Ferguson's Contemptuous Gesture....

[Zodiac]

Threads in this forum had strongly lobbeyed for the FA Cup to be shown "live" in Thailand. When that was achieved we find that the Man U manager , to the shock of everyone, decided to put out a largely reserve team in the semi final against Everton and paid the price for that dreadful decison by losing the tie.

Even if they were at the wrong end of a penalty decision their best team would have easily seen off Everton in normal time.

Quite apart from people at the game, millions world wide who in many cases paid to see the match on television have been sold short by one team putting out, in effect, many junior players.

Another effect has been that Chelsea will now be odds on to lift the trophy in the final.

Shame on Man U.

[R123]

Agree, Zodiac.

See the Times newpaper today which opines:

"Ferguson went beyond rotation yesterday and treated an FA Cup semi-final as a reserve fixture. For an hour at least. He appeared to hand the Cup its biggest insult since 2000 when United, at the Government's prompting, opted out in favour of Fifa's inaugural Club World Cup in Brazil (the view was that such a gesture would assist England's World Cup bid). "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...penComment=true

[suiging]

Makes you think.............With all their debt and a grand or two on Everton with Malaysian bookies

Nice little earner for the septic owners !!!

[farangconnection]

Not cut & posted, but my views.

I thought he was dreaming of a 5 timer. Instead he fielded a team of kids that could not even beat a sub-standard Everton. If this is the way he treats the greatest National football contest on Earth, he should not be allowed to put a team in it. Like a few of years ago when he jumped at the chance of giving it a miss. Yesterday was proof he was talking rubbish, when he ridiculed the press for suggesting he had the ability to field two teams. One for the FA Cup, and one for the World Club Championship. Mind you, it's probably easier playing against teams nobodies ever heard of.

Yesterday United were terrible.OK his kids gave it a go, but just as the day before it was the men v the boys. Although this time round the men were rubbish as well. Fergeson was ranting and raving once more, that he should have had a penalty. So? On this evidence they would have missed it anyway. Maybe,just maybe they should have let the babes take the penalties. Two first teamers missed.We can't even say Everton deserved it. Nobody deserved it.

[galowgala]

Threads in this forum had strongly lobbeyed for the FA Cup to be shown "live" in Thailand. When that was achieved we find that the Man U manager , to the shock of everyone, decided to put out a largely reserve team in the semi final against Everton and paid the price for that dreadful decison by losing the tie.

Even if they were at the wrong end of a penalty decision their best team would have easily seen off Everton in normal time.

Quite apart from people at the game, millions world wide who in many cases paid to see the match on television have been sold short by one team putting out, in effect, many junior players.

Another effect has been that Chelsea will now be odds on to lift the trophy in the final.

Shame on Man U.

its not the 1st time ferguson has been disrespectful towards the FA cup, they chose to not play in the FA cup and play in the world club championship and as usual manu remained unpunished.

They should have been banned from the FA cup for at least 5 years to teach them a lesson, THEN FERGIE HAS THE CHEEK TO BLAME THE PITCH FOR HIS TEAM SELECTION AFTER THEY LOST

[bkkjames]

First of all, congrats to Everton.

MU Team Selection: surprising but overall played as good as Everton's first team. Won't go into the penalty cause no point at this point.

Will go into the pitch though. Absolute travesty. Carling Cup final pitch was horrible - same with Chels / Arse game and last nights match.

Funny how they always are quick to defend the new wembley as a multi-use stadium and that's why the pitch is a disaster.

This is supposed to be the showpiece for England's World Cup bid - Platini and Bladder must be very happy with what they have been seeing.

TIP: if taking a stab at future wembley games - go for the under.

[samuibeachcomber]

Had had enough after 45 minutes,such a boring game after watching the chelsea/arsenal game.dont think i missed a thing.

PS.would rather see the semi's back at hillsborough and villa park................leave wembley for the big one.And have to agree that pitch looked terrible,does not bode well for the final.

[MSingh]

I thought Man Utd played well up until i fell asleep at HT & looked the most likely, Reserve Team or not, to win the Game or at leats score if anyone was going to.

It's Ferguson's perogavtive what Team he puts out & that Team he did put out hardly got tonked 4-0 or something like that anyway..

Oh & forget Semi Finals away from Wembley, it comes down to what everything comes down to in Football these days, $$$$$..

