MATCHWATCH : Manchester United (a) sponsored by down down deeper and down

[Sutekh]

Saturday 5th January 2019 at 12.30pm

And Reading’s sojourn with this year's FA Cup begins (and ends) on Saturday with a visit to Premier League giants Manchester United to play the big boys. While entry into the competition this year could well be over by the 10th minute, the tie will probably see Reading net about £1m or so for their trouble. Of course that includes the fees for appearing on the telly as allegedly every ManU cup game has to be screened live by law.

Then there's that little chance that says 1 visit to ManU in 200 will result in an incredible result and see Reading progress to play their more usual FA Cup fare of any Championship team away. So all we hope is the club can go there and play their very best and perhaps this visit is day that Reading finally beat Manchester United again.

Presumably ManU will do the usual and play a load of reserves but have the likes of Pogba and Lukaku on the bench in the unlikely event there is an emergency.

Reading have the usual stack of problems but to be honest does anyone care about this game? Might as well play fringe players and academy products and save further risk to what might be classed the stronger elements of the squad for the games that actually matter.

Referee

Stuart "phantom goal" Attwell for this one



Previous

13 May 17 > Fulham 1-1 Reading (po semi)
19 Aug 14 > Reading 1-2 Huddersfield Town
29 Nov 13 > Nottingham Forest 2-3 Reading
25 Apr 12 > Middlesbrough 0-2 Reading
20 Sep 08 > Watford 2-2 Reading
10 Aug 08 > Nottingham Forest 0-0 Reading

Historically

Reading beat Manchester United once. It was way back in 1927 and it took them 3 games to knock them out of the FA Cup that season. Since then Reading have failed to win on loads of occasions.

Astonishingly this game will be the 15th occasion we've played United in the FA Cup which quite probably is the most games we've played in a cup competition against any one opponent and given the disparate nature of the two team's fortunes down the years that is quite some achievement. For the record we'd need to share another 5 league seasons with them just to reach the same number of league games

Reading have never won at Old Trafford. Best results there in the cup was a 2-2 back on 12 January 1927 and then the more recent 1-1 back on 17 February 2007. The other 4 visits have all end in defeat with a total of 2 goals scored and 10 conceded in those games. Think the goals conceded could well be doubled if that Swansea “effort” resurfaces.

[sandman]

Thread should be renamed to Massacre Watch.

[strap]

Thread should be renamed to Massacre Watch.

Is there a bookie providing odds on ManURe scoring 10 or more? Would have a Judas bet on THAT for sure!

Yes you are quite correct, ManUre are our most common opponent in our entire FAC history, our only win coming at neutral Villa Park in the 2nd replay of FAC3 17/01/1927, (an 88th minute header from Bill Johnstone from a Jack Robson left wing cross, sealing our 2-1 victory). Strangely, their goal was scored by Frank McPherson 2 minutes before h/t to give them the lead, after Jack Robson had an early penalty saved. Frank actually joined RFC in 1929 and scored 32 goals in 87 starts over 4 seasons. By coincidence we played Swansea in a league match the Saturday before the cup game, and managed to draw a "bruising encounter".

We have managed 3 home draws and 2 away draws aside from that. All the rest, (8 games), were defeats. Funnily enough our worst defeat was last time out when we lost 0-4 at OT. I would image we would consider a repeat of that next Saturday as almost "acceptable" given this afternoon's debacle.

For anyone interested, our next most common FAC opponents are, perhaps less surprisingly, Aldershot. Played 11 W 6 (all at home), drawn 2 lost 3 (all away).

Third in the list is Newport County with 9 games in the FAC.

[Hound]

It’s going to be horrible

God knows what Gomes does with this shambles

Would prob bring back Moore, Blackett, Bacuna, Harriott and maybe Loader

We’ll get tonked whatever we do tbh though

[Snowflake Royal]

It’s going to be horrible

God knows what Gomes does with this shambles

Would prob bring back Moore, Blackett, Bacuna, Harriott and maybe Loader

We’ll get tonked whatever we do tbh though

Do you:
a) Give the young players the experience of getting smashed by Utd
b) Keep the young players as far from the absolute beasting we're going to get as possible

[Gunny Fishcake]

We are 28/1 with SkyBet , I can never recall higher odds for a football team in a match.

