Team News

• Wayne Rooney is Doubtful
• Carrick has ankle knock and will probably be on bench for the game
• Gary Neville and Rafael da Silva both return to the squad. Neville likely to start

Fergie has said that he’s going to be making changes from Porto game,

When I pick my team, no matter what it is, there will be critics voicing a concern about me not playing my strongest team,

Could Macheda get his first start?

Last Five Results

• FC Porto 0 – 1 Man Utd
• Sunderland 1 – 2 Man Utd
• Man Utd 2 – 2 FC Porto
• Man Utd 3 – 2 Aston Villa
• Fulham 2 – 0 Man Utd

Misc Info:

1. United will be competing in their 26th FA Cup Semi Final, which is he joint equal record with Arsenal.
2. Hold the record for most times in final (19) and most wins (11)
3. Scored 4 goals in the last two legs of the FA Cup (0-4 against Fulham and 1-4 against Derby)

My Key Man

Rio Ferdinand

Everton Info

Team News

• Saha is doubt (surprised?!) due to illness
• Jo is cup tied
• Joseph Yobo and James Vaughan both back from injury and expected to be in squad

Last Five Results

• Aston Villa 3 – 3 Everton
• Everton 4 – 0 Wigan
• Portsmouth 2 – 1 Everton
• Everton 3 – 1 Stoke
• Everton 2 – 1 Middlesbrough

Misc Info:

1. This will be the first time Everton have played at new Wembley
2. This will be their 24th FA Cup Semi Final – 2 behind United

My Key Man

Tim Cahill

Stats

Last Five Games Against Each other

• Man Utd 1 – 0 Everton (31.01.09) (League)
• Everton 1 – 1 Man Utd (25.10.08) (League)
• Man Utd 2 – 1 Everton (23.13.07) (League)
• Everton 0 – 1 Man Utd (15.09.07) (League)
• Everton 2 – 4 Man Utd (28.04.07) (League)

Misc Info:

• United have won the FA Cup 11 times to Everton’s 5
• In the last four years the team that has knocked out Middlesbrough have reached the final but lost every time. Everton beat Middlesbrough in the quarter-final. If this was to hold true this season Everton will beat United but lose in the final.
• Have played each other 10 times in FA Cup Competition United winning 5 Everton winning 5

My Prediction

Man Utd 2 – 1 Everton

So on the eve of arguably Everton’s biggest game in the last 10+ year Moyes has decided to get inside the referee’s head with the following statement,

A member of the press asked me if Mike Riley is a Manchester United supporter. I think that is something you would need to bring up with the FA.

It is something that one or two managers would have something to say about. It is the FA’s appointment; it was originally supposed to be Steve Bennett

If you (the press) are saying that Mike Riley is a Manchester United supporter, you would hope the FA would look at that.

Funnily enough Moyes also went on to say,

Referees in this country are very honest. They try to get the decisions right

I think they can be influenced, I think that has been seen in a couple of games I have been involved in recently

The telling part being “I think they can be influenced”. Indeed they can.

Now we can expect any small decision that goes against Everton, even when it’s the right decision, to be treated as an injustice with all Everton players and fans getting on Mike Riley’s back.

Will it affect Mike Riley’s decisions? We’ll have to wait and see, but in all honesty what person wouldn’t fold at least once or twice giving decisions that you perhaps wouldn’t normally give.

I tip my hat to you Mr Moyes, but while you have won this battle you will not win they war!