The Round Ball Game

[Alison]

Dead unlucky Sainty. The moral winners surely.

Can't wait for Leicester City v Liverpool tomorrow (forum derby!)

I am expecting a much improved performance from the Foxes if not necessarily a victory!

Amazing to think that a win could take us to 15th ...

[teamsaint]

Just back from the game.
Well, if you have to lose, that is the way to do it . In the end the bit of luck that the bigs clubs always seem to have, and more clinical finishing by them won the day. I haven't see a replay of the offside decsion yet, but as I have said many times, video replays just can't come quickly enough.
The memory of the equaliser at our end will live a long time in the memory. We seem to have found a real gem in Gabbiadini, and proved to ourselves that taking the cups seriously must make sense. Not terribly impressed by United, who look a team of the traditional Mourinho type.....

Next time it may be our day, but some great memories to take away from this final.

[Beef Oven!]

Just back from the game.
Well, if you have to lose, that is the way to do it . In the end the bit of luck that the bigs clubs always seem to have, and more clinical finishing by them won the day. I haven't see a replay of the offside decsion yet, but as I have said many times, video replays just can't come quickly enough.
The memory of the equaliser at our end will live a long time in the memory. We seem to have found a real gem in Gabbiadini, and proved to ourselves that taking the cups seriously must make sense. Not terribly impressed by United, who look a team of the traditional Mourinho type.....

Next time it may be our day, but some great memories to take away from this final.

It was a mile on-side. Disgraceful refereeing. Linesman should be sacked. Ruined the game. We have to have video replays without delay.

United’s first goal came from a free-kick that wasn’t even a foul. By rights, when you got the second goal on the score-sheet, you should have been 3-1 up. United were ropey, Saints created so many chances.

I feel sorry for all the Saints fans - they should have gone home as winners.

[gurnemanz]

I was right with you there. Man U have denied Palace a rare moment of glory in the last minutes of two Cup Finals - one still very fresh in the memory.

[teamsaint]

I was right with you there. Man U have denied Palace a rare moment of glory in the last minutes of two Cup Finals - one still very fresh in the memory.

no, they don't come round too often for clubs like ours, Gurney.

3rd losing final for me. But I was there when we lifted the (proper) JPT, which was a good day. A win today would have been so sweet, and we would have deserved it.
Thanks for the generous comments Beefy.
Yes, the Lino needs to be retrained for some other job, but luckily the decision didn't ruin the game. But it did possibly wreck our chances of winning.
We played some terrific football, and that counts for a lot.

[jayne lee wilson]

A classic cup final, really - 2-0, 2-2, 3-2 like Arsenal-United 1979... The Brady Final. This one, sadly, wasn't quite the Gabbiadini final.
Decided by - what so many are decided by: luck and class.

Yes, that old-rules-offside Saints goal should, in 2017, have stood. But if it had? The whole course of the game is changed, except for: Ibrahimovic. He would probably still have grabbed a couple. I wouldn't have watched if he hadn't been playing. Without him, Liverpool would have beaten United a few weeks ago at Old Trafford. Probably.

35 years old. A great player and a great character. A leader by example. A reason to switch on, when your own team isn't playing.
Typically for a Mourinho team, United didn't press as consistently, but their moves were often classier, the final passes often the more telling and their finishing - well, HIS finishing - was the difference.

But - honesty in the cold light of the day: Ibrahimovic rose for his winning header pretty much unchallenged.
As Gary Neville implied, these games are often decided on... moments.

[teamsaint]

So the honest truth, Jayne?
Ref got bullied by united.

We played better football than them, for most of the match

We were cheated, absolutely cheated of what might have been a decisive goal. Would that have been chalked off if it was united, liverpool, chelsea ? not a chance.
United timewasted, dived and conned their way through the game. Herrera only stayed on the pitch because Redmond was too honest. Trying to get a rookie defender sent off by mobbing the ref ? very, very poor.

The only thing that impressed me about United was Zlatan, who almost single handedly saved them really.Oh, and the keeper, who I would pay good money to go and watch. And if Virgil hadn't been crocked, Zlatan probably wouldn't have got the winner.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

And if Virgil hadn't been crocked, Zlatan probably wouldn't have got the winner.

It would have been a completely different game, TS. Ibrahimovic would have got hardly a touch.

Completely in agreement with you on everything else as well. MU are a typical whingeing, niggly Mourinho team who will get away with allsorts unless the officials are strong enough. Yesterday's weren't, and I'm disgusted at being beaten by the poorer team.

[Alison]

Credit to your manager, Sainty. What a good appointment.

I couldn't imagine Mourinho doing anything like as well shorn of his mega cheque book.

[Beef Oven!]

A classic cup final, really - 2-0, 2-2, 3-2 like Arsenal-United 1979... The Brady Final. This one, sadly, wasn't quite the Gabbiadini final.
Decided by - what so many are decided by: luck and class.

Yes, that old-rules-offside Saints goal should, in 2017, have stood. But if it had? The whole course of the game is changed, except for: Ibrahimovic. He would probably still have grabbed a couple. I wouldn't have watched if he hadn't been playing. Without him, Liverpool would have beaten United a few weeks ago at Old Trafford. Probably.

35 years old. A great player and a great character. A leader by example. A reason to switch on, when your own team isn't playing.
Typically for a Mourinho team, United didn't press as consistently, but their moves were often classier, the final passes often the more telling and their finishing - well, HIS finishing - was the difference.

