FA Cup Quarterfinal at Old Trafford

Biggest match in this competition in a very long time. ManUre plays at Real Betis Thurs and let’s hope the hosts can get back into the tie (down 4-1) and make them work for a little bit anyways. We are due for a good performance, obviously it’s a mountain to climb, but got a feeling we are going to give them all they want. COYW!!!!

EDIT: Loving the 9:30 am (left coast time) kickoff on Sunday as well.

 

ESPN+

 

My son is a Manchester United fan and he recently got a position as a teacher overseas. Months ago he started the process of getting his visa and it finally came through this week and his employer got him a flight as soon as possible. And wouldn't you know we'll be on the road to the airport when Fulham and Manchester United take the field. When the game is wrapping up his mom will likely be getting weepy as she watches her "little" 6' 4" kid head off - with no idea when we'll see him again. So sadly, we are going to miss the biggest game between our two teams.

As for the match itself, Fulham's odds improved when Casemiro got a red card against Southampton and Garnacho - who broke Fulham's hearts with a winning goal at the death back in November - picked up a significant injury. Meanwhile Fulham will have Palhinha back and hopefully Willian too. I expect Fulham to put out their strongest lineup so that should mean Leno in goal, Diop at the back, and Solomon starting on the wing. Fulham won't play again until April so there is no reason for Silva not to put Fulham's best out there.

 

Best of luck, @MicahMan ! And to your baby boy, too. My son is looking for jobs on the West Coast once he graduates this year, as far away from Indiana as possible in the contiguous 48, and that might as well be Europe for us. Still, he really wants it, so I hope it happens for him.

I'm keeping my expectations low today and will be ecstatic should they be exceeded.

 

Our best, strongest side possible starting. COME ON YOU WHITES!
BEAT MANURE!

 

Wow. This is unraveling quickly.

 

I got one kid on my 1st grade team who throws tantrums and acts ridiculously when things don't go his way, but he has nothing on Mitrovic. What a child.

 

Possibly the Fulhamishest of all Fulhamish experiences. When my daughter came into the room at minute 60, I said, "I've got the bad feeling about this. It's going too well."

But I have to say the Pk on Willian (and the red) was about as clear as the no-call on the foul on Mitro in the first half. Doesn't excuse Mitro's blowing his gasket, though. He's looking at a major suspension and a fine.

It depended on interpretation. Willian was in the act of tucking in his arm, and I think half of the referees would have stuck with the original no-call. In Mitro's case, he'd taken up position in front of the defender to which he had the right. He was hacked on the Achilles and went down theatrically. But the fact is, there was contact in the box, and no call was made. Mitro needs to commit; either take acting classes, or quit acting and play.

 

De Gea w/massive save on Mitro to keep
it 0-1. Willian busted his arse (I’m guessing 70 yard sprint) to be in position, 5 inches lower and it’s a heroic save off his knee. Would’ve been so much better if Sancho scored to make it 1-1 w/11 v 11 still playing. Fulhamish indeed.

Silva getting the red (haven’t seen his comments yet) almost lit the fuse on Mitro. No doubt this will likely be a 5 game ban at least. His lunacy has let the whole team down, and I’m guessing any shot at finishing in the Top 10.

 

The issue I see is that this is becoming a recurring theme. Fulham are starting to get a reputation. Silva has been carded multiple times, Mitrovic spends half the match waving his arms around above his head and the other half in the ref’s face. Poor Tim needs an enforcer to hold back the team so he can actually talk to the ref as a captain should. As a fan, it’s very disappointing.

With regards to the match, Fulham were playing so well up to the ManU break that lead to Willian’s dismissal. And that was a bad situation to handle. Willian was actively pulling his arm in but, at the same time, leaning his shoulder out. As joe said, five inches lower would have gone off his leg and I’d say five inches higher would have gone off his shoulder.

It was great to see Palhinha back at his thing. BDR was mostly invisible so I would have liked to have seen more Solomon. Time for some rest and recovery. Let’s all get back to it in April.

 

Forget the highlights, I've never been more disgusted with Fulham and that's a shame because until 73 minutes in I had rarely been as proud of Fulham. They were the best team out there today until those moments of insanity. Willian was trying his best to get his hand down behind his knee, but he didn't and it was absolutely deserving of a red card and a penalty. I can forgive that. What I cannot forgive is Silva and Mitrovic throwing away the hard work that had been done by everyone else on the pitch. You are both well paid professionals, act like it.

Thank goodness there are a couple weeks to try and forget about this. Hopefully the rest of the team can keep up the quality they showed without Mitrovic and his inevitable extended suspension.

On a personal note, everything went well at the airport although it would have been interesting to have exchanged blank stares with with my son when the game unraveled if we had watched it together.

 

Before the match started I knew we were going to lose over some stupid self-inflicted bullshit; just did not see it happening to that degree.

It's infuriating we can let a team like United can play like absolute crap yet cakewalk to a victory because our team completely loses their mind when they arent given any calls (e.g. Luke Shaw's shove on Mitro in the box, Mitro's other nonpenalty by the United defender, Antony kicking out on Robinson not even called a foul, I'm probably forgetting others) yet are subject to a corner kick call being overturned by VAR into a penalty and straight red card. The PK call I understand but, and not to get all Zapruder Film, it didnt appear like the shot wasnt even going in the goal? And does the double jeopardy rule no longer apply?

I was flabbergasted why Mitro and especially Silva would simply lose their collective shits, but then was reminded the ref this game is the same fella who a) allowed Preston's double handball in the leadup to their goal back autumn 2021, and b) allowed both of West Ham's clear hand ball goals to allow this past fall. Evidently Silva holds grudges.

Whereas Mitro, well, not sure what else to say. He finally looked his old self. Let's hope we'll see him before the end of April (if any more I'll be quite mad).

 

Here's the thing...I've seen handballs given for less and more than what Willian did on that play. Was his arm and hand in an "unnatural" position? (Whatever the hell that is). I don't know. You could have made a decent case for not. And how do you determine intent? I would submit that's it's damn near impossible. How could you possibly know what's in a man's head on a play that close? But they called it, so you gotta accept it. Strongly agree with everyone...Silva and Mitro have to keep it together much, much better than that. Unfortunately Mitro's still a hothead who loses his cool way too often. And Marco has been too vocal too many times this season. This time it truly did cost us any chance at a result or a replay. This had been our best chance in a really long while to win a major honor and we just pissed it away in a matter of seconds.
Fooey,

 

Either I missed something or the league office is taking the international break off too. How long are they going to deliberate on these suspensions?

 

Well when we're a month into the FA or EPL or whatever investigating someone who admitted to gambling on the sport timelines are whatever they want them to be!

 

I have a feeling the terms of the suspensions will be announced just after the squad sheets are turned in by the club for Saturday morning's tussle with the Cherries.

 

Apologies from Silva and Mitrovic to Chris Kavanagh, the fans, and their teammates for their actions at Old Trafford:
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/march/29/a-message-from-marco-and-mitro/