[Hound]

It’s going to be horrible

God knows what Gomes does with this shambles

Would prob bring back Moore, Blackett, Bacuna, Harriott and maybe Loader

We’ll get tonked whatever we do tbh though

Do you:
a) Give the young players the experience of getting smashed by Utd
b) Keep the young players as far from the absolute beasting we're going to get as possible

When I do the kids games, in the cup if one side is winning by 5, the game then ends and the rest of the match becomes a friendly and you can play all your subs as well etc

I’d ask the ref if we could do that tbh and go from there

[Old Man Andrews]

Just play a second string 11 and hopefully get out of there conceding 5. Then go home and forget it ever happened.

[Snowflake Royal]

It’s going to be horrible

God knows what Gomes does with this shambles

Would prob bring back Moore, Blackett, Bacuna, Harriott and maybe Loader

We’ll get tonked whatever we do tbh though

Do you:
a) Give the young players the experience of getting smashed by Utd
b) Keep the young players as far from the absolute beasting we're going to get as possible

When I do the kids games, in the cup if one side is winning by 5, the game then ends and the rest of the match becomes a friendly and you can play all your subs as well etc

I’d ask the ref if we could do that tbh and go from there

[Lower West]

It’s going to be horrible

God knows what Gomes does with this shambles

Would prob bring back Moore, Blackett, Bacuna, Harriott and maybe Loader

We’ll get tonked whatever we do tbh though

Do you:
a) Give the young players the experience of getting smashed by Utd
b) Keep the young players as far from the absolute beasting we're going to get as possible

Give the youngsters that deserve a game a run out. You cannot buy the experience.

[BR0B0T]

You're gonna get smashed on the terraces as well!

[sandman]

You're gonna get smashed on the terraces as well!

Those Japanese tourists are well 'ard.

[BR0B0T]

You're gonna get smashed on the terraces as well!

Those Japanese tourists are well 'ard.

Been drafted in to take care of the Wheelz crew

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

We are 28/1 with SkyBet , I can never recall higher odds for a football team in a match.

I've just included Man Utd for the win in my Heinz for Saturday.... at a miserable 1/10.....

[bcubed]

Thread should be renamed to Massacre Watch.

Is there a bookie providing odds on ManURe scoring 10 or more? Would have a Judas bet on THAT for sure!

Yes you are quite correct, ManUre are our most common opponent in our entire FAC history, our only win coming at neutral Villa Park in the 2nd replay of FAC3 17/01/1927, (an 88th minute header from Bill Johnstone from a Jack Robson left wing cross, sealing our 2-1 victory). Strangely, their goal was scored by Frank McPherson 2 minutes before h/t to give them the lead, after Jack Robson had an early penalty saved. Frank actually joined RFC in 1929 and scored 32 goals in 87 starts over 4 seasons. By coincidence we played Swansea in a league match the Saturday before the cup game, and managed to draw a "bruising encounter".

We have managed 3 home draws and 2 away draws aside from that. All the rest, (8 games), were defeats. Funnily enough our worst defeat was last time out when we lost 0-4 at OT. I would image we would consider a repeat of that next Saturday as almost "acceptable" given this afternoon's debacle.

For anyone interested, our next most common FAC opponents are, perhaps less surprisingly, Aldershot. Played 11 W 6 (all at home), drawn 2 lost 3 (all away).

Third in the list is Newport County with 9 games in the FAC.

10 goals is not impossible. It's just that Man U may get bored.
What about odds on more than 6? I'd have some of that

Total goals over 6.5 is 12 to 1
Total over 8.5 is 70 to 1

[Kitsondinho]

It would be so typical of us to lose 2-1 in the last minute to a goalkeeping error or a horrible og. I can just see us putting in our best performance of the season and losing heroically. That would p*** me right off because we are so poor in the league. To be brutally honest, reluctantly, I feel a cup run is irrelevant this season. We have to (somehow!) stay up......and I say that as someone who bloody loves the FA Cup! Heres hoping to us being 2 down in the 10th min

[Royal_jimmy]

The aim surely must be to lose by less than 5 goals

[Old Man Andrews]

The aim surely must be to lose by less than 5 goals

Yeah this.

[John Smith]

A real dilemma for sure. I would play as many second string as possible - give the likes of Meyler, Edwards and co. some deserved punishment and humiliation. Think Mannone has to start too.

One minuscule positive we can take is that It's a free shot that Gomes can experiment in, use it as a practice game to prepare for Forest the following week.

[Barney]

We are 28/1 with SkyBet , I can never recall higher odds for a football team in a match.

Burton are 40/1 to win at Man City next week.