Harry on course for cup glory
Perhaps a man that enjoys a bet as much Redknapp would be able to recall the last time that Portsmouth were listed as the bookmakers’ favourites to win the FA Cup, but the odds are that the Pompey manager had not even been born when the south coast club last held that dubious distinction.
But regardless of Redknapp’s knowledge of the betting history of the FA Cup, his Portsmouth team is now the one that most people expect to lift the cup at Wembley in May following their dramatic, and controversial, victory at Old Trafford. And if he chooses to maintain his tradition of escaping the nerves of the cup draw by playing 18 holes, it’s fair to suggest that his caddy will not be in any danger this afternoon.
“I remember when the draw was made for the quarter-finals,” admitted Redknapp. “I was on the golf course with (son) Jamie and I got a phone call from Peter Storrie, our chief executive, who told me we had drawn Manchester United away.
“I had an eight iron in my hand and I think it went further than the ball when I heard that! The last thing we wanted was United away, but after beating them, nothing we get in the semi-final draw will as tough as going to Old Trafford.”
Those comments were made by Redknapp in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s victory and prior to Chelsea’s humbling, later that evening on the other side of the Pennines at Barnsley, so one can only imagine his mood as the holders tumbled out of the competition. Joyous is probably a fair assumption.
Pompey emerged victorious only after an incredible 90 minutes against United that saw Redknapp’s team pummelled by the home side, who hit the post, had one clear-cut appeal for a penalty rejected by referee Martin Atkinson and saw countless other chances go a begging, including two that were cleared off the line by Portsmouth defenders.
Portsmouth were beneficiaries of similar fortune in the previous round at Preston, when an injury-time own goal eliminated the Championship strugglers. But their luck went beyond the usual boundaries on this occasion, so much so that Alex Ferguson was moved to dark accusations against Atkinson and his boss, the refereeing supremo Keith Hackett, following the referee’s poor performance.
“Managers get sacked because of things like that and he (Atkinson) is going to referee a game next week.” Ferguson said: “Hackett has got a lot to answer for. He’s not doing his job properly. Martin Atkinson will referee next week, no problem, but his performance today should not be accepted in our game.
“Portsmouth had great confidence to hang on knowing the referee was on their side. Lassana Diarra had eight or nine fouls in the match. It’s incredible. I’ve got to agree with Arsene Wenger. Someone is going to get a serious injury in our game. He’s had one himself with Eduardo.”
Ferguson’s bone of contention was the seventh-minute foul by Sylvain Distin on Cristiano Ronaldo that should have resulted in a penalty, but didn’t. Atkinson clearly made a mistake by ignoring United’s appeals, but to suggest it was anything but an honest error would be utter nonsense on Ferguson’s part.
So a mistake it was, just like Ferguson had made himself by selecting Owen Hargreaves and Paul Scholes together in the same midfield, a pairing that has failed to produce anything other than negative performances this season. Ferguson hardly castigated himself for his own mistake, so it was unfair to deliver such a withering condemnation of Atkinson for failing to point to the penalty spot. After all, United still had another 83 minutes in which to score.
They failed to do so, however, despite both Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick having efforts cleared off the line. Patrice Evra also went close and was only denied by a fingertip save from David James that diverted his shot onto the post.
United had chances by the bucketload, Portsmouth hardly had any, but when Tomasz Kuszczak upended Milan Baros to concede a penalty and earn a red card on 77 minutes, Pompey’s moment had arrived. Sulley Muntari, the Ghanaian midfielder, converted from the spot past stand-in goalkeeper Rio Ferdinand to win the game and keep Portsmouth on course for their first FA Cup Final since 1939.
Redknapp, a popular figure that turned down Newcastle to remain at Fratton Park earlier this year, has never won a major trophy as manager, but he now stands within touching distance of FA Cup glory.
“I’m delighted to be in the semi-finals and that it’s at Wembley,” Redknapp said: “If I’d been knocked out I would probably be sat there saying it’s wrong to have the games there, but not now!
“I have never played at the old stadium or managed there so it will be fantastic to lead the team out there.”
Van der Sar 6 (Kuszczak 46, 5), Brown 5, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 5, Evra 7, Ronaldo 6, Hargreaves 5 (Carrick 69, 6), Scholes 5, Nani 5, Tevez 7 (Anderson 68, 6), Rooney 6.
Subs Not Used: O’Shea, Park.
James 8, Johnson 7, Campbell 9, Distin 8, Hreidarsson 7, Utaka 6 (Lauren 74, 6), Muntari 7, Diarra 8, Diop 6, Kranjcar 7 (Hughes 80, 6), Kanu 5 (Baros 54, 7).
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Mvuemba.
Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) 5: Two big penalty decisions and he called one right and the other spectacularly wrong. How he failed to judge Sylvain Distin’s barge on Cristiano Ronaldo as a penalty is a mystery.
*** The game was no end-to-end affair, but Portsmouth rode their luck and Harry Redknapp’s tactics proved decisive and secured a first FA Cup semi-final in 16 years for his club.
Third round, 7 January, 1984
Bournemouth were rooted to the bottom of the old Third Division, but it proved no obstacle at Dean Court. United, the reigning cup holders, were humiliated thanks to goals from Milton Graham and Ian Thompson. “Harry said that, if we played our usual attacking game and gave an extra 10% closing United down, we could win,” Thompson recalled. “It was an amazing feeling.”
A memorable result for West Ham and an unforgettable goal. Left isolated against Paolo Di Canio, United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez attempted to distract the Italian by raising his arm in the air, as if appealing for offside or hailing a taxi. Di Canio simply slotted into the corner. “Harry has to take a lot of credit for that win, he made us believe we could beat them,” Nigel Winterburn, the former Hammers defender, said.
Pompey ride their luck at Old Trafford, but seal their first win at United in over 50 years courtesy of Sulley Muntari’s late penalty, drilled past Rio Ferdinand after Tomas Kuszczak — who had replaced the injured Edwin van der Sar — was sent off for a professional foul.
“We rode our luck a little bit but it was a great effort,” David James, the goalkeeper, said.
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