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

http://www.football-italia.net/98962/gab-explosion-no-surprise

Gabby's agent talking about how pleased he is about the decision to come to Saints....says how he has been pampered from day 1. The player felt ready to come abroad and wants to do well and be part of the Azzuri leading up to the World Cup.

 

The chat with Graziano obviously swung it our way

 

Practically nothing? He was a constant menace. He held the ball up well all game and scored 2 goals to win the game. He has the biggest impact because without him they would have lost. He wasn't the best player on the day but he made the most impact. So I'm not arguing with he him getting MOTM.

 

No, as I said after watching the highlights I have slightly reappraised my view of Zlatan. He did a lot off the ball, including a goal line clearance, and was, as you say, a constant menace. I still don't think he was MOTM though. Gabbiadini scored a perfectly good hat trick, which any other day would have earned him the accolade, and was also a constant menace until he was subbed. And he was just one of about 8 Saints players who could easily have been given it.

 

Still not ready to watch the highlights yet. Have seen Gabbiadini's second goal a couple of times now though. God know's how he did that.

 

Unfortunately, MOTM is rarely given to a player on the losing side.
I wouldn't have been surprised to see it given to Rooney for his 'exemplary lifting of the trophy'.

 

I'm not Fraser's biggest fan but there was more than one person at fault with that goal (as there was with the second one). Oriel's unnecessary challenge followed by a wall that could have done a lot better and then Fraser's poor reaction all amounted to a very sloppy goal. The second goal was even worse. People say that not having Virgil contributed to the defeat and they are right but also some of the reason is the "defending as a team" sometimes leaves a little to be desired.

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...offside-call-and-jesse-lingard-should-see-red

Dermot say Goal (shock that one), Stephens correct decision and Lingard is a lucky boy.

 

Have to say I saw it exactly the same way as Dermot, especially after seeing the Channel 5 highlights, which confirmed everything he said.

 

One decision right out of three's not bad then.

 

Yes, a shame all the the wrong decisions went in United's favour.

 

This formation and lineup works like a treat, at least offensively. When Virgil returns, I suspec we might go on a good run until the end of the season and secure eight place finish.

 

What a surprise.
Having said that, it would have been quite easy to have sent Stephen's off considering the United players reaction. The ref did well not to be influenced and had a pretty good game overall.

 

Couldn't get on t'internet at the hotel (some glitch affecting Apple products grrrr), so only just caught up with this thread.
Thoroughly enjoyed my day, my first visit to the new Wembley. A superb stadium and I was pleasantly surprised that despite being in the higher level, I could still identify individual players, even at the Utd end.
We were magnificent.
Unfortunately, as is often the case, we were the architects of our own downfall.
Utd created very little, and the only time they put us under pressure, it seemed to be as a direct result of a Saints player hitting a loose pass, losing control of the ball or the lucky bounce from a Saints player winning a tackle but the ball then broke to a Manc player.
My take on all of their goals is that they could/should have been avoided.
Silly foul by Romeu and, IMO, FF was a yard too far to the left of his goal, for such a central free kick, in a position where it is quite easy to get over a wall and beneath the cross bar. The free kick wasn't great, being a yard inside the post, and FF should be stopping it. He wasn't late diving. He just had too much ground to cover, as indicated by the ball passing the tips of his fingers. A starting position one pace to his right would have made it a comfortable save.
Second and third goals came as a result of players being left unmarked, in central positions.
Not going to dwell on the negatives as the positives far outweigh them.
Really need to see the Long penalty shout, because it wasn't highlighted on Channel 5.
So, so proud of the team and fans performances.

 

Bright chap!

 

Anyone remember us having a corner, it getting half-cleared then Yoshida totally shanking his clearance straight into the path of Ibrahimovic, putting him clean through on our goal.. My head was in my hands at that point.... I can't remember if it led to anything though, but was hilarious.

 

My hotel was inundated with Mancs, unfortunately.
I was waiting for my meal, when they started returning, and they were very subdued in their celebrations. They knew. They bloody well knew that they had played their get out of jail free card, in Ibra.
Two came over to my table, at different times, and commiserated, before ruining it. One said "We will never play worse, in a final, and win a cup ". Having already acknowledged we were better and could have had 4 or 5, he ruined it by doing what they, the media and the pundits always do. Try and take the credit away and put our magnificence down to them having an off day.
The other added "At least you made it to a final." Patronising tw@t.

That was probably why, when I next went to the bar, and a Manc supporter tried to queue jump ahead of me, I said to her. "I'm next. I'm not coming second to you lot twice in one day".

 

Depressing letting them off the hook yesterday(with a little help from burt) but finding out Hudson died as well has compounded my misery. Gutted.

 

Before the match I saw loads of Manure fans from Norway, Japan, Eastern Europe. Eventually heard some English voices and about a hour later some Manc accents. Maybe that's why so few real Manure fans could get tickets. Saw lots of junior Saints fans and thought ' It isn't always this good being a Saints fan', but by the end I thought, now they're getting the picture. Great day out, pity about the result. Could be worse, could be Leicester fans. What a comedown.

 

I was expecting defeat but I wasn't expecting the nature of the defeat. It has made me feel really pissed off. I'm having the post-match feelings I used to have as a 13 year old when Saints lost - it used to take me days to get over a normal league defeat and there were many of those.

I haven't felt like that in years and years.

Then there's the United have won the cup and blah, blah, blah that every time you hear it you know any achievement we got as club is diminished in the wider world's eyes until it'll be like we didn't even get to the final in few years.

It might be our only chance of glory for another 14 years. We've only one one major trophy in 132 years.

Bollocks to it all.