Manchester United Dugout

Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup by fierce rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford. This is the first time in 16 years that the Red Devils were beaten by lower league opposition since Bournemouth had made the damage in 1984.

Jermaine Beckford's 19th-minute goal was enough to secure Leeds a famous victory at Old Trafford - their first since 1981. I was disappointed and speechless when I saw Leeds taking the lead. United had fielded a stronger side that included Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov but none of them could get even an equalizer, forget the winner!

New Year could not have started on such a bad note for Sir Alex Ferguson who criticized his players (and the ref) for their poor display at the Theater of Dreams. He went on to confirm that some of them will not be a part of the team that takes on Man City on Wednesday for the Carling Cup game.

I don't understand why the heck are Manchester United so bullish of damaging their home records. United's defeat to Besiktas at Old Trafford was a shock and it damaged their home record in Europe. And now they have lost the War of Roses which should have been won easily, considering the quality and strength of both the teams.

Old Trafford will witness a War of Roses as Manchester United will take on fierce rivals Leeds United on Sunday for third round of the FA Cup. The two teams haven’t faced each other since last six years and this should be a cracking game.

Manchester United will be confident following their 5-0 thrashing of Wigan. However, Fergie regularly rests his big names in the Cup and he may well give a break to some of the regular players. I just hope he doesn’t name Ben Foster in the starting eleven. He has been pathetic and may fumble under the pressure from Leeds.

United’s encounters with Leeds have been missing from the fixture list since 2004. The last time these two teams met in the Premier League was on February 21, 2004. That game finished in a 1-1 draw with Alan Smith (who later joined Man United) scoring a second-half equalizer that gave Leeds some hope of avoiding the drop. However, the Elland Road outfit was relegated and got entangled in catastrophic financial problems.

Leeds was a major force in the 1960s and 1970s, and their meetings with Manchester United have produced some classic Cup clashes. Rivalries add that extra spice to football and it’s great for the fans and players. The War of Roses would definitely witness a feisty atmosphere but I think United would emerge comfortable winners.

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