The FA Cup Thread 2015-16

Heh, Manchester United didn't even wait for the end of the day before leaking that Van Gaal is being replaced.

 

I like how WH sacrificed the Europa League this season, so they could concentrate on... Scraping into next season's Europa.

 

It's strange isn't it. They are doing everything possible to make them into my least favourite club (which is the only thing that really matters). Pushing your FA Cup win off the back page is pretty impressive even for the Man U press department.

 

They're making progress, though. Last year, they entered in the 2nd qualifying round, and got dumped by Astro Giorgio or some such in the 3rd round. This year, they can enter at a lever where they can sacrifice it at the first hurdle rather than having the extra fixtures when they fail to fail for a round.

 

You mean they weren't already.???

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It was Chelsea until Mourinho got sacked, then I was sort of rudderless for a bit.

 

Glad that you have a new focus now.

 

My loyalty this year

1. England
2. Italy (i'm ½ Italian)
3. Wales (went to Uni in Cardiff)
4. Northern Ireland (Still Britain eh?)
5. Republic of Ireland

Now looking at that, I feel another disappointing tournament

 

Almost identical. Let me copy, paste and edit:

1. England
1. Italy
3. Northern Ireland
4. Republic of Ireland
5. Wales

There's a great deal of redundancy in our expectations, I think.

 

The thingis, I'll be there with you because my loyalties will be:

1 Wales
2 Republic of Ireland
3 Northern Ireland
4 Italy (because of, well, Pelle )
5 England (though it will be very, very difficult, mainly because the press/TV pundits/commentators will be talking as though England deserve it and no other country - British or not - will get a mention or if they do it's through some kind of link to England...)

 

Getting stick in the papers tonight. Should have been directing the players, getting them to concentrate rather than.......errr.......dancing badly.
D'oh.

 

Forgot to mention - please bear in mind that I'm only being enthusiastic because there's no other football of interest around. If there was club league competition still going on I'd barely give it a glance. Until mid August, this'll just have to do.

 

My list is England, then all Saints players returning home safe & well. Everyone else can whistle.
I wouldn't begrudge any of the home nations a good run though, they have all been thoroughly entertaining!

 

Not bothered about international football at all. Will watch it but don't really support anyone, if anything I prefer it when England are out as it shuts the media and annoying deluded fans up.

 

Oh come now, I've been a miserable sod where England/Woy have been concerned ever since the disaster that was Brasil, but there's been a lot of positives in the last 12 months. Hope on the bus, whats the worst that can happen?

 

There's a large part of me which goes along with this. Tbh, halfway through the tournament I'll probably revert to this view entirely.

 

I have to say I went in to this game at 1-1 about 80 minutes because I fell asleep and I wanted Man U to win for about a minute before I was found myself willing Palace on.

Rooney in midfield? I am all for that. he puts a shift in like Beckham used to and between him Delph and Henderson it is a no brainer. As for Clattenberg. I don't see a problem there. He did what all modern refs do with no problems. That is give fouls for falling over convincingly. Sick of hearing a player has shown his experience or been professional there. They fell over when they felt a touch.

So all in all we got what we want. Saint in the groups and West Ham knackered.

 

I don't know why it should be a surprise for Rooney to play in midfield. It has always astounded me why he has played in a leading striker's role. When he played in the ManU team with all the best players around him he was fine. He had a bit of pace, not huge amounts, but could finish. But he's never ever been a natural lead striker. That's been apparent as the quality of player around him has diminished. So as he got older he has retreated to a number 10 and now he's gone back to playing in the same position he did at Everton and actually looks good because that's his natural position. Why coaches force players throughout their career to play in positions where they are less effective is beyond me.? England may only just have learned that Rooney is an attacking midfielder after all these years. It's why he has always had a history of going deep to get the ball, because he has naturally wanted to be involved. Not spending 90 minutes playing on the shoulder of the last defender.

 

England have always played Rooney out of position from necessity. Put Rooney in a team where others pull their weights and he doesn't have to play three roles at once and England will benefit. If this should happen at the fag end of his international career, we could yet see him at his best.

Have been banging this drum for years...not because I like the man much, but out of common justice. He has always given 100%, yet cannot shine because he isn't played in his best position and gets stick for not being as good as he might have been.

England fans seem to be able to hold two contrary positions....we are a top side who should win tournaments (solely because we are England) and yet are mysteriously crap. Neither of these are completely true....we qualify, usually easily, so are one of the better sides in Europe...but we don't have that little bit of something that raises you to the top. This is true of a lot of sides...and their fans manage to live with it.

 

I can't remember which pundit/commentator said it, but I remember thinking it sounded about right a few years ago. The gist of it was, that to win a World or European cup, a nations team needed three things. First it needed 2 or 3 world class players (at the time I guess Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard might count). They then needed those players to come into the tournament fit and in the form of their lives, and finally to have a little luck.
It has always been the last two that have been missing. This time, although I am impressed by some of the younger players, I am struggling to think of world class amongst our squad, but the form looks decent. Fingers crossed. The expectations in Rio were low but so were the performances. Hoping for something to cheer this time, even if it's a couple of decent performances and losing to the Germans, that would be up.