But - honesty in the cold light of the day: Ibrahimovic rose for his winning header pretty much unchallenged.
As Gary Neville implied, these games are often decided on... moments.

Goals change games. Anyone who has played the game to a decent level knows what that feels like. Southampton were robbed - pure and simple.

When a small team like the Saints get to a Wembley cup final against an astronomically expensive team like United who can have players like Rooney on the bench, and score a goal against the odds, only to have it disallowed, that’s the moment.

I think you’re over generous with Ibrahimovic. Even at my age, I could have buried his chance! Given that he was 100% free and unmarked, 8 yards away from a goal that's 8 foot high, by 8 yards wide with no-one in front of him apart from the 'keeper!

Finishing? That was Lingard. A Jimmy (you don’t have to burst the net to score) Greaves old skool goal. And of course Gabbiadini’s two goals, especially the second were great finishes.

Southampton created more chances and the more penetrating ones at that. United’s moves looked classier since they are simply much better players. But it was the Saints who got in behind the defence and mercilessly attacked the six-yards box. United’s central defenders didn’t know if they were coming or going.

Even though I’m a United fan, I am unhappy about the result. Cup finals at Wembley are great levellers. This should have been a giant-killing story. But appalling officiating and cynical simulation for United’s free kick that gave united’s first goal, put the kibosh on it.

[Alison]

Sporting and fair comment Beef

[antongould]

Goals change games. Anyone who has played the game to a decent level knows what that feels like. Southampton were robbed - pure and simple.

When a small team like the Saints get to a Wembley cup final against an astronomically expensive team like United who can have players like Rooney on the bench, and score a goal against the odds, only to have it disallowed, that’s the moment.

I think you’re over generous with Ibrahimovic. Even at my age, I could have buried his chance! Given that he was 100% free and unmarked, 8 yards away from a goal that's 8 foot high, by 8 yards wide with no-one in front of him apart from the 'keeper!

Finishing? That was Lingard. A Jimmy (you don’t have to burst the net to score) Greaves old skool goal. And of course Gabbiadini’s two goals, especially the second were great finishes.

Southampton created more chances and the more penetrating ones at that. United’s moves looked classier since they are simply much better players. But it was the Saints who got in behind the defence and mercilessly attacked the six-yards box. United’s central defenders didn’t know if they were coming or going.

Even though I’m a United fan, I am unhappy about the result. Cup finals at Wembley are great levellers. This should have been a giant-killing story. But appalling officiating and cynical simulation for United’s free kick that gave united’s first goal, put the kibosh on it.

Well said that man ...

[teamsaint]

Beefy's comment about the Lingard goal is a spot on.
From behind the goal you just knew he was going to score, he looked so beautifully balanced.

[jayne lee wilson]

Goals change games. Anyone who has played the game to a decent level knows what that feels like. Southampton were robbed - pure and simple.

When a small team like the Saints get to a Wembley cup final against an astronomically expensive team like United who can have players like Rooney on the bench, and score a goal against the odds, only to have it disallowed, that’s the moment.

I think you’re over generous with Ibrahimovic. Even at my age, I could have buried his chance! Given that he was 100% free and unmarked, 8 yards away from a goal that's 8 foot high, by 8 yards wide with no-one in front of him apart from the 'keeper!

Finishing? That was Lingard. A Jimmy (you don’t have to burst the net to score) Greaves old skool goal. And of course Gabbiadini’s two goals, especially the second were great finishes.

Southampton created more chances and the more penetrating ones at that. United’s moves looked classier since they are simply much better players. But it was the Saints who got in behind the defence and mercilessly attacked the six-yards box. United’s central defenders didn’t know if they were coming or going.

Even though I’m a United fan, I am unhappy about the result. Cup finals at Wembley are great levellers. This should have been a giant-killing story. But appalling officiating and cynical simulation for United’s free kick that gave united’s first goal, put the kibosh on it.

So you'll happily wave goodbye to Ibra at the season's end? And welcome Rooney back? It's that effortless quality that makes Ibrahimovic great, his ability, Like Messi or Suarez, to lift a team just by being there. So easily glossed over. Defenders appear in awe, stand back, slow to react. (Oh, there he is again, hands on hips, strolling back from yet another offside..., It's what he does.). Didn't you see him with PSG in last year's CL? goal-goal-goal--- My heart sank as a Liverpool fan, when United signed him.

The way I saw Lingard's goal - so many defenders around, none getting even close to Mata-Martial-Rojo as they made the chance... not so much ball- or man- watching, but the lack of confidence in the challenge: when, where...?
Ibra's winner - much the same only in the air; his free-kick? Poor reflexes from Forster.
All this from a defence that never conceded a single goal on their way to the final.

It's not - it's never - just about one painfully wrong offside, as most fans know all too well . Especially Liverpool fans this year: if Ibra had scored no.3 against us, I would have moaned "oh god not again", and about the defence, not the striker.
The disallowed goal was indeed a significant moment; but the Saints got it back to 2-2; they rubbed it out.

Southampton outplayed United and went in only 2-1 down at halftime....
same old, same old...
People forget how often a Mourinho team will look unimpressively dour... and end up winning again. Why is that?

In 2014 Liverpool were scoring 4 or 5 every week, passing the other team off the park, seemingly capable of beating all comers, Suarez lifting everyone to a higher level. What did we end up winning? ...
I hope a similar thing doesn't happen against Foxes tonight, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Stanfordian]

What an exciting match it was yesterday at Wembley. José Mourinho has certainly got Man Utd back in winning mode. A superb performance Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 'Come on you Reds!'