Why the FA Cup still has special meaning for treble-chasing United
Unfortunately for Roberto Mancini as he bids to end his clubs’ run of 35 years without a trophy, the reality is very different.
The FA Cup, once the undisputed king of trophies in England, may have lost some prestige in recent times but not, it appears, at Old Trafford.
United have won the famous trophy 11 times, more than any other team with Arsenal their nearest rivals on 10, and lifted it four times in the 1990s including of course the Treble year of 1999.
But, inexplicably given United’s continued dominance of English football, their grip on the Cup has loosened in more recent times, winning it only once in the last 12 years — a comfortable 3-0 victory over Millwall at the Millennium Stadium in 2004 when two goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and one from Cristiano Ronaldo were enough to beat the Championship side.
Since then they have lost in the final to Arsenal on penalties in 2005 and again to a solitary Didier Drogba goal against Chelsea in 2007.
“Those games hurt,” admits striker Wayne Rooney, who misses today’s semi-final at Wembley due to a controversial two-match suspension handed out by the Football Association after he swore into a television camera during a televised match at West Ham.
“I’ve lost two FA Cup finals so it would be great to win an FA Cup this year. It’s something a I really want to do. I’ve got bad memories of losing against Chelsea in the final and it was even worse against Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium. We deserved to win that game but lost on penalties. I hope we can do it this time.”
If Rooney is motivated on the sidelines, those United players chosen to play in a fervent atmosphere against their local rivals at Wembley are doubly so.
Michael Carrick, one of the unsung heroes of United’s campaign and a huge influence in midfield since Darren Fletcher (who did win the FA Cup in 2004) was injured, is typical.
“It’s such a big game for both teams, not just for City,” he insisted. “We have a lot of players who haven’t won the FA Cup before and it means a lot.
“The history of the tournament is incredible. I think my first memory goes back a while, I half remember the Tottenham v Coventry one. But I remember more 1988 when Wimbledon beat Liverpool. I was about six then and I loved it. To be able to play in the final and win the Cup myself would be wonderful; I’m desperate to do it for the first time. But we have to get there first.”
Captain Nemanja Vidic, the man who will lift the trophy for United if they can achieve their ultimate goal, is no less motivated.
“Quite a few of the players haven’t won this trophy before, myself included. To lift it would be special so we want to get to the final,” he said. “We will have a lot of hunger and a lot of energy to do it.
“It’s a big target for City but also for us. They will be motivated but so will we.”
And even Alex Stepney, the legendary United keeper who won the European Cup in 1968 and helped United beat City in an FA Cup Fourth Round tie in 1970, caught the mood in the build-up to today’s game which promises to be one of the most fascinating and atmospheric of the season.
“People say the FA Cup is not the most important tournament any more but how many of the current United squad have won it? Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown, Paul Scholes maybe? The rest haven’t won it. And the fact is as a footballer there is one thing you want to win and that’s the FA Cup. It won’t be an easy game against City but I feel it’s our tournament this year. Who have City played to get this far? Mostly lower division teams. But we’ve had Liverpool and Arsenal. If you get through those games you start to think your name is on the trophy.”
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