FULL TIME: Manchester United 1-0 Sheffield United
And that’s that! Manchester United make it through, right at the end, thanks to a determined run by Memphis and a preposterous sliding tackle by Hammond. The home side weren’t very good, but they were the side doing all the attacking in that second half, so you could certainly make a case - albeit not a particularly strong or convincing one - that they just about deserved that. Just about. Maybe. Though whatever your position there, you have to feel sorry for a very brave and impressive Sheffield United. Louis van Gaal waves to the fans as he disappears down the tunnel, but one bloke gives him a very conspicuous double thumbs down. Still, that’s a misfiring Manchester United in the hat for the fourth round. Louis van Gaal’s Mark Robins moment?
Updated
90 min +6: Flynn shapes to shoot from 25 yards, but finds his effort blocked. From the breakdown, Basham goes clattering into Memphis in the frustrated style, and he’s in the book.
90 min +5: Hammond looks to make amends by scooping a long ball down the right, allowing Flynn to cause a bit of bother down that wing. But Rooney snuffs out the danger.
90 min +4: But what a stupid challenge by Hammond, who looks utterly distraught.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Sheffield United (Rooney 90+3 pen)
Rooney batters the penalty into the bottom-left corner, Long going the other way. No messing!
Updated
Penalty to Manchester United!
90 min +2: Memphis has been Manchester United’s best player since coming on. He dribbles at pace down the left, and enters the area. Hammond slides across and clips him on the shin. Memphis doesn’t need asking twice. He goes down, and Rooney will have the chance to seal the win from the spot!
Updated
90 min: It’s far from over yet, of course. There will be six added minutes. The first two are used up by a substitution farce. Sheffield United look to swap Coutts for Done, but Sammon goes down injured as the board goes up, and so he eventually makes way instead. We might be seeing more than six added minutes.
Updated
89 min: Manchester United are pressing, pressing, pressing. If only they’d played like this from the get-go. Memphis cuts in from the left again, and sends a fierce drive inches wide left from 25 yards. Again. And up go the ironic cheers. This is getting old. “This, this right here is peak Van Gaal,” argues David Flynn. “And the worst part about it is he’ll probably be delighted. A dour 0-0 with a massive amount of possession is basically a win in his mind.”
87 min: Martial is fairly cynically knocked off the ball by Basham. Free kick for United, 30 yards out on the right. The ball’s hooked into the area. Edgar’s clearing header is awful, dropping to the feet of Martial, eight yards out. He must score! But his snapped shot is blocked by an absurdly good dive from Brayford, who has spread himself bravely - and legitimately - in front of the striker. The ball breaks right to Smalling, who should still slam home, but he executes a perfect fresh-air kick. Oops. Sheffield United survive, somehow.
85 min: This game is a proper shapeless mess right now. It’s very open, which will probably suit Manchester United. But no passes are sticking.
83 min: Schweinsteiger was waving his arm in panic and agony as he went down, never a pleasant thing to see. But it does look as though he’s just momentarily jarred something, and after a couple of minutes is back on, albeit not running in the full and free style. But that’s good to see.
81 min: Pereira, deep on the left, swings a long diagonal pass to Lingard, coming into the Sheffield United area from the right. He heads down for Martial, whose attempt to sweep home is immediately blocked. The ball breaks to Schweinsteiger on the edge of the area. He has a crack at the ball, but only succeeds in jarring his knee as he clatters into Basham, who was attempting to clear. A fair and innocent challenge, but Schweinsteiger looks in a bit of trouble here.
79 min: It is slightly difficult to parse the exact mood of the Manchester United crowd, though. Pereira is sent on for Fellaini, whose exit is cheered fairly lustily. Sheffield United make a change too, swapping the injured McEveley for Reed.
77 min: Sarcasm and gallows humour is one thing. But Manchester United fans aren’t having their opposite number singing “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at their manager. They drown that one out with a blast of “Glory, Glory Man United”.
75 min: Darmian, down the right, cuts the ball back for Fellaini, who shuttles it further back for Schweinsteiger. The German World Cup winner takes a swing at the ball, carving it miles to the left of the goal. He has the good grace to look thoroughly miserable at what he’s just done.
