COVENTRY CITY v MANCHESTER UTD
Today, Kick-off: 3.30pm at Wembley Stadium
MANCHESTER United are a club in a state of permacrisis. Bereft of identity, haunted by the past, a laughing stock whose frequent failures make headlines across the world.
“That’s the narrative,” says Mark Robins, whose Coventry side take on United at Wembley this afternoon aiming to reach their first FA Cup final since the historic victory over Tottenham in 1987.
“But people, pundits and players - they need to understand the institution that is Manchester United. The scrutiny they are under. The constant pressure. There’s a focus and a demand to win trophies, to play in a certain way. If that doesn’t happen, people start talking.
“There’s a lot of noise, but the r e a lity is that they are still a top, top club with world-class players who can do damage to any team in the game.
“Physically, Premier League players are different. They see things quicker. They execute really well. They can shoot from distance. They can open you up with one ball. The counter is a significant weapon for them. They’ve got threats everywhere you look.
“We’ve faced outstanding teams and outstanding players in the past, but this is a step up from anything we’ve done before. We are talking about a squad built for vast amounts of money.
“So there’s no point in us underestimating them or buying into what’s being said in the media or elsewhere. We can’t go into this game in any doubt about what we’re about to face.”
Robins knows better than most just how brightly the spotlight glares at Old Trafford. As a player he scored 17 goals in 70 appearances for the Reds, the most famous of which won an FA Cup third round tie against Nottingham Forest in January 1990 and reputedly saved Alex Ferguson’s job.
Spotlight
United went on to win the competition that season, beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in a replay after a 3-3 draw at Wembley. Robins, a substitute, played the whole of extra-time in the first encounter but has no intention of taking a trip down memory lane.
“It was a fantastic part of my experience but it’s not about me now,” says the 54-year-old, with typical bluntness. “It’s about the players here at Coventry, and none of them were even born in 1990. They don’t want to hear about someone who was a substitute in an FA Cup final 34 years ago.”
If Manchester United are a team on the slide, Coventry are very much the opposite. Seven years ago, Robins took charge of a side already doomed to relegation from League One, ru
