By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
After two absorbing semi-finals at Wembley Stadium this
weekend, we have our two finalists for the 2016 Emirates FA Cup Final on 21
May. It is Surrey vs Netherlands, South London vs Manchester and two managers
with points to prove.
Crystal Palace will play Manchester United in the end of
season showpiece as Alan Pardew locks horns with Louis van Gaal. Both clubs
have had difficult campaigns in the Premier League, but the opportunity of
grabbing silverware at the conclusion of the season is one the fans will be
excited for.
It is also a repeat of one of the best FA Cup finals of
recent times. In 1990, the Eagles were seven minutes away from winning the
famous trophy, before Mark Hughes scored in extra-time to take the final to a
replay. Manchester United won the return 1-0, earning the first trophy for Sir
Alex Ferguson as Red Devils’ manager. There were plenty more afterwards.
United show character
Apart from a limp display across the two legs of the UEFA
Europa League tie with Liverpool FC, Manchester United have often pulled out a
display when Van Gaal has needed it the most. They’ve beaten Manchester City,
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the league this season and saved some of their
most complete displays for the FA Cup.
The first semi-final of the weekend on Saturday evening against Everton was
an end-to-end classic. After controlling the first half and
going infront at the interval through Toffees’ old boy Marouane Fellaini,
United had to show plenty of character in the second half against a barrage of
pressure.
To Everton’s credit, the players which rolled over and didn’t
deliver in the Merseyside derby 72 hours earlier really performed for their
under-fire manager Roberto Martinez. Unfortunately, Romelu Lukaku had one of
those days where he just couldn’t find the back of the net.
Everton’s penalty was dubious to say the least but David de
Gea’s save from the resultant Lukaku spot-kick was simply stunning. The
Spaniard has shown his class time and again this season. To think that he had
his bags packed and ready for a move to Real Madrid last summer before
technical issues with documents and machines saw the deal collapse. United fans
are relieved it did.
De Gea put the disappointment behind him and has been
sensational all campaign. He’s right on a par with Manuel Neuer in terms of
goalkeeping ability now. He might be international skipper, but surely Iker
Casillas has to relinquish the Spanish no.1 jersey to De Gea for Euro 2016.
Spain will have a far better chance of retaining the trophy if De Gea starts
between the sticks this summer.
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| Anthony Martial shows his delight after the semi-final winner |
With extra-time looming, the excellent Anthony Martial (pictured) was
played in by Ander Herrera and finished coolly into the bottom corner before
racing to the United support. Despite his big transfer fee, Martial is another
who can’t be criticised for his performances this season. He is a real star of
the future and the best is yet to come for the teenager.
Everton’s players were dejected at the end. They gave it
everything but didn’t have the luck or the ultimate quality when required. In a
defining week for Roberto Martinez, he lost both games and his job is now
looking very precarious.
Louis van Gaal can be proud of his players for their efforts
in recent weeks. It might not be exciting football, but apart from a second
half collapse recently at Tottenham in the Premier League, they have been
clawing away at the top four and now have the opportunity to win their first FA
Cup since 2004. The Dutchman has received some terrible treatment from the
media ever since Christmas and if he did win the trophy, it would be full
reward for what he has had to go through this season. Could it save his job? I
think that all depends on what a certain Mr Mourinho wants to do.
Proud Pardew
In the all-London second semi-final, Crystal Palace beat
Watford 2-1 to reach only their second FA Cup final. The only previous occasion
was that 1990 epic with their 2016 final opponents.
In a game which was crucial for both clubs in regards to the
directions of their seasons, it was the Palace players who came through for
their proud manager.
Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha gave the Watford
full-backs a real problem all afternoon. Bolasie prodded home the opening goal
of the semi-final inside six minutes and from that moment on, the Eagles’ were
the favourites to reach the final.
Watford’s players froze in the first half, but some wise
words of wisdom from Quique Sanchez Flores saw them come out as a different
team after the restart. Their talisman Troy Deeney, who was feeding on scraps
in the first half headed the Hornets level 10 minutes into the second half.
Suddenly, it was game on.
A month ago, the wise punter would have then backed Watford
but Crystal Palace are starting to rebuild confidence after a shocking run of
form in the league that saw them plummet from 5th to 16th
in just over three months. Five points in four games has safety in their grasp
now and they relished the big occasion.
Connor Wickham has had a difficult season with injuries
restricting his impact after moving to Selhurst Park in the summer from Sunderland.
Wickham is not a proven regular goalscorer at this level, but he can produce
when required as he demonstrated during his time on Wearside. Shortly after
Watford’s equaliser, he powered home a header into the corner of the net – his aerial
presence too much for Nathan Ake.
It was reward for the manager too. Pardew selected him on
Sunday ahead of Emmanuel Adebayor, Dwight Gayle and Frazier Campbell. It was
the right decision. Wickham put in his best performance to date in an Eagles’
shirt and got his deserved goal for his efforts.
Upto until the start of 2016, Pardew’s record as Crystal
Palace manager had been brilliant and every team goes through a bad patch.
Their position in the Premier League table is justified for the 14-game winless
run they experienced from 19 December - 9 April but they are a much better side
than their lowly position suggests.
The run-in
The run-in could be crucial now for both sides in the way
they approach upcoming fixtures before the final. Barring a mathematical
nightmare, Crystal Palace will be playing Premier League football next term and
whilst Pardew will not allow any of his players to switch off ahead of the
final, opposing teams won’t mind playing them in the next few weeks.
Next up for Pardew is his first return back to St James’
Park with Newcastle United scrapping for their Premier League lives. The
Newcastle supporters will be keen to see their former boss leave Tyneside next
weekend with no points. Pardew will want to silence the critics up in Tyneside
and although he won’t admit it, will consider any victory a sweet one after his
successful but tumultuous reign as Newcastle manager from December 2010 to
December 2014.
Manchester United can’t afford these luxuries as they are
involved in a scrap to get into the Premier League top four and earn the right
to play in the UEFA Champions League next season. It is vital the club achieve
this but with Manchester City and Arsenal in the fight too, this is not going
to be easy.
Home games against leaders Leicester City and AFC
Bournemouth and trips to Norwich City and West Ham United remain in the league
for Van Gaal and his squad. They need to keep winning and if they do that, they
could overhaul one of their rivals with City’s focus on the Champions League
semi-finals and Arsenal stuttering badly towards the end of the season.
Last season’s FA Cup final was a disappointment with Aston
Villa simply no match for Arsenal. These sides have the history of the 1990
final, but also the bad-tempered 1995 semi-final which United won in a replay
at Villa Park against the backdrop of animosity between supporters and players.
Passion, pride and places are all up for grabs in the coming
weeks. The 2016 Emirates FA Cup final could turn out to be a classic. For the
neutral, let’s hope it delivers on its promise.
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