Embarrassing FA Cup humbling may force Taggart's hand

This lunchtime's mauling of Big Red on their own patch by their 'real rivals', Leeds United of the third tier of English football, has thus far proven the only real upset of this year's third round. Out-fought and out-thought by a team which cost roughly the same amount of money to assemble as United pay Dimitar Berbaflop in three months, the result puts welcome pressure on the sour one of Salford.

A man of his word, as we know, Whiskynose has already stated to the press that his reserve side will face us in both legs of the upcoming League Cup semi-final. Given this latest in a relatively long line of defeats this year for the self-proclaimed Greatest Football Club in the World, will he be man enough to stand by that word and show faith in his young guns? I'm not so sure.

Though it's always somewhat naive to write them off completely, we should rightly fancy our chances at home against any eleven they can muster together. People will talk of 'not wanting to play them next', but if anything that performance, and further injuries to an already haphazard back four should mean we fancy our chances even more.

Their players, particularly those who were made to look completely ineffective by a heroic Leeds defence, most obviously gargantuan muppet Wayne Rooney, will be foaming at the mouth to get back on the pitch as quickly as possible, and a derby game proves a real opportunity to make a statement that puts pay to their fans early whispers of their season falling apart, domestically at least.

I guess the senile old c*nt has a big decision to make. Does he appease the folk who give the Yanks their hard-earned week in, week out and play an eleven capable of coming to Eastlands and getting a result, in the process belittling the fringe and more important academy graduates that have served him well in the past, or does he prove himself a man of honour?

Whatever Ferguson does, i'm sure we'll give our near-neighbours a fantastic welcome to Manchester; day trippers, happy clappers, men in black, and all. Whatever Burnley, Liverpool, Besiktas, Villa and Fulham can do, etc, etc. I thoroughly anticipate we'll dish out another Eastlands beasting midweek, before letting Benjani finish them off in the return leg before a half-empty Legoland. For the time being, however, we'll kick back and feast on our Sunday roasts, awaiting the draw for the next round.