This is not to moan at the fixture congestion of course, it is the price of success, merely to point out that a home tie with a League Two side would have been a lot easier for City to cope with. After all, Liverpool have a straightforward home cup tie to deal with, so will have the opportunity to rest players for their semi-final dates with City. Still, having to play two games in three days didn’t seem to do Liverpool or City much harm the other week.
And United could do without it too. Yes, they managed to skilfully avoid the inconvenience of two January Carling Cup ties, but have just lost Hernandez through injury, whilst the likes of Owen and Berbatov already seek treatment. A home tie to Macclesfield (or Chelmsford) would have suited them just as much. The cup defeat to Crystal Palace perhaps suggested that Ferguson doesn’t have the strength of depth that he had hoped. The new-wave of youth products set to break through to the first team don’t appear to be the real deal just yet. As Ferdinand succumbs to the ravages of time, Evra continues through a run of poor form, the Da Silva brothers appear to be made of balsa wood and an extra Manchester derby is probably not what the doctor ordered. At least United won’t lose anyone important for duties in Africa.
The problem is that neither manager can afford to play a weakened side – they could get away with a few changes and everything would be rosy, but get it wrong and the results would be disastrous and the fans not happy. It will be a difficult balancing act for Mancini and Ferguson to decide what players to pick.
It’s a bit harsh perhaps to view such a big tie in such a cynical and unromantic light. A tie that raises the eyebrows of all viewers when the teams are drawn – the sort of tie that makes a cup draw such a thrilling event, that makes the third round FA Cup draw one of the highlights of the season. It’s the magic of the cup and all that. And the losers can concentrate on the league. But in the cold light of day, it’s a distraction during the busiest time of the season that both teams could probably do without.
Written by Howard Hockin for FootballFanCast.com
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