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Man United brush aside Saints

January 5, 2009 Samson Dada Leave a comment

welbeck-mobbed1As expected Manchester United made light work of Southampton to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

It is so easy to forget that only a few years ago Southampton had top flight status and had reached the final of this competition with European football starring them in the face; if they overcame the mighty Arsenal, who seem to have lost their way at the moment.

No disrespect towards the lower league teams but I quite enjoy when Manchester United draw team them in domestic cup competitions.

While complacency is a bad thing, Ferguson can be assured that if he plays a very young team with a few seniors such as Park Ji-Sung and perhaps brings in the likes of Rooney and Tevez in  the second half  (If  United are struggling) then they will win the tie.

I was pleased to see Daniel  Welbeck score his second senior goal for Manchester United.

Sometimes when I hear about young amateur footballers joining the likes of Manchester United at early ages, I wonder how they play their football. But, he is a good player.

Welbeck was in the year above me at Trinity Church of England High School and I still recall how dominant and calm on the ball he was when he was spontaneously asked to join one of our teams during Physical Education.

Southampton coach Jan Poortvliet was clearly aggrieved by the decision to award Manchester United a penalty- but he probably knows that Southampton had no chance of launching any sort of meaningful attack, or really testing Van der Sar against the champions.

How the next round has brought up some astonishing ties!

merseyside-head-to-head1A Merseyside derby, non-league Kettering Town have a Premiership tie against Fulham and Billy Davies plays against his former employers- who I think was wrongly dismissed.

I will also give a shout for Arsenal who play Cardiff, for my friend Cleland Thom (Who in his spare time, is only one of the UK’s finest journalism trainers!)

So we march on to the first leg of the Carling Cup semi final against Derby County on Wednesday night.

Dimitar Berbatov also gets a great chance to silence the boo boys when he faces his former club in the fourth round.

It’s been a good week for me and a good one for Billy Davies.