Manchester United News 24/7Writer: Zae 
Date:Sunday April 19 2009
Time: 9:47PM
UK time is: 02:04:47
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Fergie's Team Selection Was Essentially Correct
Sir Alex Ferguson will be criticised a lot for fielding an understrength team for the FA Cup semi-final against Everton. United, despite having the upper hand during the game, lost in a penalty shootout because the youngsters could not turn their superiority into goals.
Rafael, Fabio, Gibson, Welbeck and Macheda all started and they were all good. The defence was fine and the twins did not let anyone go past them; Gibson held his own in midfield and could have scored with a dangerous shot; Macheda and Welbeck combined in lovely fashion in the first half and though the Italian faded in the second, Welbeck continued to excel and he was unlucky not to win a penalty and not to score with a brilliant curling shot that just evaded the top corner.
So it's not that the youngsters were out of their depth: that's more true of Tevez who produced yet another disappointing performance... Of course our strongest team might have won the game. But only one thing is certain: that we'll have two league games in six days and a Champions League semi-final after that. Our jaded key players need a break badly and only by taking a gamble with this game could Fergie give them that.
Yes, we lost and yes, it's painful. But the league is more important so I'm quite happy that Rooney, Ronaldo, Carrick or Giggs did not have to endure such an intense game on a difficult pitch. They earned a little rest after the Porto heroics and hopefully it will help us in our title bid.
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Your Comments
personally, I would have rested players in your next game. you are 1 point clear of liverpool, so worst case, you loose your game in hand, then you are still in poll position to win the title. you would then probably have won the game today in 90mins, so vidic+ferdiand would not have played the extra half an hour, and would have been more fresh. and (much as I hate to say it), everton at wembley in the fa cup semi final is a more important match, that is harder to win than portsmouth at home, in the league, when your already ahead.
pompeycarpet
personally, I would have rested players in your next game. you are 1 point clear of liverpool, so worst case, you loose your game in hand, then you are still in poll position to win the title. you would then probably have won the game today in 90mins, so vidic+ferdiand would not have played the extra half an hour, and would have been more fresh. and (much as I hate to say it), everton at wembley in the fa cup semi final is a more important match, that is harder to win than portsmouth at home, in the league, when your already ahead.
pompeycarpet
I think the only mistake fergie made was playing tevez. I'm tired of hearing about his work rate! Park works just as hard as tevez but isn't worth £32M. Besides, if he didn't give away the ball so much maybe he wouldn't have to work so hard in chasing it down. Berba took one of the worse penalties of all time today and will be labelled lazy and a waste of money. But in the half hour he played he was a lot more dangerous than tevez was the entire game. I appreciate his endeavour but in my opinion he is only good enough to be 3rd or 4th choice for us.
tuscan3000
I think the only mistake fergie made was playing tevez. I'm tired of hearing about his work rate! Park works just as hard as tevez but isn't worth £32M. Besides, if he didn't give away the ball so much maybe he wouldn't have to work so hard in chasing it down. Berba took one of the worse penalties of all time today and will be labelled lazy and a waste of money. But in the half hour he played he was a lot more dangerous than tevez was the entire game. I appreciate his endeavour but in my opinion he is only good enough to be 3rd or 4th choice for us.
tuscan3000
Good summary of the match. Tevez and Berbatov really didn't give us anything to talk about (again) and we missed Rooney, Ronaldo and Carrick. Glad to see the back four up and running - Vidic is an animal and the twins are a class act! Thought Kiko did ok, would like to see him in a match where he gets a little more service. Fair play to Everton, they are a well organized team and plyed there hearts out.
skylab
Good summary of the match. Tevez and Berbatov really didn't give us anything to talk about (again) and we missed Rooney, Ronaldo and Carrick. Glad to see the back four up and running - Vidic is an animal and the twins are a class act! Thought Kiko did ok, would like to see him in a match where he gets a little more service. Fair play to Everton, they are a well organized team and plyed there hearts out.
skylab
I said it prior to the match tevez's head ain't in it anymore....he has already moved on to the next club....I mean how can we expect someone who after all this time with sees that he didn't impress the manager to buy him...i'm sure that he doubts that we will buy him at this point and is already moving on....
berba...I personally thought he would be better i thought that he was perfect for the system we play....but i would personally like to give macheda a chance to play alongside rooney and ronaldo....
ibrahiy
I said it prior to the match tevez's head ain't in it anymore....he has already moved on to the next club....I mean how can we expect someone who after all this time with sees that he didn't impress the manager to buy him...i'm sure that he doubts that we will buy him at this point and is already moving on....
berba...I personally thought he would be better i thought that he was perfect for the system we play....but i would personally like to give macheda a chance to play alongside rooney and ronaldo....
ibrahiy
I really salute Sir Alex for playing this team,it really shows the confidence he has in them and to be fair everyone rose to the occasion and played well against a nearly full strength everton team.I agree with ibra that if macheda could get a chance with rooney and ronaldo we would be able to see a lot more of his undoubted talent.
abmtd
I really salute Sir Alex for playing this team,it really shows the confidence he has in them and to be fair everyone rose to the occasion and played well against a nearly full strength everton team.I agree with ibra that if macheda could get a chance with rooney and ronaldo we would be able to see a lot more of his undoubted talent.
abmtd
best of luck to both everton and chelsea,may the best team win.
abmtd
best of luck to both everton and chelsea,may the best team win.
