie between clubs at opposite ends of the ladder, you’re obliged to point out how many places are between them in English football’s pecking order. That number is 76.
There’s not room to swing a cat tonight in the Abbey Stadium.
Cambridge are available at 12/1 to win tonight. Anyone audacious enough to chance it?
Michael Carrick captains Manchester United in the absence of Wayne Rooney. Three minutes to kick-off in this one.
Van Gaal not hoping for any ‘Magic of the Cup’ tonight.
We’re off here at the Abbey Stadium! Manchester United are all in white, Cambridge are in their traditional gold and black strip.
Manchester United fans can never resist a pop at Steven Gerrard: “Chadwick 1, Gerrard 0″ is the chant, in reference to the Cambridge substitute’s superiority when it comes to Premier League medals.
Very good start by Cambridge here. A free-kick into the visitors’ box was just headed a couple of yards wide by Tom Elliot.
A Manchester United corner is cleared and Kaikai breaks before being halted Valencia. Phil Jones took the corner. Aren’t centre-halves supposed to be on the other end of set-pieces?
Another corner for Cambridge. Donaldson finds Hughes but his effort goes wide. The home team have been on top so far.
Falcao with Manchester United’s first decent attempt on goal but it’s well blocked by Taylor.
Twenty minutes played at the Abbey Stadium. No goals just yet but Cambridge will be the happier of the two sides.
Donaldson found his way through there but Phil Jones rescued the visitors. Really poor start from Louis Van Gaal’s men.
Di Maria has a shot for Manchester United from outside the box which goes so far off target that it’s gone out over the stand… which admittedly isn’t that high, but still.
Former Cork hurler Tom Kenny isn’t a member of the Phil Jones Fan Club…
Booking for Marouane Fellaini for a foul on Kaikai. First yellow card of the game.
Would we be going over the top by saying it’s been all one-way traffic so far? United fans, what’s the verdict?
Almost the opener for Cambridge! Goalmouth scramble after a corner and Coulson heads it just over the crossbar.
Ten minutes to go until half-time. The Manchester United players might be expecting some Fergie-style hairdryer treatment from Louis van Gaal.
This is better from United, keeping hold of the ball and knocking at the door. Di Maria’s shot is deflected into the path of Dunn.. fortunately for the Cambridge goalkeeper.
Free-kick for United in a dangerous position, just to the right and around 25 yards out after a foul on Falcao.
Di Maria’s free-kick is well wide. He’s been struggling to hit the target so far but you get the impression that he’s the most likely man to unlock the Cambridge defence.
Half-time: Cambridge United 0-0 Manchester United 0
It was better from Manchester United in the latter stages of that first half but it was a very poor 45 minutes from the visitors.
Unsurprisingly, Manchester United fans aren’t best pleased…
Cambridge’s Josh Coulson had the best chance of the first half.
Cambridge “have got one hell of a chance” according to Alan Shearer on BBC. “Without a doubt there’s a mistake in that United back-four.”
As we prepare to start the second half, it’s looking good for Cambridge. On level terms and they’ve still got this crafty veteran in reserve.
Januzaj had a good effort saved by Dunn early in this second half. There’s definitely more urgency about the Premier League side now.
Luke Chadwick is warming up! Exciting development for fans of random ’90s footballers.
The weather looks rough at the Abbey Stadium. Time to find out if Falcao and Di Maria can produce the goods on a wet Friday night in Cambridge.
Manchester United are enjoying much more possession but there’s still no sign of a breakthrough.
Penalty claim from Cambridge as Elliot appears to have been brought down by Valencia but the referee waves it away.
Best chance of the game so far: Carrick plays Falcao through and his shot brings a brilliant save from Dunn.
Another yellow card for Manchester United, Wilson going in the book this time for a foul on Elliot. 25 minutes remain.
Double substitution for Manchester United: Robin van Persie and Ander Herrera replace James Wilson and Marouane Fellaini.
Cambridge United are 20 minutes away from what would be an extremely lucrative replay for the League Two club at Old Trafford.
Manchester United are getting desperate now. Phil Jones just had a shot. You probably don’t need us to tell you that it didn’t end well.
Great chance for Van Persie goes too high…
Another half-chance for Manchester United but Antonio Valencia squanders it. It’s going to be a nervy last 16 minutes or so. Another corner now for the away side.
So about that replay…
Luke Chadwick has come on for Cambridge to replace Liam Hughes. What odds on Chadwick scoring the winner against his former club?
Cambridge are really under the cosh now. It’s like a GAA-style game of backs-and-forwards at this stage. Ten minutes of normal time left to play.
Herrera having a positive impact for Manchester United since he came on. They’re creating chances but it’s still scoreless.
Courageous defending from Phil Jones and Cambridge have a corner. Six minutes left.
De Gea punches it away and Herrera clears it from danger. Cambridge are asking questions of the United defence again, however.
Di Maria’s cross is headed harmlessly over the crossbar by Falcao. Three minutes to go. Are Cambridge off to Old Trafford?
We’re into injury time at the Abbey Stadium. A minimum of three minutes to be added.
Brilliant double save by Cambridge goalkeeper Dunn from Januzaj and then Di Maria. Drama in the dying moments but the hosts are hanging in there.
“A draw was a dream result for us and we’ve got it,” Cambridge’s Ryan Donaldson tells the BBC. Man of the match award for Donaldson too.
Cambridge have got a £1.5million trip to Manchester ahead…
Cambridge to win!!!!