74 min: Martial tries to break down the inside-right channel, but his run is tracked by Coutts, who steps in front of his man, then plays the ball off Lingard to win a goal kick for Sheffield United.
73 min: Fellaini channels his inner Garrincha and embarks on a tricky meander down the right. He earns a corner, which Smalling flicks goalwards. Collins clears the danger. Finally, the home side are beginning to impose themselves on this match.
70 min: Memphis is certainly in the mood for this. He dribbles with extreme prejudice into the Sheffield United box down the left. And very nearly breaks through a bank of four white shirts. Not quite, but this is much, much better from Manchester United. They’ve looked decent since the double substitution.
69 min: A United effort on target! Darmian picks up a loose Sheffield United clearance, cuts into the area, and toe-pokes a weak shot towards the bottom right. The home faithful whistle, then give it the big cheer again. Plenty of smiles in the stand, though; they’re seeing the gallows humour in this. Moaning’s half the fun of football anyway. The most enjoyable bit, some would say.
67 min: Basham has a bash from 25 yards himself. It’s straight at De Gea, and not particularly well hit. The keeper gathers with a yawn. But that’s the first effort on target by either side, which is an astonishing statistic, and kind of backs up what the Old Trafford crowd have just been arguing via the medium of frustrated bellow.
66 min: Manchester United are beginning to apply a little pressure, with Sheffield United sitting very deep. And suddenly Memphis cuts in from the left, and sends a screamer wide left from 25 yards. It’s not miles away. Old Trafford erupts in ironic cheering at that sudden injection of pace and attacking intent. That’s a shot across Van Gaal’s bows all right.
64 min: Sheffield United make their first change. Sharp looks utterly miserable as he’s hooked, disappointed to be making way for Flynn. A bit of anger and irritation, but just the right side of open dissent. It’ll be Sammon ploughing a lone furrow up front.
62 min: Lingard’s first contribution is a purposeful run down the right. His ball inside doesn’t find a man, and the move breaks down, but there’s a sign that Manchester United are looking to up the tempo now. The Old Trafford faithful have found their voice, too, urging their lads to pick it up a bit.
60 min: Borthwick-Jackson bursts down the left and earns a throw deep in Sheffield United territory. Before that can be taken, Mata and Herrera are sacrificed for Memphis and Lingard. And then the throw comes to nowt.
58 min: Martial, from a position deep on the left, curls a deep cross to the far post. McEveley takes no chances and heads behind for a corner, though there was nobody near him. The set piece is worked backwards to Herrera, who sends an aimless ball into the box from the right wing. It’s smothered by Long.
55 min: Mata gifts the ball to Basham in the centre circle. He sends Sharp romping into space down the right, but the striker has neither the pace nor support to do any real damage. But there’s a second wave of attack, and Coutts bursts into the Manchester United box down the right. He reaches the byline, swans past Schweinsteiger and looks for Sammon in the middle. Mata steps in to brilliantly block, intercept and clear. He owed his team-mates that after starting the whole affair with that loose pass.
54 min: Manchester United are enjoying the lion’s share of possession, though, attempting to grind Sheffield United down. Mata and Darmian take turns to glide crosses into the Sheffield Untied box from the right. Collins and Edgar are battering every centre away, however, meat and drink for the big lads.
52 min: Schweinsteiger lumps a long, long ball straight into the arms of Long. That’ll be testing a few folk’s patience.
51 min: There’s definitely a strange atmosphere at Old Trafford right now, with the home team failing to click. It would be melodramatic to describe it as mutinous, but there’s a little something in the air. When Fellaini allows a simple pass to clank between his legs and sail backwards behind him, there’s a loud mix of resigned laughter and irritation. Bleak humour the top note right now, but it might turn if this performance gets much worse.
49 min: Mata’s in a little space down the right. His looping cross is gathered by Long at the near post without much fuss.
48 min: Nothing whatsoever going on right now. The Sheffield United fans are informed that the late trains back to Yorkshire are buggered, and if they could take earlier trains home, i.e. when the match is still on, the privatised firm running this shambles would be most grateful. They borrow a ditty from the home supporters, and belt out a rendition of “We do what we want.”
And we're off again!
