The FA Cup Final Preview

The final of the oldest cup competition in the world is upon us. Two leading teams of the present English game are set to do battle on the new pitch of New Wembley. Manchester United and Chelsea, champions and runners up respectively will slug it out tomorrow night 10pm Singapore time. This would be only the third time that the top two sides in the league will contest for the FA Cup.

This will be Man Utd’s 18th appearance in the final and has their sights on winning it for the 12th time. Both teams are going for the double this season. Chelsea has appeared in the final 8 times with a victory count of 3. MU is going for the league and cup double while Chelsea is going for the domestic cup double. If history is to play its part tomorrow night, it doesn’t look good for Chelsea. In 10 meetings between the two sides in the FA Cup, MU has won on 8 occasions.

The FA Cup is the only domestic trophy Jose and Roman have not won yet. It would be comforting for Jose that he has got the better of Sir Alex in their encounters so far. Both managers have pitted against each other 9 times. Jose has won 4 of those games while Sir Alex has only won once. So the motivation for both sides is present and hopefully that would translate into a cracker of a final.

A Look at Both Camps

Manchester United

Personnel
Gary Neville and Louis Saha are ruled out of the final due to injuries. The first choice pairing of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand is expected to start at the heart of MU’s defence. Other than that, Sir Alex has a full squad to choose from.

Here is how we expect them to line up
Van Der Sar
Brown/O Shea Ferdinand Vidic Evra/Heinze
Ronaldo Carrick Scholes Giggs
Rooney Smith

Based on recent performance, Brown should get the right back slot. But O Shea has been the clutch player for them this season. It will be interesting who plays there. Evra and Heinze are two different players. One loves to attack and one is a defender throughout. Heinze might start if Sir Alex decides to shore up the defence more since Chelsea has good flank players. Evra is often found wanting after he bombs forward. But then again Evra’s pace could help is stifling Chelsea’s wingers. Nonetheless, we expect Heinze to get the nod. The forward line should be predictable with the only variable could be the striker position. Will it be Smith or Solksjaer. Solksjaer has been involved in games lately.

Approach
Honestly, we don’t really think Sir Alex cares who they are playing against. In every game, it seems that their mentality is always to attack and surge forward. So, we expect more of the same. A kind warning to Sir Alex is to apply some form of brakes on their attacking machine when they play against Chelsea. MU are advocates of fast, flowing, dynamic football and with the likes Ronaldo and Rooney, they have the pace and quality to do it. In this particular game, MU needs to exercise caution so they do not get caught by a Chelsea counter attack. Pass and Move will be the name of the game for MU.


Chelsea

Personnel
Chelsea is facing an injury crisis coming into Saturday. Shevchenko, Ballack and Carvalho are all out for the final. More are on the doubtful list. Such players include Ashley Cole, Obi Mikel and Arjen Robben. Jose will have trouble fielding a strong team. Due to long injury list, it is very difficult to predict Jose’s side this Saturday.

Line Up
Cech
Diarra/Ferreira…..Essien…..Terry…..Cole/Bridge
Wright-Phillips/Kalou…..Mikel…..Lampard…..Makelele…..Cole
Drogba

Many possibilities are present in this team. What is almost confirmed is the central defender role for Michael Essien. He will replace Carvalho alongside Terry. Ashley Cole could start if he is deemed fit enough. Bridge would be his replacement if Cole does not start. Joe Cole, Wright-Phillips and Kalou will compete for the flank positions. We reckoned Cole and Kalou be in the first 11. Kalou is in form lately and has had a long run in the first team. Cole has terrorise MU in the past and we expect him to play down the left.

Approach
We expect Jose to start cautiously and try to stifle MU’s definite pressure. They will most probably concentrate their attack around direct balls to Drogba or down the wings through their small men. Jose’s side tactics and strategy are organic; in the sense that he changes and adapts as the game goes along. He is very good at this and look out for his substitutions who often has changed games. Robben and Wright Phillips are options if they do not start. Jose will set out his team to be first, strong defensively. This is the basic foundation of the team. Their attack comes from the strength of their main striker Drogba and the runs of their marauding midfielders. So, we expect Chelsea to start cautiously, looking for counter attack opportunities. They will then adapt and change their plan according to situations.

