Manchester United 0-0 Everton ( 2-4 on pens )

That was the first FA cup semi final i have seen us lose in all the years i have been watching United. But to be honest if we go and win the league, this defeat may turn out to be a good thing. I don't blame Fergie for the team he put out either. This was always going to be a tought game even if he had picked a stonger line up, and there would still have been a chance of extra time. And the last thing we wanted was our best players playing 120 minutes on that surface with an 18th title to win to slience the other half of meseryside, i'm totally with Fergie on that. Sure it was galling to lose to Everton, who whilst they are not Liverpool, are still scouse after all.
Having said all that the youngsters gave a reasonable account of themselves even if they were all a little bit inconsistent. Welbeck had a first half to forget but he kept going and showed really good character to become one of our more dangerous players in the second half. It was never going to be easy for Macheda starting his very first 90 minutes for United at Wembley against a strong Everton team. But he didn't disgrace himself and showed some good touches at times. The Da Silva twins did ok, but we already know they are going to be class acts. Gibson did alright but central midield was where were always going to struggle, it's hard to have two young players operating there in games of this level. Anderson had a game that has been typical of him of late. He looked very strong defensively, but he still gives the ball away too cheaply.
There weren't that many chances in the game, although there would have been more if Welbeck would have had his shooting boots on. Two or three times in the game the ball came to him in inviting positions and he completely mishit the ball or kicked fresh air instead. We did hit the post as Welbeck's effort was defelected by Lescott but that would have been fortunate. Everton didn't really create much in the first half, the only worry when Foster delayed his kick too long and Saha almost embarassed him.
The second half wasn't that much more entertaining, but Everton did make it a more even affair, with the teams on show that was the least we should have expected. When the penalty that should have been wasn't given, i began to wonder if this was going to be one of those days. How the referee didn't give that loses me, it just couldn't hae been much more blatant.Welbeck showed good skill to go close with a few minutes to go. But the game went where we hadn't wanted it to, penalties.
I thought United would have done better in extra time but the best chance probably fell to Everton, but they couldn't take it. I am never confident when it goes to penalties, we may have won in Moscow and on our last time at Wembley, but this was a totally different team. Added to that i have still never seen us win a penalty shoot out in the flesh. And i still haven't. It's hard to believe Berbatov's terrible attempt after we had been given the advantage by Cahill's almost equally bad first effort. I was a big fan of Berbatov but i must admit to having doubts that will just get bigger with episodes like that. It wasn't just the awfulness of the kick but the body language as he walked up to take it. After that it just seemed how early we lost to me, Ferdinand's kick wasn't that bad to be fair, he put it in the corner but Howard guessed right and made a fine save.
I have never belived the quintuple was on, i didn't think we were good enough, but we have had injuries, lost form and had decisions go against us of late. A successful season would still entail just the league title for me, the league cup was just a nice bonus really. If the league does come back to Old Trafford i will have forgot all about yesterday.


I hadn't expected to be impressed by the new Wembley, and i wasn't wrong. It makes laugh to think of it really. Years ago Ken Bates had a pop at United saying Old Trafford was situated in a glorified industrial estate. This from the man who was in charge of the building of the new Wembley fiasco. It really is a souless new stadium aka all the rest, with plenty of warehousing and a big Ikea facing the ground, just another glorified industrial estate really. The bogs are a joke, there are no urinals just cubicles in the mens, unbelivable, really catering for the new fan there. It was a good view, i can't knock that. There wasn't much atmosphere, the atmosphere at our end was absolutely garbage, nothing new i suppose. Right from arriving at the ground it was obvious that their fans were miles more up for it than ours. United really are going to have the support it desevres in the next 10 years or so if things carry on like this. They might fill Old Trafford but it won't be much of an experience for the day trippers. When Berbatov missed his penalty the amount of wankers that took that as their to go was unreal, i though we were going to lose after that, but, you stay and you hope, surely you hope especially with United, had they forgotten Moscow already, and you get behind the shirts. And if you do lose you give the young lads some applause and encouragement.

Fergie has no regrets
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/ferguson-has-no-regrets-over-depleted-team-1671516.html

Fergie and Wenger unite to condem wembley pitch
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/20/arsene-wenger-wembley-fa-cup-chelsea-guus-hiddink
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/5187596/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-wants-FA-to-act-over-Wembley-pitch.html

He's fat his round has a go at Fergie and Allardyce
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article6133213.ece

Was Fergies team selection to blame? maybe but if we go on to win the league he will have done the right thing for me
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/apr/19/manchester-united-everton-fa-cup

Interesting new tax plans from the lib dems
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/20/nick-clegg-liberal-democrat-tax-cuts

Will Hutton on economic ortodoxy, how it got it all wrong, and the chance to make things anew
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/19/banking-budget-recession-will-hutton