“It’s better to be lucky than good sometimes,” was Roy Keane’s verdict on Manchester United’s 3-1 comeback victory against Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Having clocked up over almost 500 appearances and captained the club during the most successful period in the club’s history, it’s safe to say Keane knows a thing or two about how to win.
The 51-year-old, speaking as a pundit on ITV, stressed that United will need to perform better if they’re to make it past Brighton in the semi-final at Wembley in April.
But he also recognised the importance, in a knockout game, of Just Getting It Done. He’ll be the first to admit that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side weren’t always brilliant. But when they weren’t, they invariably did enough to win matches.
Having ended their six-year wait for silverware with a routine 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the League Cup final at Wembley that looked straight out of the Keane and Ferguson glory days, Erik ten Hag’s side look unrecognisable to the side that finished with a record low Premier League points tally last term.
That was a major step forward for the club, but the following weekend’s historic 7-0 defeat to an ailing Liverpool was a reality check that this project remains a work in progress. Casemiro’s subsequent red card and two dropped points against Southampton were a reminder there’s still work to do to finish in the top four.
The blip looked in danger of turning into a wobble as this season’s surprise package Fulham deservedly led 1-0 on the hour mark in the quarter-final at Old Trafford. In the absence of Casemiro, it was the visitors’ Portuguese-speaking midfield powerhouse Joao Palhinha that dominated in the centre of the park.
“We were clearly the best team on the pitch,” stressed Marco Silva in his post-match interview. That might sound like sour grapes after being denied a famous cup victory, but he had a point. Fulham were good value for their lead and didn’t look too troubled as United went in search of an equaliser.
“Up until the red card we were CLEARLY the best team on the pitch!”
Marco Silva gives his honest response to Fulham’s meltdown at Old Trafford today… 😳
🎙️ @gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/fcaURhBvwa
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 19, 2023
That was until United sprang into action with a dangerous break. Willian scrambled back to stick his body in the way of Jadon Sancho’s goalbound shot.
It looked as though the veteran Brazilian…
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