[samuibeachcomber]

I thought Man Utd played well up until i fell asleep at HT & looked the most likely, Reserve Team or not, to win the Game or at leats score if anyone was going to.

It's Ferguson's perogavtive what Team he puts out & that Team he did put out hardly got tonked 4-0 or something like that anyway..

Oh & forget Semi Finals away from Wembley, it comes down to what everything comes down to in Football these days, $$$$$..

Am sure you're right.just think it takes away the mystique of the final,of having finally got there.

[highchol]

I thought Man Utd played well up until i fell asleep at HT & looked the most likely, Reserve Team or not, to win the Game or at leats score if anyone was going to.

It's Ferguson's perogavtive what Team he puts out & that Team he did put out hardly got tonked 4-0 or something like that anyway..

Oh & forget Semi Finals away from Wembley, it comes down to what everything comes down to in Football these days, $$$$$..

yes its his perogative to put out whatever team he wants, its also the TV veiwers perogative to switch off, which i did ( well my wife did, i fell asleep)

For the neutral Boring. For everton good on ya, hope you go on and beat chelski.

[colino]

I thought Ferguson had a duty to play the best team he could

I'm not a Man U fan ,

but to throw away a good chance at the big 5. Mental

Not just for Man U but for UK football as well.

It would have been the Perfect Retirement Present

colino

[suiging]

If I was a Luton fan, I would be spitting teeth. They commit 300% to all competitions and tried their hardest to overcome a maasive points deduction for debts that make Utd's look like my church contributions.

Now don't get me wrong, a more attractive attacking team at their best hard to find, but with their monumental debt and this disregard for the rest of the FA...............well !!

[bkkjames]

I thought Ferguson had a duty to play the best team he could

I'm not a Man U fan ,

but to throw away a good chance at the big 5. Mental

Not just for Man U but for UK football as well.

It would have been the Perfect Retirement Present

colino

Not to make excuses for Fergie because I believe his record speaks for itself, but when you are juggling 3 competitions at a time, you go with what you feel will give you the best chance at all 3.

Believe me, as Man U supporter I wish we had CR, WR on the pitch but I also understand that we have Portsmouth in a couple of days and a very tight race in the league, not to mention CL semis in a week and half.

In hindsight it looks like a mistake but that's the luxury we have after the fact.

[MSingh]

But are we all in agreement that this " Reserve side " were actually for the 120 mins, the better Team ??

[colino]

I thought Ferguson had a duty to play the best team he could

I'm not a Man U fan ,

but to throw away a good chance at the big 5. Mental

Not just for Man U but for UK football as well.

It would have been the Perfect Retirement Present

colino

Not to make excuses for Fergie because I believe his record speaks for itself, but when you are juggling 3 competitions at a time, you go with what you feel will give you the best chance at all 3.

Believe me, as Man U supporter I wish we had CR, WR on the pitch but I also understand that we have Portsmouth in a couple of days and a very tight race in the league, not to mention CL semis in a week and half.

In hindsight it looks like a mistake but that's the luxury we have after the fact.

Yes hindsight is a wonderful thing and we are all better managers than the current team manager

When a game goes wrong, Oh well no point crying over spilt milk.

After all it was the FA Cup and anything can happen Everton might go all the way ,

[patklang]

I hate Man Poo but Fergie picked a team to win the game not lose.Not a great game to watch but United did enough to win and it WAS a penalty too.

However they have missed a great opportunity to play Chelsea in the finals,so Fergie has made the wrong decision to play a weakened side,and should be critisised for it.

[bkkjames]

I hate Man Poo but Fergie picked a team to win the game not lose.Not a great game to watch but United did enough to win and it WAS a penalty too.

However they have missed a great opportunity to play Chelsea in the finals,so Fergie has made the wrong decision to play a weakened side,and should be critisised for it.

I don't disagree about giving him some stick for the team selection. However had the ref did his job, today we would be on here saying what a brave move to play the kids.

Anyways, in a sick sort of way, I am actually a little happy for David Moyes.

[Chaimai]

Not cut & posted, but my views.

I thought he was dreaming of a 5 timer. Instead he fielded a team of kids that could not even beat a sub-standard Everton. If this is the way he treats the greatest National football contest on Earth, he should not be allowed to put a team in it. Like a few of years ago when he jumped at the chance of giving it a miss. Yesterday was proof he was talking rubbish, when he ridiculed the press for suggesting he had the ability to field two teams. One for the FA Cup, and one for the World Club Championship. Mind you, it's probably easier playing against teams nobodies ever heard of.