No changes to either side. Sheffield United get the ball rolling for the second half. Manchester United will be kicking towards the Stretford End, and hoping for an injection of Wonderfuel Gas.
Half-time entertainment. In lieu of third-round shocks this year ...
HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-0 Sheffield United
And that’s that for the first half. The home team walk off to a smattering of boos, which are quickly drowned out by a blast of Glory, Glory Man United from the Old Trafford PA. Again, a little Saturday night satire. It’s like TW3 was never taken off air.
45 min +3: Coutts needlessly brings down Martial with the Manchester United man going nowhere down the left. It’s effectively a corner. Rooney pulls the ball back to Blind, on the edge of the area. A beautiful conversion in the rugby-union style.
45 min +2: Brayford finds himself near the Manchester United right-hand corner flag. He whips a cross towards the near post. De Gea claims a tricky ball with graceful ease.
45 min +1: Borthwick-Jackson has a dig from distance. Nope.
45 min: There will be three added minutes of this first half.
44 min: ... and welts a witless free kick straight in the Sheffield United wall. His frustration mounts when Sheffield United are awarded a cheap pressure-relieving free kick when Fellaini lightly brushes Basham, winning the ball fairly in the process. Rooney gets right up in referee Jon Moss’s grille; he’ll need to be careful.
Updated
43 min: The set piece is played short for Mata, who fires a low pass down the middle. Herrera can’t control. But Manchester United come again, with Mata attempting to flick the ball past Basham. The Sheffield United man sticks out a hand, and that’s a free kick 25 yards from goal. A very dangerous position. Rooney steps up ...
42 min: Coutts tugs Mata in the middle of the Sheffield United half. That’ll be a free kick, out on the left, and a chance for Manchester United to load the box. Before it can be taken, Coutts needs a bit of treatment.
40 min: A chant of “Jose Mourinho” breaks out. In fairness, that could be the Sheffield United support. Plenty of booing in an attempt to get whoever it is to pipe down.
38 min: McEveley blooters long down the Sheffield United left. Sharp bursts clear of the Manchester United back line in hot pursuit, and is only just beaten to the ball in a footrace with De Gea, rushing from his area. It’s not a throw to Sheffield United, though, as it turns out Sharp had a head start due to being a yard offside. A few Manchester United hearts were in mouths there, though, for a second or two.
36 min: Finally, a couple of half-chances for Manchester United. First Herrera slips a lovely sliderule pass down the middle to release Rooney into the area. Brayford comes across to confuse the situation, and before Rooney can poke the ball past Long, the keeper smothers. Then Schweinsteiger breaks into the box down the inside-right channel after a long Blind pass. A looping header, and Long would have been in trouble, but he tries to take it down, miscontrols, and the danger’s gone. But this is better from the 11-time cup winners.
Updated
34 min: Fellaini drops a shoulder in an attempt to dribble past McEveley down the Manchester United right. Plenty of tutting as the ball clanks off his shin and is easily cleared. Then poor Darmian takes a ball smack in the boat as he tries to make something happen down the same flank. Oh the indignity. But Darmian’s been one of Manchester United’s better players so far, always forward thinking, always an option.
32 min: A ball looped down the Sheffield United right. Sharp has the jump on Borthwick-Jackson, and reaches the byline, though is low fizzer is cut out easily by Smalling.
30 min: The pace has dropped. Blind tries to inject some impetus into proceedings with a burst through the middle. The ball’s shuttled right for Herrera, who near the corner flag tries to feed Darmian into the box. A harmless trundle along the byline rolls into the arms of Long.
27 min: Fellaini pumps a long ball forward for Mata. Is this satire?
25 min: Fellaini plays a piss-poor square pass in the midfield to gift Basham the ball. Basham tears down the inside-left channel, and would have broken into the box had Smalling not been positioned so well. A fine covering run from a class act. Fellaini owes him a bottle of something warming.
23 min: A bit of space for Coutts down the right. His deep cross is headed behind by Darmian, with Sammon lurking. The corner leads to a Manchester United quickbreak through Martial, which fizzles out due to a lack of options. The home side, fed on rich, creamy spoonfuls during the Ferguson era, bellow their frustration. That’s doubled when a long ball’s pumped towards the head of Fellaini, and the big man misses it. Goal kick. Sheffield United will be very happy with the way this has gone so far.
