In the aftermath of the Manchester United Everton FA Cup semi-final there was plenty of predictable bleating and moaning. This is Ferguson Land. Whenever anything goes slightly amiss it is always someone else’s fault. So the responsibility for the FA Cup semi-final defeat was laid fair and square on the pitch, which was neither fair nor square.
True enough the Wembley pitch was not up to scratch and was inferior to the majority of Premiership playing surfaces, The ball did not run true and also it cut up quickly with large divots of turf appearing, so it resembled a practice ground for a golf tournament within the first 10 minutes.
But both teams were similarly affected and it was Ferguson who selected the weakened United team who showed little inclination to chase the win in extra time. Furthermore, Berbatov’s lamentable penalty in the shoot-out was down to his own special brand of indifference, and not the scarred, as opposed to sacred, turf.
Many people claim Sir Alex is a master in psychological warfare and often beats his opponents in the mind games. His brilliant mental destruction of his rivals, the argument runs, leaves them powerless to survive in the match itself and they are beaten before kick-off.
This is utter nonsense, there is no subtlety to Ferguson’s rants and raves, he is more akin to a six year old sans toys than a genius of mind games. To be wound up by such blunt and unimaginative posturing does not bode well for anyone who is entering the school playground in the near future.
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