Match Day Thread Manchester United vs Southampton EFL CUP Final Sunday 26/02/2017 Kick-Off 4:30PM

Devastating. Completely devastated. But so so proud of the club tonight. The players, the fans, everyone associated with the club put their heart and soul into the match, whether it was on the pitch or in the stands. We were so close to pulling off one of the great cup final comebacks. The only sour note was a complete twat in the stand near me shouting abuse into a woman's face because he wanted to stand.

 

Oh and what a player Gabbiadini is. Come on Saints, let's get back to Wembley soon. Today was a special day despite the result.

 

I got home soaked and sad, but proud of everyone for their efforts, cracking game, just the wrong result and very much undeserved. Just watched Sky highlights and saw that just before Ibra scored, we had a clear penalty decision missed, Long had his legs taken out as he went to finish Berties cross, but true to form, the Referees edict, "Thou must not award a penalty if the victim is Shane Long" ................. and that was the real turning point. That free scarf was a nice thought, who was responsible for that? The return of the Liebherr flag had me getting a bit weepy too and I am not one that show a lot of emotion at the best of times. I think we must demand revenge in the League home game, whenever that is.

 

Oh and sorry I didn't meet up in the pub with some of you. I spurned you for some old friends who I hadn't seen in a while.

 

It's going to be really interesting for the rest of the season. Saints have a world-class striker In Gabbiadini now. His movement in and around the penalty area is phenomenal. His speed over the first 2-3yards means that he can start second yet be first to the ball. And his finishing is awesome. From now on I don''t want to see too many aerial crosses coming in. Drive them in along the ground. He'll get there and turn them in. All three of his goals today were superb.

 

This. So much this. I am actually so excited about the rest of the season simply bevcause of this guy. Yes he will have a barren run a season all strikers do, but my word he has given me belief.

 

Don't feel at all sad. I saw exactly what I wanted to see, saints outperform a team and score a few. In this game I feel we were genuinely unlucky, can't pick a single player out for under performing.

Before the drive back had an excellent curry in Hounslow. It was a proper curry house, looked more like a cafe, with very friendly locals. Some Man U fans (Londoners) said we outplayed them and deserved to win.

 

Can I just say, I started having a bit of a wobble about Claude in the past month or so.

That wobble has now completely receded to the point of absolute stability. They went out there and performed (like the Leicester players failed to for Ranieri) and his tactics were spot on today. Hats off. I think we have a really great foundation to push on now.

COME ON YOU REDS.

 

Luckily they won't win anything else, but I don't think they're the villains. The lino is to an extent, but his contribution was nothing more than just one more amateur, vaguely subtle, non-decisive helping hand toward the machine designed to give a nudge one way or another in a match of this importance. Not intentional - just enough under-trained.

I really came away not as gutted as I thought I would be - I'm just as proud as I think I've ever been of this team. I wanted this as a reward for those who have stayed, and a further foray into Europe would haven been great, but feel massively positive that we can put in a performance like that on a platform like that. If Puel can raise those players like that, and we are that self-assured at our national stadium, I feel almost certain we will win some silverware.

The fans were amazing tonight - fans from both sides commented on that from where I watched.

 

What a gut wrenching result! I was all over the place watching that match. Up, down, down, up, up, up. How UTD won is hard to fathom, we had better chances, we had no luck, the story of our season.

Manolo Gabbiadini is absolutely brilliant. The kind of energy and desire to score we have been desperately lacking and I think its going to be infectious. He is our new Pelle in the sense that he really wants the goals. I love it.

The players were brilliant to a man but no match for the belief of Ibra. He swaggers around knowing he will score and he does. How he got unmarked in the middle of the box is unbelievable. I'm so sad to lose after playing so well but so happy that it was a great match and should have had 3.

 

We were close to being the 10% today. Look at Wigan a few seasons ago in the FA Cup. Today wasn't us hanging on - it was Saints dominating. It was Man U soaking up the pressure, and yes, they had a world class player, but he was actually free (on untouchable salary, yes). If this team gets another shot, it stands an even better chance - trust it. That's the beauty of supporting this team - it is the one team working to a slightly different model. We're all bucking the trend here - that's what makes us exceptional, and why I hate the anti-Puel movement.

 

Define "strange"?

 

The Echo site has a bunch that are putting the blame firmly on Fraser Forster, although he may have done better I don't see why he should be the scapegoat. If you want to blame someone, blame Jose Fonte for deserting us when we needed him most?

 

85,264 meant that there were empty seats that fans of both sides could have filled but had to miss out.

 

Struggling for motivation to head to bed, let alone work in the morning!

 

Worth a lot - makes the result drift into the background. If someone had offered me that before the game - 3-2 loss but Danny Higginbotham being a nice bloke - I would have bitten their hand off!

 

Not much to add that hasn't already been said. Very proud of my club, the players, the manager, the owners and my fellow supporters.


Also I will be keeping this display picture until justice is served and we win a major trophy (I'm very patient/stubborn).

 

I'd have only done it if I'd got to meet Danny too!

Spotted Dan Harding though

 

I honestly can't remember when I last saw a goal I felt was as physically impossible as that! There were a number of great goals in that game - I think that was the finest. Even in slow motion I can' quite see how he whipped his boot round it like that.

 

If there is one competition that has no shame in that regard, it's this one (the BBC can't be that flagrant with the FA Cup). Ironic, considering how outwardly ashamed Mourinho is to win it (which in itself is ironic, given how utterly happy he is inside, knowing as he does that it is likely to be the only piece of silverware he'll win in his tenure at Man U).