Falling back in love with magic of the Cup

WHO would have believed it: it seems we Reds are falling back in love with the FA Cup.

Saturday evening’s rambunctious tie exploded in the wake of the news that the new Wembley will almost be certainly ready for the final, which felt fitting — and once again we are faced with a good ol’ traditional replay which, as I discussed the other week, is an unpredictable ‘disruption’ of the kind we should cling fondly to in these increasingly formulaic times.

Fergie also picked a full-strength side, which we may convince ourselves betokens his genuine interest in emulating 1999’s Treble, and even Middlesbrough played their part by sanctioning a more decent ticket allocation than has been their habit this past few seasons.

The result of the latter was full-throated, fully-standing, impeccable support, and in the seconds following Ronaldo’s penalty despatch we enjoyed one of the classic joyous jump-abouts of the season.

When you have been brought up on the thrilling Cup skirmishes of the 70s and 80s, these afternoons gladden the heart.

Moreover, Man City played their full part in the weekend’s hilarity by failing to knock out Blackburn despite being a man up, thus thankfully fulfilling my confident prophecy the other week that they would be putting away their giddyometer for another season this week.

Indeed, it is the RED giddygauge that needs bringing out of the cupboard when we consider the City aspect of the run-in, for the more optimistic amongst us are already pinning hopes on a potentially seismic derby match in May: could we be in line for the life-lasting satisfaction of clinching the title at Wastelands whilst simultaneously relegating City? Such a climax would rival April 1974 in Mancunian annals and, no matter what might happen in the European Cup, would sustain a celebratory Red summer the like of which has not been seen this decade.

All that said, Saturday’s 90 minutes reviewed in the round surely provided further evidence that we can take nothing for granted on any front.

Fergie talked afterwards of our supposed brilliance, yet such scintillating play as there was had largely been exhausted by the end of the first half-hour – thereafter, we provided more grist to the mill for those who argue that we have been stuttering now for at least half a dozen matches.

The Lille match clearly fell into that underwhelming category too and I cannot believe such B-minus performances will suffice to get past Roma.

The euro draw pleased most of us, incidentally, despite its relative trickiness: a Roman invasion is something the hardcore have been craving for years and I can already picture the Spanish Steps covered in merrymaking Reds turning pink in delightful April sunshine. (Before turning black ‘n’ blue after getting truncheoned by Italian robocops later that evening, I sadly suspect).

There’ll be no trip to Rome or anywhere else in a red shirt for Henrik Larsson now, of course, and I did detect a slight undercurrent of disappointment amidst all the farewells to him this week in that, despite his three goals and general top-notch professionalism, he couldn’t quite be said to have set Old Trafford ablaze in the ways that some over-excited punters were predicting back in December. He was no Rodney Marsh at 1972’s City, of course, but not quite Marsh at Fulham 1975 either.

So, as ever, the only truly important potential comings or goings remain a) Ronaldo and b) whichever striker we are buying this summer. Regarding the latter, I can tell you that Fergie ducked out of a mate’s social do on Saturday night to fly to Spain to watch a big target. As for the former, the London ‘Observer’ claimed on Sunday that Ronnie will get no big increased offer, thus flatly contradicting that morning’s ‘People’, who led that he will sign a thumping new deal this very week. If that is proved true, the Giddyometer will certainly be ringing at maximum volume here next week.

Richard Kurt’s ‘Red Army Years’ is republished in May.