FA Cup Final 2016 – the same for both sides?
No, of course it wasn’t. In the red corner, Manchester United: 2 Champions Leagues, 20 league titles, 12 FA Cups – and much more. Mega-rich. Charlton, Best, Law, Cantona, Robson, Beckham, Ronaldo, Alex Ferguson, etc . The World’s richest Club from 2007 to 2012, now slumming it as 3rd richest, serial winners…need one go on?
In the (Red &) Blue corner, Crystal Palace: Zenith Data Systems Cup winners, FA Cup Runners-up twice now, 3rd place in the old First division once. But that’s only half the story.
With cards on the table, I’m a Palace fan. And like all of us at Wembley on Saturday, devastated to lose the FA Cup Final – again. Man Utd – again. To lose after taking the lead – again. Will it ever be our turn?
Going into the game, we all know the Man Utd story. Van Gaal clinging to his job, great unrest amongst fans and media alike as to the United style under LVG. But United still claimed 5th place to go with last season’s 4th in the Premier League under him. Slim pickings for the worlds 3rd richest club, perhaps – but in the Palace end, we could only imagine doing so badly…
Our story going into the game? Typical Palace, really. Thankfully still in the Premier League for three, giddy, consecutive seasons. The latest campaign started brightly, some people were even talking European qualification, only to suffer a major slump. Whilst never quite being dragged into a relegation fight, there were many nervous glances down the League table.
So the FA Cup run – with good Premier League scalps along the way – was a major bonus. Could it be our day at Wembley? Well it wasn’t in terms of the result, but it was in other ways, although I should add it has taken a few days of dark depression over the result to be overcome before I reached this much lighter, happier view.
On the pitch, as always in my experience, you couldn’t fault Palace’s effort or commitment – that is our trademark. Did Pardew play our strongest side? Well, with Puncheon scoring off the bench and being a real livewire after his introduction, perhaps hindsight says he didn’t.
Cabaye laboured once more. He seems to wear a constant frown these days, which doesn’t take much to turn into a snarl. Where is the player who looked so good at Newcastle, the player we all considered a “statement signing” when Pardew coaxed him from Paris to SE25? I wish I knew.
Our other key players, namely of course Zaha & Bolasie, didn’t turn in the “8 out of 10” performances we probably needed from them to stand a decent chance of winning. Our midfield warriors Jedinak & McArthur toiled hard, but didn’t get any lasting grip on things.
Despite United’s flaky performances on occasions this season, their individual quality in key areas is surely not in question. And, in trying to summarise, enough of those players delivered at Wembley to make the difference – particularly Rooney, Martial, Rashford and of course Lingard with his sublime winning volley.
As a final view on events on the pitch, I must mention the Referee. It’s always a pity when Refs leave us with talking points or controversy, although in the interests of balance, in this day and age of gamesmanship and simulation from many players, it’s probably hard for them to avoid controversy much of the time.
Mark Clattenberg failed to play advantage in Palace’s favour on more than one occasion, but most notably when Connor Wickham got the better of Chris Smalling in the first half in a very promising situation. One of those situations where we’ll never know what would have happened had he played on, but I have a strong feeling the outcome would have been better than gaining the free-kick he awarded us.
There were some other things that didn’t go in Palace’s favour, which on another day might have done, but no-one wants to be seen or heard to be munching on sour grapes when you’ve lost a close match – so here endeth my observations on Mr Clattenberg’s decision-making on Saturday.
The Palace fans were absolutely, undeniably magnificent. A wall of noise from about 2pm onwards that never stopped. It’s been a source of great pride to hear so many compliments from non-Palace friends and the media in general as to how impressive Palace’s support was.
Whilst pondering Palace’s chances of winning an FA Cup Final – or any Cup Final – I thought of the 2013 FA Cup FInal when Wigan beat Manchester City 1-0. One look at the respective team-sheets for that day must restore belief that Palace can surely do it one day. Wigan beating City that day was a far greater shock than a Palace win last Saturday would have been. It can be done.
For the future, Palace will hope that with the US investment some quality signings will be made, our best players retained, and we receive a clear strategy for advancement from the Boardroom.
I said at the start of this article that Saturday wasn’t the same for both sides, and in terms of what winning on the day meant to each Club, there was no comparison in my view. Whilst I don’t like to criticise other fans particularly, I think this was perfectly illustrated by the noise and passion of the two sets of supporters – it wasn’t difficult for anyone to guess which fans were watching their team trying to with their twelfth FA Cup, and which fans were hoping their team might just win their first.
Van Gaal subsequently got the sack after the game, the game where his team won the FA Cup, remember, and after finishing 5th in the League. Had Palace won the game, work on a statue of Alan Pardew would already be under way at Selhurst Park.
So if we accept that the Man Utd’s of this world inhabit a far loftier perch than Palace’s, and that it’s pointless comparing resources and wealth etc, we should be encouraged by the memories over the years, where Crystal Palace have punched above their weight to the surprise of many. And one day, maybe, just maybe…we might land the punch that decides a really big fight.
Keep the faith.
By Chris Tribe,
25th May 2016
Photo credit: Carlos Yo/Wikimedia Commons
Copyright © 2016 Chris Tribe. All Rights Reserved.
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