Boufal may be fit for the Cup Final

As I said before, we have no chance of beating Liverpool to get to the final. Lets hope it works again, we have a snowflakes chance in hell of beating Utd

 

Before travelling down to Southampton for the first leg, my scouse son-in-law asked me what I hoped for. I told him I'd be happy to be going to Anfield with the tie alive and I meant it. When we went to Anfield, I made it clear I was going to enjoy the experience of Saints playing in a semi with a realistic chance of winning. In my head I thought we'd lose 3-0. Sturridge should have won it for them that night and blew it. Don't get me wrong. We deserved the win, no question, and no Red has ever suggested otherwise. But that's the nature of cup football. It turns on a top player not getting it right, or an average one playing the game of his life. Add in a manager getting his tactics right as Claude did that night, and Lawrie did in '76

On the morning of that Final I woke from a dream in which we were 3-0 down after 20 minutes. It almost came true! But history shows it didn't. Again because some top players didn't perform. Gordon Hill being subbed is still a favourite moment, and our best player didn't do a lot, but step up Bobby Stokes. Not even considered good enough for 2nd Division Saints and he hit that goal.

Cup Finals are usually scrappy, and settled by one moment, often by a player who didn't get a mention before the game. It could be Steven Davis scoring with a 25 yard screamer. Probable? Of course not. Possible? Of course.

 

Couldn't agree more Lambo. Forget league form, forget the relative value of the squads, on the day we will start out as equals, and it's anyone's game to win.

 

It's set up perfectly for us. This is football. We are going to do it. I feel it.

 

I agree. This is our year for a trophy.

 

What? They're as crap as us? That's a relief!

But going back to the thread, Sofiane could be a match winner.

If United win 3-0 their "faithful" will have forgotten the players' names by Monday lunch time. City and Liverpool fans will tell them it's a mickey mouse cup and they'll be cursing Rooney for missing a sitter in their next game.

But listen up, Sofiane. If you play, and you cut inside their full back and smash a shot a la Sunderland past De Gea for an 88th* minute winner your name will be written into folklore. That's what's at stake. The chance to become a legend.

* My heart won't take a winner scored as early as the 83rd minute again! On reflection, can we make this a 96th minute winner

 

Say goodnight to your carers now. Bless!

Nothing like a bit of positivity!!

 

I hope you are not planning on any trips abroad within a week of this cup final..

 

Talking of trips abroad, last year my Grandson was born in Atlanta, Georgia on 10th March. He was due on 27th Feb. I am flying out for his 1st birthday on 1st March. Imagine if he was on time. There are somethings you can miss in life, and others you can't. Imagine how disappointed he would have been not seeing his grandad on his first birthday

 

I've signed an executive order banning travel and illness. The Supreme Court (aka my wife) is in full agreement.

Funnily enough I wonder whether you might be confusing me with my old mate "Channon" who loved telling the tale of missing the 1976 Final sitting at an airport with a ticket in his pocket. The bugger dined out on the story for bloody years!

 

Oh bloody hell yes! Sorry, that's why I associated that with you..... I am getting old

 

Reminds me of when my daughter was born. The year before there had been complications with my son's birth, resulting in
an emergency section. This meant a planned c section for my daughter's birth. It was June 2002. We were in the doctors office for a final check on my heavily pregnant wife and he opened his diary to organise the date. All I said was that if England win their World Cup Group we'd play on the 15th and if we came
Group runners up, it would be the 16th. He looked at me and then my wife as if to say, "Why are you with this fool?" (Something she has been asked on several occasions since).

My daughter was born on the 17th.

 

Lovely story. Mind you, you've obviously turned your lovely northern lass soft. A proper northern wife would have insisted that she didn't want you about while she was giving birth and then got back down t'pit.

The question she still regularly poses rings true with me from my experience too.

 

Easy mistake to make. I heard the story so often I could recite it!

 

Great story though!! Will be thinking of him on the 26th Feb!

 

Ah! I might too.

 

Do we have any news on Boufal? Would really like him to be avalible for our next little adventure.

 

Pretty much the whole country will be behind us on the day.

Everyone except half of Manchester, most of Portsmouth, and quite a lot of Surrey and Berkshire!

 

I must correct you. As a Berkshire boy I can tell you that the fans in Berkshire who do not support Reading are usually Chelsea supporters.

 

So still Home County tossers then.

My still living in Southampton family and friends have had requests for help getting tickets from their "Man Utd supporter" neighbours. I have been known, when fully aled (and younger/more foolish), to knock on windows of cars bearing United or Liverpool badges in Southampton and ask for a lift home when they go. Needless to say I had no offers, as they wouldn't have found the places on a map.

So there are Hampshire tossers too who will be "supporting" United from the comfort of their armchairs. Interesting to report that my Pompey relatives and friends will almost universally be supporting Saints. One of my cousins won't - every family has a blue sheep.