Updated
20 min: Rooney in the thick of the action. First he launches an absurd shot from just outside the area 30 yards over the bar. Then he’s sent scampering into the area down the inside-right channel, Sheffield United unpicked by a glorious pass down the flank from Darmian. Rooney takes the ball round Long on the outside, but leaves himself too tight an angle, and McEveley blocks the shot, or cross towards Martial, or whatever his intention was. Great defending.
Updated
18 min: Long boots big down the middle of the park. Sammon brings the punt down brilliantly, lets the ball bounce, then lashes a rising screamer towards the top right from 25 yards. It’s a stunning shot, and well parried over the bar by De Gea. Sheffield United don’t get their corner, though, because the referee has spotted a Sammon hand ball. It wasn’t that obvious.
Updated
17 min: Sheffield United are snapping into a few tackles right now, winning more than their fair share of 50-50s. Sammon makes a mighty nuisance of himself on the edge of the Manchester United area, then feeds Woolford down the left. De Gea plucks the cross from the sky.
Updated
15 min: More of the Manchester United sterile possession. Sheffield United are holding their shape right now. “I’m disappointed that Louis Van Gaal hasn’t worn a trackie with two stripes today in a classic Cruyffian protest at the recent Adidas criticism of his team’s style,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Dutch contrarianism isn’t what it once was, clearly!” Heh. You make a fair point. Though I’d have paid cash money to see the look of supreme disgust on Van Gaal’s face when he first heard about those comments.
12 min: More possession for Borthwick-Jackson, who is in a can-do mood this evening. He wins a corner for his side down the left. A deep ball is headed up into the air twice by Fellaini, standing near the right-hand post, to little effect.
11 min: Borthwick-Jackson finds a little space down the left, but his low cross is hooked away from danger by Edgar. Manchester United are beginning to dictate the game, in terms of possession anyway. They’re seeing a lot of the ball, but not doing a whole load with it.
8 min: Mata waves his wand from wide on the right, very nearly dropping a diagonal curler onto the foot of Martial, cutting in from the left, 12 yards out. Not quite. But not far away.
7 min: It’s probably best described as a fast-paced nonsense, so far, this game. The slippery surface, rain and wind will probably take a little getting used to. “Just wondering how Schneiderlin can be considered in the red zone, when he’s only played two games since 5th December,” wonders Mark Gillespie. You’d buy a used car off Louis van Gaal, that being the case, wouldn’t you.
5 min: Sharp bothers Blind down the Sheffield United right. Blind very nearly lets his man go clear on goal, but recovers just in time and turns to clear. Up the other end, Martial takes Brayford on down the Manchester United left, and thinks he’s earned his team a corner, but the ball comes back off the young French star and out for a goal kick.
4 min: A lot of loose balls being played by both teams at the moment. No shape to the game whatsoever.
2 min: It’s a belting atmosphere at Old Trafford, both sets of supporters giving it plenty.
And we're off!
Manchester United get the ball rolling. Sheffield United will kick towards the Stretford End in this first half. They lose the ball quickly enough, and Basham goes on a determined run from deep in his own half towards the midfield, before being upended by Fellaini in the centre circle. The free kick’s lumped forward, and sees Woolford romp down the left. He curls a powerful cross towards the near post, where De Gea gathers efficiently. Early signs that Sheffield United are going to give it a go, then.
The teams are out! Manchester United are wearing their famous red, white and black, while Sheffield United sport their first-choice 125th-anniversary white shirts with red butcher’s stripes and super-retro badge. Both teams are an aesthetic delight. And the floodlights are shimmering through the heavy rain, so it’s quite a picture. FA Cup third-round football, right here! We’ll be off in a minute.
An excitable Nigel Adkins talks! “It’s going to be a great occasion, eight-and-a-half thousand of our supporters here, the Theatre of Dreams. Manchester United should win the game, but let’s go and have a go at it, see what happens. Inspired is the word. This is where you want to play. Anybody can win on any given day. It’s the beauty of the cup. We’ve got to defend well, and have a lot of luck. We’re always likely to score goals. We’ve got spirit. We’re going to ask the question and make sure we enjoy it. Come the end of the game, we’ll get our recovery stretches done, and will be ready for Wigan on Tuesday!”
