Phil Sumbler
It’s FA Cup Third Round week and no matter how much the “special” feeling around the FA Cup may have dipped over the years the Third Round always brings back many memories for football fans everywhere.
Over the course of the build up this week on Planet Swans we will bring you some special memories of the past – not always good ones – but some memorable Third round clashes none the less.
For our final memory lane trip this week we go back nine years and the day that Manchester United were beaten on their own patch by Michael Laudrup’s Swans adding extra pressure on David Moyes as Manchester United manager.
2014 – Manchester United out on their own patch as pressure mounts on Moyes
When we were a side in the lower divisions the dreams of drawing a Premier League club in the competition were strong but often unfulfilled. When the draw was made for the 2013/14 competition 3rd Round though, for the second season the Swans were drawn against one of the Premier League “big guns” in Manchester United.
Twelve months earlier it had been Arsenal who got through after a replay against the Swans.
The Swans were, at this stage, the holders of the Capital One Cup, in the middle of a Europa League campaign and were also due to go to Old Trafford the following weekend for a Premier League fixture.
It was also the first FA Cup tie for Manchester United in the post Alex Ferguson era as David Moyes prepared his side for the cup tie.
Saturday 05 January 2014
Manchester United 1 Swansea City 2
Old Trafford, Manchester
MATCH REPORT – BBC SPORT
Swansea won for the first time in their history at Old Trafford as Wilfried Bony’s 90th minute winner knocked 10-man Manchester United out of the FA Cup.
The Ivory Coast striker, who had caused anxiety in the United defence for most of the game, headed in Wayne Routledge’s cross to book a fourth-round spot against Birmingham, Bristol Rovers or Crawley Town.
The game looked like it was heading for a replay as the hosts held on following Fabio Da Silva’s red card 10 minutes from the end after he had scythed down Jose Canas.
But Bony’s strike ended a run of seven games without a win for the Swans, who had opened the scoring early on through Routledge before Javier Hernandez’s equaliser.
It marked a second consecutive defeat for David Moyes’s side, who also lost against Tottenham on New Year’s Day. They have lost five times at home this season, including four of their last six at Old Trafford.
Moyes’s gamble to pick a second-string team failed badly, but he was without the injured Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney before kick off and his side paid for wasting several good chances in the first half.
There will also be concern for Rio Ferdinand, who left the field with a knee injury before being replaced by Fabio. The Brazilian lasted only four minutes before he was sent off.
United last won the FA Cup in 2004 but that wait must continue with the focus now on Tuesday’s first leg of the Capital One Cup against Sunderland as Moyes attempts to salvage some silverware in his first season in charge.
The only certain thing about Swansea’s fourth-round tie is that it is away from home as they go searching for their first FA Cup to add to their Capital One Cup success last year.
Bristol Rovers are yet to complete their second-round tie, with Birmingham lying in wait in the third round before they meet the Swans.
Although United made a positive start with Hernandez missing a great chance after a neat one-two between Danny Welbeck and Shinji Kagawa, the hosts went behind to a relatively simple goal.
Alejandro Pozuelo, who replaced the injured Pablo Hernandez, collected Bony’s knock-back and his through ball found Routledge to lob over Anders Lindegaard after 12 minutes.
The lead only lasted four minutes, though, as Hernandez found his goal-scoring touch with a poked finish from close range after Alex Buttner’s curling left-wing cross.
Moyes’s side continued to create the better opportunities, but although they went close through Antonio Valencia and Buttner, Swansea weaved clever passing patterns in midfield behind the physical presence of Bony.
Ferdinand, who played his first game since 10 December, and fellow centre-back Jonny Evans had to be smart to block another Routledge effort as Swansea appeared after the break with more gusto. Pozuelo and Bony were also off-target.
With United appearing to lose their momentum, Moyes introduced Adnan Januzaj after the hour mark, but the youngster could not add any zip and matters were made worse when Fabio was sent off for a reckless challenge on Canas only four minutes after replacing the injured Ferdinand.
And the nightmare evening was complete when Bony’s header sent the visiting fans into raptures and they will relish the trip back to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.
The managers
The following week the Swans were beaten 2-0 in the Premier League on the same ground before being knocked out of the Europa League the following month against Napoli after a change in management saw Garry Monk take charge after the sacking of Michael Laudrup.
Manchester United made their own change of manager in the April when David Moyes, hand picked by Alex Ferguson to be his successor, was sacked after just 10 months in charge and after they were knocked out of the Champions League and a semi final League Cup defeat to Sunderland. They also missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in 18 years.
