MUGGED BY PALACE

 

Last time around, we faced West Ham at Upton Park in the Carling Cup quarter finals. It was what was then an all-Premiership tie with Avram Grant as Hammers manager yet we lost 4-0 in one ofour most humiliating Cup defeats of the last ten years. The last time we managed to with a Carling Cup quarter final tie was back in the 09/10 season when we faced Spurs at Old Trafford and beat them 2-0 with the game wrapped up by half time in a rematch of the previous years' final. We went on to win the tournament that year for what was the second year in a row and the fourth time overall. Not a bad record for a team that usually fied their reserves in the competition.

The last time we faced Crystal Palace in the League Cup it was an all-Premiership 4th round tie at Old Trafford. Ian Dowie was Palace gaffer at the time and we won 2-0 with Louis Saha and Kieran Richardson hitting the net. For the last time we faced Palace in the League Cup quarter finals you have to go back to 1970/71. Wilf McGuiness was United manager, Bert Head was his opposite number at Palace and United won what was then an all-First Division clash 4-2 at Old Trafford with John Fitzpatrick and Bobby Charlton getting a goal each while Brian Kidd got two. Overall though, going into this season Palace did not have the greatest of record in this competition.

Fast frward to the present day and Palace are currently a Championship club gaffered by Dougie Freedman, who was a Palace assasin for that 04/05 Carling Cup game. Palace haven't had the greatest of seasons and even though as per usual we weren't going to field our strongest XI, this Carling Cup quarter final match looked like a good way to remind ourselves how to win matches. Amos in goal, Rafael right back, Evans(captain) and Smalling central defence. Fabio left back. Valencia right mid, Gibson and Park centre mid, Diouf left mid, Berbatov and Macheda up front. Overall, not a bad lineup for this competition and one that looked like it should have been able to deal with the likes of Palace.

The problem was that not only were the United fans surprisingly quiet but Palace were, even without all their familiar faces giving us serious problems. I'm not sure what was up with the guys but the visitors were effectively running the show in the early stages. Eventually the Reds started getting their act together but picking up an early injury was surely not part of Fergie's plans. Having said that, seemingly nothing was going to plan for the Reds on this occasion. The only good thing about this half from a United point of view was that we still had a clean sheet and there was still a second half for us to get our act together in. What I saw in the first half was very annoying though.

Early in the second half we were finally getting our act together and should have hit the net right from the off but it was only a matter of time before we did so. Slight problem, in the 65th minute Wilfred Zaha found Darren Abrose who stright ripped our net net off and suddenly we were in seriously trouble. Luckilly we then got a 69th minute penalty and Macheda slotted it for his first competitive game of the season. Palace clearly weren't done though and their fans were obviously loving it. As it was though neither side could hit the net before the end of normal time. So extra time in what was meant to be a straightforward Cup tie. Already this was not our finest hour.

At the start of the first period of extra time, United were looking to complete the turnaround with Palace starting to look tired. However they still clearly weren't done yet and we were left to regret not hitting the net when in the 98th minute minute Ambrose sent over a freekick then Glenn Murray headed in. United kept attacking though but Palace were already proving to be increasingly stubborn and despite our efforts we were unable to find the net before half time. It was pretty much a shocker and though credit where credit's due, Palace were having the game of their lives, the fact is that United were 15 minutes away from a pretty serious humiliation.

Both sides had opportunities early in the second half but it was United if anyone that lacked energy and in fact we were resorting to some pretty desperate antics as United fans got increasingly anxious with time running out to save our campaign. In the last few minutes United surged forward only to find that Palace were all hands to the pumps. Diouf had a chance clweeared off the line. The last few United opportunities were all intercepted by Palace seemingly effortlessly. So, that was it, another United Carling Cup campaign is over and once again we've fallen at the quarter finals. Right up there with some of our worst humiliations in the competition.

Elsewhere, Arsenal were beaten 1-0 by Man City at the Emirates Stadium with the Blues getting themselves a late winner to give their fans extra reason to be cheerful. Chelsea were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at Stamford Bridge with the Scousers getting both their goals after half time. Championship Cardiff then mugged Blackburn 2-0 at Cardiff City Stadium with the home side hitting the net either side of half time in a match that Blackburn gaffer Steve Kean admitted that he forfeited. So, this season's Carling Cup has taken a trip into the Twilight Zone and as a result only two Premiership sides have survived into the semis of the competition.

The semi final draw has been made and it looks like this. Manchester City(first trip to the Carling Cup semis since 09/10) will face Liverpool(first Carling Cup semi since 04/05) with the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. This tie is pretty much a virtual final and City are the safe bets to win it. Then you have Crystal Palace(first time in the League Cup semis since the tournament started up in 1960/61!) facing Cardiff City(also their first time in the league Cup semis since the tournament started) in an all-Championship matchup with the first leg at Selhurst Park. This'll be an intteresting tie but I think Cardiff will have the edge here.

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