Yesterday United were terrible.OK his kids gave it a go, but just as the day before it was the men v the boys. Although this time round the men were rubbish as well. Fergeson was ranting and raving once more, that he should have had a penalty. So? On this evidence they would have missed it anyway. Maybe,just maybe they should have let the babes take the penalties. Two first teamers missed.We can't even say Everton deserved it. Nobody deserved it.

What a great chance for the Man U bashers to come out of the woodwork !

It is <deleted> to suggest that Ferguson treats the FA Cup with contempt - afterall, haven't they won it 5 times in last 9 years and been runners up a couple of times.

Fergie is paid to manage and his track record shows that he is second to none. He statesd from the outset that he wanted to blood youngsters in this competition - his choice and that team would still finish in the top 3 of the Premiership.

Not a good game (the Arse vs Chelski was some million miles off being a classic) but Man U had the balance of play, from my viewpoint in the local bar, and lacked that bit of Rooney or Ronaldo magic to clinch it - wait a minute wasn't a couple of bits of magic from Macheda that rescued Man U's season ?

Get off Fergie's back - he did the right thing in following his strategy, he was not disrespectful to the FA Cup and only a couple of p!ss poor penalties prevented these youngsters getting to the final.

[jjp]

I see the ABU,s are out in force again

here are fergie's thoughts on it.

United's youngsters may have failed by a whisker to win the FA Cup semi-final but they still passed a severe test of their temperament with credit.

That was the positive message from Sir Alex Ferguson in the wake of a penalties defeat to Everton at Wembley, where he fielded four teenagers in Fabio and Rafael da Silva, Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck. The average age of the starting XI was only 22.

"We had two teams in mind after Wednesday’s win in Portugal, with one leaving out two or three players but having watched the game yesterday (Chelsea's semi-final versus Arsenal), I thought the pitch looked heavy and dead," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"What I couldn’t afford was extra-time with my strongest team, with our programme coming up. We’ve got games on Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday lunch-time (at Middlesbrough) and then Tuesday. I had to make a change some time.

"Knowing the young players' temperament, their quality and their energy, I thought it was the right thing to do. Obviously I’m going to have some critics but I think the fans know this club is built on young players getting an opportunity.

"We wanted to give them an opportunity today. I know that in whatever games we’ve got in the run-in, we can play the likes of Macheda, Welbeck and Rafael without any question at all."

[farangconnection]

But are we all in agreement that this " Reserve side " were actually for the 120 mins, the better Team ??

I should hope so. Everton were well below par. Any team in the Premiership would have beaten them yesterday, maybe the Championship as well.

[farangconnection]

I don't disagree about giving him some stick for the team selection. However had the ref did his job, today we would be on here saying what a brave move to play the kids.

Why? It was a penalty, not a goal. If penalties were certain goals like you seem to think, the match would still be running now. And what about Everton's penalty shout? Most of the UK papers reckon that was a penalty as well. And on the later evidence, Everton would've been the more likely to score.

[bkkjames]

I don't disagree about giving him some stick for the team selection. However had the ref did his job, today we would be on here saying what a brave move to play the kids.

Why? It was a penalty, not a goal. If penalties were certain goals like you seem to think, the match would still be running now. And what about Everton's penalty shout? Most of the UK papers reckon that was a penalty as well. And on the later evidence, Everton would've been the more likely to score.

hmm ok, jag was a red card, down to 10 men, probably 1-0 down with 15 mins to play.

Anyways, cant change it but Everton better bring more than a few long balls to furry head if they have any hope of beating Chelsea in the final.

[farangconnection]

What a great chance for the Man U bashers to come out of the woodwork !

It is <deleted> to suggest that Ferguson treats the FA Cup with contempt - afterall, haven't they won it 5 times in last 9 years and been runners up a couple of times.

Fergie is paid to manage and his track record shows that he is second to none. ly a couple of p!ss poor penalties prevented these youngsters getting to the final.

1 Last years Champions League Final Man U won on penalties

2 This years Charity Shield Man U won on penalties

3 Last years Charity Shield Man U won on penalties

3 This years Carling Cup final Man U won on Penalties

4 This years Semi-Final FA cup Man U lost on Penalties.

Goes to show you Fergie should invest in lottery tickets all the luck he's having.