LVG speaks of his love of the cup: “When I was a little boy I looked to the FA Cup, and certainly the final. I think I watched Jimmy Greaves, so it was a long time ago!” LVG speaks of naming a strong team: “Our experiences of last year make it clear that all games are difficult. I have no Ashley Young, but he is in the red zone because of the Christmas period. The same thing with Morgan Schneiderlin. I have to rotate. When I am not obliged to rotate, I don’t rotate.” LVG speaks on the potential of CBJ: “He did very well in his first game. To be consistent is difficult, and today he has to show he can be consistent.”
Breaking news: It’s raining in Manchester.
Louis van Gaal makes three changes to the side that beat Swansea City last weekend. Matteo Darmian, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Marouane Fellaini come in for Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Morgan Schneiderlin.
Sheffield United, meanwhile, are unchanged from the XI sent out against Peterborough United seven days ago. Matt Done, in form until recently scuppered by a hamstring injury, is back on the bench.
This evening's teams
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Martial, Rooney.
Subs: Romero, McNair, Varela, Lingard, Pereira, Memphis, Keane.
Sheffield United: Long, Brayford, Basham, Coutts, Sharp, Collins, Woolford, Sammon, McEveley, Edgar, Hammond.
Subs: Howard, Flynn, Baxter, Done, Campbell-Ryce, Reed, Adams.
Referee: Jon Moss (Tyne and Wear).
Updated
Good evening!
Last season, Arsenal won the FA Cup. And so this happened to the all-time winners record...
12: Arsenal
11: Manchester United
8: Tottenham Hotspur
7: Aston Villa, Liverpool, Chelsea
6: Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United
5: Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Manchester City
So will Manchester United strike back immediately? They’re due something in this famous old competition, certainly, for their recent record in the FA Cup is fairly poor. Relatively speaking, anyway. For anyone brought up between the late 1970s and early 1990s, when United hoovered up FA Cups at will, and those who got into football a little later, when United hoovered up absolutely everything at will, the last decade or so will have seemed a little strange. Since beating Millwall to lift their 11th cup in 2004, they’ve reached the final twice, and the semis on another two occasions. Not a bad record at all by most club’s standards. Not so good by Manchester United’s, though.
Plenty of reason for them to go for it this season, then. And fold into the mix the storied career of Louis van Gaal. Nothing’s certain at Old Trafford right now, and it’s possible this could be his last season at the club. A victory in the FA Cup would be some way to go out. You’d have a heart of stone not to enjoy him lifting a trophy as a symbolic stiff-fingered salute to the media, after the relentless disrespectful nonsense he’s had to put up with this season. In a perfect world, he’d be doing it thanks to a series of victories on penalty kicks after grinding 0-0 draws.
But Manchester United aren’t the only club allowed to dream their dreamy dreams. Sheffield United have won this trophy four times themselves, and are really due a little something coming their way: their last victory was in 1925. They’re currently eighth in League One, and in very decent nick. They’ve won four of their last five games, and scored twice in the single match they lost during that sequence. They’ll also be buoyed by their recent record against higher-ranked opponents in the cup - they’ve won five of the last six - and will retain strong memories of a famous win over Manchester United in the 1993 edition of this tournament.
Manchester United, for their part, have lost just the once to a lower-ranked side in the FA Cup in the last 36 ties. Hats off to Leeds United, who put them out here in January 2010. They also repaid the Blades for that 1993 defeat with victories in 1994 and 1995. They’ll be hot favourites to register another win this evening, of course, though they’ll have to do without Adnan Januzaj, freshly returned from his Borussia Dortmund loan short of match fitness, while Sheffield United might be able to recall striker Matt Done after a hamstring injury.
The first step towards Manchester United’s first FA Cup since 2004? Or the first step towards Sheffield United’s first FA Cup since 1925? We’ll soon find out (unless it goes to a replay, but let’s not muddy the waters unnecessarily). It’s on!
Kick off: 5.30pm.
Updated