Where will the match be won?

Chelsea will be without Ricardo Carvalho due to injury. This is a massive blow as Carvalho is an exceptional defender, especially this season. Chelsea has missed his absence in the past recent games. Chelsea comes into this game after 5 consecutive draws in the premier league, conceding 4 goals. Essien will replace him and yes they still have a good defence but Chelsea will lose out on Essien’s dynamism and strength in central midfield. This fact are plus points for MU as they now look, at least on paper, stronger central midfield. Expect Chelsea to avoid the middle and work the flanks. Also expect Chelsea to play 4-5-1 to pack the midfield in an attempt to stop the flowing football of MU.

Chelsea needs to stop Ronaldo and Rooney. On form, these two players are almot unplayable. It would be interesting if Jose start with Bridge ahead of Ashley Cole. This could a ploy used to curb Cristiano Ronaldo. Both of them are defenders and also equally adept at moving forwards. Cole and Bridge could be used effectively to double up on Ronaldo. In recent matchups between Ronaldo and Cole, it has been observed that Cole has had the better of the encounters. Rooney is man for the big occasion and often brings his A game to such games. So Rooney is a potential show stopper tomorrow. An interesting point to note is that, Ronaldo and Rooney has never scored against Chelsea. No better stage to do it then in the FA Cup final.

There is a good reason why this is one of the biggest cliches in football and it will be no different at New Wembley. United's midfield has been the most dynamic in the Premiership this season with Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick boasting a host of goals and assists for the Red Devils. Chelsea has a midfield that placed emphasis very much on strength and stability. Joe Cole's return from injury has resulted in a more fluid system. Here at 18YB we believe Chelsea may need to revert to a more muscular approach to nullify United's threat.

Such a high-profile game puts goalkeepers under the microscope and the slightest mistake or moment of inspiration could make the difference between victory and defeat. Chelsea’s Petr Cech is widely regarded as the best in the business. United counterpart Edwin van der Sar has finally helped fill the void left by the legendary Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford, but high-profile mistakes against Roma and Portsmouth show he can be prone to the odd lapse in concentration.

Didier Drogba has been the focal point of the Chelsea attack ever since he signed for the Stamford Bridge outfit. Always a physical presence able to bring others into the game, this season has seen him emerge as one of the most feared goalscorers in England. He also proved he was the man for the big occasion with a match-winning performance in the Carling Cup final against Arsenal, meaning United must limit his influence at Wembley. The return of Vidic and Ferdinand is a boost to help stop Didier Drogba.

An early goal is the key to an entertaining game. FA Cups final, ignoring last year’s final, has historically not lived up to the hype and often are tactically drab affair. If we were to get an early goal, let’s say in the 1st 20 mins, the game would opened up and it would be more exciting and entertaining. If the score line remained 0-0 at halftime, we expect that 1 goal will decide it. It could also go to penalties. We expect the first half to produce more action than the 1st half. Man Utd are recognized for their 2nd half performances while the last 15 mins have been described as ‘Chelsea Time’. So we expect a better 2nd half.
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The final should be an interesting clash of styles. It will be the flair of United against the ruthless efficiency of Chelsea. United have ripped teams apart with their fast-paced attacking football this season. They like to get the ball wide to their excellent wingers Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, who are a nightmare for opposition full-backs to handle. Chelsea, on the other hand, wear teams down with their strong central midfield trio and in Didier Drogba they have the Premiership's leading scorer who has blossomed this year. Both teams have impressive defences but will be severely tested by some of the league's top attackers.

Referee
Steve Bennett has been chosen to referee at this season's FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

We expect Man Utd to take advantage of a weakened Chelsea side and win their 12th FA Cup.