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Everton to face Chelsea after Howard heroics see off United
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So, it will be an all-Blue FA Cup final this year, after Everton set up a date with Chelsea thanks to the penalty shoot-out heroics of goalkeeper Tim Howard in the semi-final against Manchester United.
Howard, a former United keeper, you may remember, saved the first two penalties from Dimitar Berbatov and Rio Ferdinand and Everton didn’t look back.
I suppose people may criticise Alex Ferguson for his gamble in picking so many youngsters but it was perfectly understandable, given the (more important) games United have coming up.
In any case, let’s concentrate on the achievement of David Moyes in taking Everton through to a major final with a squad built for a fraction of the money spent by Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and the rest.
Not bad for a ‘small club’…
PHOTO: A Manchester United fan uses his scarf to shade his eyes from the sun during their FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley, April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Staples
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Congrats to Everton but it would have been a different story if they’d got the penalty they should have in normal time. Blatant pen.
of course, howard might have saved that one, too…
Fergy, why?
Well done everton. Its only a game. Only 1 team can will. Bad losers don’t have a point in Sport
I guess he just felt that with the fixtures coming up against Portsmouth and Spurs in the league, not to mention the Champions League, he couldn’t afford to risk his full team. In that sense, everton were well served by chelsea and liverpool keeping the pressure on at the top of the premier League.
BRAVO ‘EVERTON’, BRAVO. The TRUTH IS Ferguson is now in a state-of PANIC ‘OUT’ of the FA Cup, ‘LFC’ breathing down his/their neck, Beaten BY them – the ‘REDS’ at Anfield, ‘HAMMERED’ by them at his precious ‘Illusional’ – ‘Theatre of er’ -’Nighmares’ Hah, And now, knowing that Rafa and the ‘Reds’ are taking-over, he’s like a drowning-man reaching out in any and all directions looking for someone to BLAME … ‘Your’ Time-Is-Up Ferguson! And your pathetic pseudo-psychological ‘games’ are having NO effect. Rafa is now ‘The Man’ … And the ONLY thing your load of thugs will ‘win’ is the Mickey Mouse one you’ve already ‘got’ Off-you-GO Jock – TO the Knacker’s Yard with your wee dram, ‘Jimmie’. Oh sorry’ I forgot you WON a ‘world-cup’ by beating er’ a top-team from er’ Pakistan, or maybe it was Mongolia was that it!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
“Perfectly understandable” – what a load of tosh. Playing a reserve team in an FA Cup final is a disgrace, regardless of the “big one against portsmouth” to come.if utd had won yesterday the FA might as well scrapped the cup and come up with a new competition so the rest of us could stop going on about the history and romance of a competition that is treated with total disdain by clubs who have totally lost contact with what their fans actually want.a straw poll at wembley of united fans’ opinion on their manager’s team selection yesterday would have made interesting reading
Both Arsenal & Chelsea, and in particular Chelsea put out their strongest teams in the FA Cup. It seems to only be Man Td & Liverpool who treat the FA Cup with disdain these days.
Des, Both Arsenal & Chelsea, and in particular Chelsea put out their strongest teams in the FA Cup. It seems to only be Man Td & Liverpool who treat the FA Cup with disdain these days.