On paper this is surely one of the greatest FA Cup mismatches in recent times. The mighty Manchester United against League 2 minnows Cambridge United.
Here a just a few brief comparisons. There are 76 league positions separating these 2 sides. Manchester United have won 20 domestic league titles; they are 3rd in the Premier League in comparison to Cambridge United, who have never played in the top tier of English football but, sit at a comfortable 12th in League 2. Manchester United have won 11 FA Cup’s in comparison to Cambridge United who have never got past the quarter finals.
You would expect this to be a stroll in the park but some of you will remember other famous FA Cup shocks like Hereford beating Newcastle in 1972 and Wrexham beating Arsenal 20 years later in 1992. It is worth noting the last time these 2 sides met at the Abbey Stadium in 1991 in a League Cup second round game it ended in a 1-1 draw. Anything is possible in the FA Cup so make sure you are watching Friday evening. A game which see’s players like Angel Di Maria and Wayne Rooney come up against former United player Luke Chadwick and on-loan Crystal Palace striker Kwesi Appiah; we’re in for a treat.
Here are 5 things to look out for in this weekend’s game.
Victor Valdes
It’s looking very likely that Valdes will make his debut this Friday. Valdes is a top class player who has won a remarkable amount of trophies in his career. You are talking about a goalkeeper that was ever present in the most successful Barcelona team of all time. He has won 6 La Liga titles as well as 3 European Cups.
However he hasn’t played a competitive game since March so it will be interesting to see how he copes. I expect Cambridge to be shooting at the earliest possible opportunity just to test Valdes as he will be nervous in those first few minutes. I do however believe he will be well up for the challenge and all reports coming from Carrington suggest he is doing very well in training.
Louis van Gaal refused to confirm the former Barcelona goalkeeper would start against The U’s, but it has been heavily reported that Valdes is in line for his debut.
Falcao and Wilson
This is what I believe should be the front 2 at the weekend. When both players were on the field against QPR it was electric. The movement of both players was excellent and they both were desperate to score. Falcao may have missed a few chances but for a striker the most important thing is getting into the positions to score goals and when they get in these positions often enough the goals will start flying in.
I have every faith that if these 2 men start up front at Cambridge we will score a minimum of 4 goals. When we played these 2 lads against QPR after Wilson was introduced in the 57th minute we scored 2 goals and created 8 shots. Surely LVG has to give them a chance to shine as a pair from the start?
Ryan Donaldson and Kwesi Appiah
Donaldson is a product of the Newcastle United youth system. He was the Cambridge play off hero from last season and is arguably their most important player. The attacking midfielder can pose opposition real problems and this has been shown by his performances this term. He has got the highest number of assists in League 2 this season with 9 and has also chipped in with 6 goals this season in league and cup competitions.
Appiah is Cambridge’s biggest goal threat with 8 goals this season to date. He has already got 2 FA Cup goals this season and will be keen to add to his tally. He has also chipped in with 3 assists. If Manchester United can keep these 2 lads quiet they have a very good chance of keeping a clean sheet.
3-5-2
The 3 most famous numbers at Old Trafford this season. Everyone expected us to be talking about number 7 and number 9 this season but unfortunately the majority of conversation on social media, the gossip columns and the terraces have been about 3-5-2. It even got so bad that the Manchester United fans were chanting 4-4-2 at the manager on Saturday.
I’m convinced that is the first time I have ever heard Man Utd fans chant a formation in my lifetime. 3-5-2 just simply doesn’t work with this squad of players. It has helped prevent us from leaking as many goals and it does offer protection to our questionable defence but it removes our greatest weapon. It removes our attacking threat as we can’t build the attacks with enough tempo from the back in this formation. It is crucial LVG adapts and implements the diamond formation as this is when we are at our most deadly.
One of the most famous chants that regularly has been coming from the Stretford End for years is “Attack, Attack, Attack”, our fans demand attacking football and we are a club steeped in history with great attacking players as we have played football in this way.
It is imperative that LVG adapts and changes formation asap to ensure the next generation of players have the opportunity to write themselves into the history books like Cantona, Best, Giggs and Ronaldo.
Januzaj
The young Belgian must start at the weekend. I do think Van Gaal will start him as he clearly needs time on the pitch. He was one of our best performers last season in his debut season in the first team for the club. He hasn’t been given ample opportunities this season. He has only started 5 games this season for Man Utd. He needs to get a run of games and be given the opportunity to show his worth to LVG. I am hopeful this weekend will help reignite the career of Adnan Januzaj for Man Utd.
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