For the first time in what will be 19 cup matches this season, Manchester United have drawn an opponent against whom they’ll be an underdog. Chelsea away in the FA Cup sixth round will be very difficult, the toughest of all the possible draws. The team reached Sunday’s EFL final as continual favourites through the rounds, including against Manchester City, for the Blues fielded a weaker side. And while Europa League games in Fenerbahçe and Feyenoord were tricky and led to defeats, United had six group games and faultless home form to qualify from their group.
There will be no such second chance at Stamford Bridge. For the first time, FA Cup replays at the sixth round stage have been scrapped. Jose Mourinho was happy with this.
“I also think that FA Cup replays should end, which they’re doing this season for the quarterfinal,” he told this writer. “And I would try to find a solution where the teams who play in Europe join the domestic cups at a later stage.”
United needed a sixth round replay against West Ham last season to progress to the semifinals and while there would be no time for a replay this season, United have lost the option of trying to hold Chelsea and get them back to Old Trafford, where they’d probably draw again give the league form.
United’s last league defeat was that 4-0 hammering at Stamford Bridge in October, when much of the mainstream media rounded on Mourinho but United’s away fans did not. Chelsea are the best team in England at present and United will also be going into the match having likely played a Europa League game the previous Thursday. They could be in Istanbul, Krasnodar or Giurgiu before facing Chelsea away three days later. Chelsea, of course, have no such European distractions.
United, who have won the cup a joint record (with Arsenal) 12 times but have never managed to retain it, have been fortuitous with cup draws in recent seasons. The team won the FA Cup final last season by drawing Sheffield United, Derby County, Shrewsbury Town, West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace. The run-up to Sunday’s EFL final saw games against Northampton, Man City at home, West Ham at home and Hull City in the semifinal. In the FA Cup, United have played three Championship sides, two of them struggling ones.
Even the Champions League group draw last season wasn’t that tough, with games against Wolfsburg, PSV Eindhoven and CSKA Moscow. At least Mourinho has overcome the farce of losing at home to lower-league teams, as United did against Middlesbrough last term. But that luck in the cup has since run dry.
United were eliminated from both domestic cup competitions in in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season, 2012-13, at Stamford Bridge. That 4-5 game in the League Cup was epic and assisted by one of the best atmosphere this decade from 6,000 raucous travelling fans. It was also Ryan Giggs’ last great game for United. When I asked Giggs: “Forget the result, your best-ever game for United?” in 2014, his response surprised.
“There’s a few, but relatively recently I’d say Chelsea away in the League Cup a few years ago,” said Giggs. “We played a very young team. I scored twice and we played well. We should have won, but we lost the ball in the last minute and they equalised for it to go to extra time. That was a shame, the whole end was taken by United fans that night and they were really loud.”
It will be just as loud in a couple of weeks and as it was at Ewood Park on Sunday, when 7,283 Reds made a mighty noise on a dank, dark and drizzly afternoon by the East Lancashire moors. Given the proximity to Manchester and large ticket allocation, Blackburn is always a favourite away game for United fans.
Blackburn started well; their opening goal would have stood out in the Premier League where they last played five years ago. Resting David de Gea, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, United laboured though Henrick Mkhitaryan’s pass to set up Marcus Rashford’s equaliser was magical. As was Paul Pogba’s for Ibrahimovic to score the 75th minute winner when a dreaded replay loomed. United chose to go down the middle with that attack, for they’d been ineffective with Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard playing wide. Both have to find a higher level of consistency and it was to Blackburn’s credit that United needed to bring their biggest names off the bench.
Pogba’s shooting also needs to improve but he’s assisted a goal six times this season, setting up the Swede every time. They have a fine understanding. Ibrahimovic began moving as soon as Pogba received the ball 70 yards from goal. The Frenchman hit the ball long over the Blackburn defenders and it bounced before Ibrahimovic steered it in… right in front of the away end. Ibrahimovic now has 24 goals from 36 appearances, four of them as a sub like at Blackburn.
Mkhitaryan, then Pogba and Ibrahimovic: three close season signings who prove you get what you pay for.
As the Blackburn fans contemplated a key trip to their division’s smallest club Burton Albion on Friday, the travelling Red hoards hollered “Wemberlee! Wemberlee! We’re the famous Man United and we’re going to Wemberlee!” as Jose Mourinho again showed his appreciation of a huge away support he’s not had at any of his former clubs.
United didn’t visit Wembley once between August 2013 and April 2016. It will be six visits in just over a year if this season’s FA Cup final is reached — and it’s a big if. There are 35,000 going to Wembley this Sunday for the EFL Cup final. But first, the small matter of Saint Etienne away on Wednesday.
It’s exciting, it’s non-stop, it’s enjoyable. Everything that Manchester United weren’t this last season.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate