By Mark Anthony Gomez (@Markthewise)
The FA Cup plays a crucial role in regards to the history of Manchester United. Researching into the team’s bygone days and you will find tales of fearlessness and dedication when it comes to the FA Cup. The red team of Manchester, won the trophy in 1948 after being drawn against every top flight club in every round.
The cup run that propelled United two months on after the Munich air disaster is a tale that every United supporter should be valiant about. The mighty Red Devils eventually lost to Bolton Wanderers in the final at Wembley. Nevertheless, Manchester United brought England closer. The Busby Babes were the pride of the average English working class at that time. European football was brought to their shores because of the hard work and perseverance showed by them and Sir Matt Busby.
Manchester United has a distinct record of winning the FA Cup most number of times. In total, winning it 11 times. In recent history, Sir Alex Ferguson’s first five years in charge of the club were fruitless until Mark Robins scored a header against Nottingham Forrest in the 3rd round of the competition and the rest they say is history.
The sweetest of victories came during the 1995/1996 final, where Cantona scored a cracking half volley from just outside the box against bitter rivals Liverpool at Wembley. It was a final that passionate United supporters would cherish. Talk about pride and glory.
A team like Manchester United must be leading the charge, when challenging for trophies, regardless of its measure. Winning is part of United’s DNA, it’s a cliché but true and justified. The draw against West Ham on Saturday not only saved the 11 time champions from utter embarrassment but it also showed that United lives by the ‘never say die’ attitude.
Priorities must be set before the start of the season and checked through during. Obviously, an ardent fan would want the Champions League and the league to be the top targets but the FA Cup has equal measures of importance. When a reality check is done upon the FA Cup, one would argue that it has lost its glitter and purpose. Profit making is the name of the game now.
In spite of that argument, one must not forget that it’s still a club cup competition, every team wants to win. So what about Manchester United? A barren spell of 8 years for a team of great distinction is surely not ideal. The supporters of Manchester United are hoping that it’s just a dry-bone period of short duration. A period that should come to an end soon, hopefully this season.
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