In the boat race Ben yea ?
Jaysus, if Cambridge did win, would he still call it a twitchy ass?
No train tunnel !
Did Cambridge back off to get the payday?
Ha ha
Cambridge, a town known for its University and Academics,more than its Football. Locals out in force supporting their local team, even though there is a massive gulf in class and they would be regarded as minnows my many.Now imagine if this game was in Dublin, a town that claims to be sports mad. The locals would be supporting the team in Red. We’ve a lot to learn here, as to what supporting a team is really all about.
A town that claims to be sports mad, but in truth is drink mad, and the premier league is on every weekend down the pub. Maybe the fans in Cambridge need a lesson in what latent alcoholism is all about.
Aye but no one turns out for a regular game, that’s not what support is about!
The fact United were the first team to play at the New Lansdowne road was a joke….. “Fans” were cheering goals scored by United against a league of Ireland 11, so embarrassing.
I think we support out national game quite well in Dublin, hill 16 is packed every championship game! Soccer is a foreign game, and the club/ league/ national soccer set up in this country is a complete joke! The GAA make the FAI look like amateurs
I’m assuming u were at the Aviva last season Luke for Rovers v Liverpool. You’re a Liverpool supporter so maybe you ll point out the difference….
I think they average 4-5000 a game so fairly decent. Still chose to get behind their team tonight instead of the ‘big club’. People support their local side in the UK, like people here do their County in GAA. To do anything else would be perceived as odd over there.
Yeah sure Ger. That’s why there are so many Man United fans in London !!!
That’s just not true. Having met countless English people in hostels whilst traveling I can tell you that unless they come from a place with a big club eg Manchester, most do not support there local club. It’s very strange because they don’t even support there nearest biggest club. The amount of people I met from south England who support Man U even though they have no connection to Manchester is staggering and as far as I could see it wasn’t considered strange by other English people.
I wasn’t at that game Gerry because I was on holidays but to be honest if I did Go I wouldn’t have been cheering Liverpool goals any loader than I would have cheered the local teams goals, i am Irish after all.
That Liverpool game was different because it wasn’t the grand opening for our new national stadium. A bunch of sad gits cheering United while their own country men got hockeyed wasn’t the best way to open something we all paid for.
Not as many as in Dublin and people go watch their local teams in London too. Look at attendances across the UK. Even the Conference averages higher attendances than the LOI. Why? Because there is a culture of attending games, regardless of how big or small your team is.
Chadwick has really grown into his face
So far jones final balls have been shocking poor like, Fellaini given away free after free. It’s been pretty tame the last 28 minutes.
LVG should get Ander Herrera, to teach Fellaini on how to tackle and not give away frees all the time. Herrera had more of an impact in the last 15 minutes than Fellaini.
That was just apalling. I don’t care about the conditions or any other excuse. getting stressed watching it. Ruined my Friday evening.
My God that was painful to watch. LVG can take his philosophy and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
Sloop you can’t blame LVG for players poor choice decisions in the final third, to many time player check back instead of going to the byline
I
Sorry B, don’t agree. The manager picks the team so the buck stops with him. Blind was terrible all thru the game but was only substituted near the end. I’ve heard of “blind” loyalty but that was ridiculous.
Of course you can B, That’s his philosophy. It’s brutal to watch, the attacking UTD is long gone with LVG. Very patient but very hard to watch.
Dion Dublin to come on and score the winner for Cambridge
200 million….well worth it.
Well done Cambridge, horrible conditions but they deserve there day out now at Old Trafford . A nice payday for the club aswell now . Will look forward to the replay .
This the real Bazinga?
Ahhh ffs…. You guys always chop my comment…. Journo, why does this happen?
Baz, was saying this year it seems the cups have been about the lil clubs….. Great to see!
There’s a local Malahide lad doing well with Cambridges youth team the last 2 years. It would have been nice to have seen him play tonight. A year or two early for him though!
Cork lad too playing tonight!
Jones , one of our better headerers of the ball hitting corners. Very poor corners at that. Hmmm
Jones is absolute shite. He looks so cumbersome on the ball, gives it away most of the time.
Squeaky bum time glory seekers.
Who do you support then Ben? If it’s anyone except Accrington Stanley then you can FRO
Blind is the furthest thing away from a left I have ever seen!
Any idea why he’s getting booed? It’s hilarious but baffling
V poor, Cambridge were superb. Conditions were poor but no excuse for lads been paid a normal persons salary a week. At least the replay will ensure Cambridge keep their heads above water. Their fans were superb.
F@#King hopeless!!!! Poor tactical formations and no heart from the utd players. Hard to watch.
Why does LVG persist with 3-5-2 ? http://wp.me/p3yGUO-IC
Except it’s 4-4-2 tonight
If that’s your own blog you’re linking you might want to give it a quick proof read for detail. Murinho, while a very good manager, tends to be successful with the traditional 11 man teams, so unless he abandoned the goalkeeping position in his initial spell as Chelsea manager I don’t think it’s accurate to say he “brought in the 4-4-3 so successfully.”
No sure Jose has played the keeper up front loads of times.
Poor Trapattoni lost his job because he insisted on playing 4-4-2 …….
4 4 2
4 4 2
4 4 2
Herrera for felliani, RVP for Wilson.
Falcao doing nothing Time to bring rvp on
They need to provide him with some proper balls
Whats wrong with ball they are using now?
Pretty sure Utd will win
Crikey neither of em !!