abmtd
It hurts, but I'm trying to convince myself that, like last season, if we win the double, the FA Cup defeat won't hurt quite so much. We should have played our strongest side, but arguably the team was good enough to win the match (and nearly did, as the penalty should have been given). Hopefully the team will be well rested, and, as very few of them played, our confidence won't have been affected. And a few who had knocks, Rooney and Carrick, might be fit for wednesday. Disappointing yes, but we must move on. After all, if Arsenal do us a favour and then we beat Portsmouth well on wednesday we could be feeling a whole lot better :)
Man utd champions
It hurts, but I'm trying to convince myself that, like last season, if we win the double, the FA Cup defeat won't hurt quite so much. We should have played our strongest side, but arguably the team was good enough to win the match (and nearly did, as the penalty should have been given). Hopefully the team will be well rested, and, as very few of them played, our confidence won't have been affected. And a few who had knocks, Rooney and Carrick, might be fit for wednesday. Disappointing yes, but we must move on. After all, if Arsenal do us a favour and then we beat Portsmouth well on wednesday we could be feeling a whole lot better :)
Man utd champions
This was a day of bad luck.
Bad luck that Berba missed.
Bad luck that Ferdinand missed.
Bad luck that Tavez was 120 min on the pitch.
soccaron
This was a day of bad luck.
Bad luck that Berba missed.
Bad luck that Ferdinand missed.
Bad luck that Tavez was 120 min on the pitch.
soccaron
you guys cannot be okay with sir alex's decision. You could never get a better chance of winning the quintuple. you must be dissapointed. The team that was put out against everton was a weak side. What sir alex should have done is to put out his best team and have enough confidence that your boys could get the job done in 90minutes. Everton were not great, they were okay and i thought everton would beat you guys with in the 90 mins after looking at the line ups initially and on the whole it was a really boring game to watch for a nuetral as is every game involving everton.
Yid_from_India
you guys cannot be okay with sir alex's decision. You could never get a better chance of winning the quintuple. you must be dissapointed. The team that was put out against everton was a weak side. What sir alex should have done is to put out his best team and have enough confidence that your boys could get the job done in 90minutes. Everton were not great, they were okay and i thought everton would beat you guys with in the 90 mins after looking at the line ups initially and on the whole it was a really boring game to watch for a nuetral as is every game involving everton.
Yid_from_India
Yid_from_india, personally I'm happy with the decision. It gave a great insight into the future of man utd and showed the kids that talent will always be more important than age at our club. With hindsight, everton were not great and we might not get a great result against pompey - in which case it migt feel like a wasted oppertunity. But before the game, given our previous performances where the lads were not just poor, but looked exhausted - if you'd have offered me the chance to risk elimination from the fa cup, so we could be fresher for the league , I would have taken it. To throw away all that hard work in the league after 30+ games would hurt alot more than missing out on the quintuple. Besides, we already lost the super cup, so its not like we were ever going to do a clean sweep of everything anyway. Its frustrating to get knocked out considering the gamble could have paid off, but it just goes to show that a quintuple win relies on much more than just the performance of the players - their is an extra dimension of luck which cannot be accounted for.
tuscan3000
Yid_from_india, personally I'm happy with the decision. It gave a great insight into the future of man utd and showed the kids that talent will always be more important than age at our club. With hindsight, everton were not great and we might not get a great result against pompey - in which case it migt feel like a wasted oppertunity. But before the game, given our previous performances where the lads were not just poor, but looked exhausted - if you'd have offered me the chance to risk elimination from the fa cup, so we could be fresher for the league , I would have taken it. To throw away all that hard work in the league after 30+ games would hurt alot more than missing out on the quintuple. Besides, we already lost the super cup, so its not like we were ever going to do a clean sweep of everything anyway. Its frustrating to get knocked out considering the gamble could have paid off, but it just goes to show that a quintuple win relies on much more than just the performance of the players - their is an extra dimension of luck which cannot be accounted for.
tuscan3000
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha u dirty evil devils u can stick berbatoss up your aarsenalll
Hackspur
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha u dirty evil devils u can stick berbatoss up your aarsenalll
Hackspur
My mates a Utd fan, yesterday cost him £230 to travell down south, somewhere to stay ticket and expenses etc. WHen he got there Fergie was playing his C-Side. Put whatever spin you like on it, it was a shocking decision that disrespected the trophy and im glad that sulky bulgarian tw*t showed his true colours for you. £31million? youre having a laugh!
HuddersfieldYiddo
My mates a Utd fan, yesterday cost him £230 to travell down south, somewhere to stay ticket and expenses etc. WHen he got there Fergie was playing his C-Side. Put whatever spin you like on it, it was a shocking decision that disrespected the trophy and im glad that sulky bulgarian tw*t showed his true colours for you. £31million? youre having a laugh!
HuddersfieldYiddo
If their was any doubt about where Fergusons priorities lie and how he rates the F.A. Cup this team selection answers it.
Not so many years ago the club would have been heavyly fined, and what about the fans that pay hundreds of pounds for tickets and travel to watch the reserves.
denno4
If their was any doubt about where Fergusons priorities lie and how he rates the F.A. Cup this team selection answers it.
Not so many years ago the club would have been heavyly fined, and what about the fans that pay hundreds of pounds for tickets and travel to watch the reserves.
denno4
Role out more excuses !!!
Tiny T
Role out more excuses !!!
Tiny T
Done with excuses????> lol how sadly pathetic!
JT_daniel
Done with excuses????> lol how sadly pathetic!
JT_daniel
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