[samuibeachcomber]

Fergie took a gamble and this time it did n't pay off,remember wenger often fields a second eleven in the FA cup.So he's not the only one.Redknap too in the UEFA cup.

[oldgit]

I hate Man Poo but Fergie picked a team to win the game not lose.Not a great game to watch but United did enough to win and it WAS a penalty too.

However they have missed a great opportunity to play Chelsea in the finals,so Fergie has made the wrong decision to play a weakened side,and should be critisised for it.

I don't disagree about giving him some stick for the team selection. However had the ref did his job, today we would be on here saying what a brave move to play the kids.

Anyways, in a sick sort of way, I am actually a little happy for David Moyes.

So referees are not allowed to make mistakes but managers and players can make them with impunity?

[Chaimai]

What a great chance for the Man U bashers to come out of the woodwork !

It is <deleted> to suggest that Ferguson treats the FA Cup with contempt - afterall, haven't they won it 5 times in last 9 years and been runners up a couple of times.

Fergie is paid to manage and his track record shows that he is second to none. ly a couple of p!ss poor penalties prevented these youngsters getting to the final.

1 Last years Champions League Final Man U won on penalties

2 This years Charity Shield Man U won on penalties

3 Last years Charity Shield Man U won on penalties

3 This years Carling Cup final Man U won on Penalties

4 This years Semi-Final FA cup Man U lost on Penalties.

Goes to show you Fergie should invest in lottery tickets all the luck he's having.

Must have been <deleted> lucky to win all those Premiership titles as well - didn't see one of those 5 FA Cup wins being 'lucky' penalties. Thought you might have been more supportive of a fellow Scrote

[bkkjames]

I hate Man Poo but Fergie picked a team to win the game not lose.Not a great game to watch but United did enough to win and it WAS a penalty too.

However they have missed a great opportunity to play Chelsea in the finals,so Fergie has made the wrong decision to play a weakened side,and should be critisised for it.

I don't disagree about giving him some stick for the team selection. However had the ref did his job, today we would be on here saying what a brave move to play the kids.

Anyways, in a sick sort of way, I am actually a little happy for David Moyes.

So referees are not allowed to make mistakes but managers and players can make them with impunity?

hmm ok oldgit, next time your chelsea is on the short end of something so obvious we won't expect your two cents on it then mate

[petermik]

Threads in this forum had strongly lobbeyed for the FA Cup to be shown "live" in Thailand. When that was achieved we find that the Man U manager , to the shock of everyone, decided to put out a largely reserve team in the semi final against Everton and paid the price for that dreadful decison by losing the tie.

Even if they were at the wrong end of a penalty decision their best team would have easily seen off Everton in normal time.

Quite apart from people at the game, millions world wide who in many cases paid to see the match on television have been sold short by one team putting out, in effect, many junior players.

Another effect has been that Chelsea will now be odds on to lift the trophy in the final.

Shame on Man U.

But for a bad refereeing decision denying United a clear penalty and the fact that at no time did Everton outplay them Ferguson made a decision which he felt was the best for his club.United have played 56 games so far this season with hopefully many more to come.What is the point of having a squad of players if you cannot use/trust them.They did well yesterday-good luck to Everton!

[Penkoprod]

Heres what gets up my nose about Ferguson.

Late last week he said "Irrespective of what Rafa Benitez says, they (Everton) are a big club,"

THEN he insults them (Everton) by fielding a second string side against this "big" club. Which one of his two faces did he have on yesterday, huh?

SO MUCH for respect and dignity huh? Hypocricy at its lowest.

I wonder how Moyes felt when he saw the team selection

Penkoprod

[bkkjames]

Heres what gets up my nose about Ferguson.

Late last week he said "Irrespective of what Rafa Benitez says, they (Everton) are a big club,"

THEN he insults them (Everton) by fielding a second string side against this "big" club. Which one of his two faces did he have on yesterday, huh?

SO MUCH for respect and dignity huh? Hypocricy at its lowest.

I wonder how Moyes felt when he saw the team selection

Penkoprod

relieved?

sorry, ferdinand, vidic, tevez, park, anderson, da silvas are not second string. brought on evra, scholes and berbatov.

hardly disrepectful.