FIVE ASIDES FA Cup, fifth round: United 3, West Ham 1
Another midweek game, another rousing comeback. And just like against Barcelona, it was United’s spirit that got them over the line. They had been poor in the first half, kept in the contest by David de Gea, outplayed by a West Ham team that could do everything except find the net. But then United did have a reserve back six: in fact, you could argue that the only first-choice outfielder was Bruno Fernandes, the only footballer in England who never seems to need a rest. United almost needed to concede a goal and in the 54th minute they did. When Ten Hag reacted by sending on Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez, to join Casemiro who had come on at half-time, United had their backbone back – and (in the absence of Christian Eriksen) their two best passers from deep. Denied an equaliser by the VAR, not unfairly, they found another within five minutes.
Alejandro Garnacho is no longer a non-starter. Erik ten Hag challenged him to show that he could sparkle from the kick-off, not just against the tiring defenders he faces as a sub. He did well enough to stay on for the full 90 minutes, for the first time against opponents more daunting than Charlton. And he scored the winner in the last of the 90, making it look ridiculously simple. Meanwhile Wout Weghorst, a starter for as long as Anthony Martial remains injured, fits in a little better with each game. He’s gone from a square peg in a round hole to a rough peg in a smooth hole. Talisman would be stretching it, but he is clearly one of the keepers of the team spirit. He was involved in all three goals – first with his angular presence, then a blocked shot, and finally some tireless pressing. The man is a terrier disguised as a giraffe.
Some of the understudies struggled to shine. Tyrell Malacia played like a mirror image of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, all tackles and not much creativity. Antony, so central against Barcelona, so marginal at Wembley, kept rolling the dice and not landing on a ladder. Diogo Dalot still hasn’t found what he’s looking for, which is his form from the autumn. Scott McTominay and Marcel Sabitzer looked as if they’d rather partner Casemiro than each other, and the same goes for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof with Martinez.
Since the defeat at Arsenal, United’s record is exceptional: played 11, won nine, drawn two. They’ve been resilient, bordering on relentless. But they have had the luck of the draw in both the FA and League Cups. Most of those games have taken place at home – only three of the 11 were away (one was on neutral ground, as you may remember). The quarter-final on Sunday March 19 will be United’s tenth successive home fixture in the domestic cups (not counting the League Cup final and semi-final, for obvious reasons). It’s a sequence that goes back to September 2021, and no big-six team has featured in it. The only surprise about last night’s quarter-final draw was that it paired United with Fulham, rather than Burnley: five of those ten home ties have been against clubs that wear claret-and-blue.
The quadruple is a fantasy. No team has ever managed it, and this United, admirable as they are, are highly unlikely to be the first. A heavy fixture list catches up with every team in the end, and if United reach two more semi-finals (Europa and FA Cup), they won’t have a free midweek for the rest of the season. ‘Might be a good game to lose,’ Rob Smyth said last night when United went behind, and I agreed. But then they had that goal disallowed and the adrenaline began to flow. Next up is Liverpool away: never a good game to lose. It’s a mountain United haven’t climbed since January 2016, when Louis van Gaal won 1-0 and the midfield pivot consisted of Messrs Fellaini and Schneiderlin. One of them now plays in China, the other in Australia. Ten Hag is so thorough, he’s probably ringing them to ask for tips.
Tim de Lisle writes about sport for The Guardian and music for The Mail on Sunday. If you’re on Twitter, do follow him and United Writing.