If this is the future for Manchester United, you'd forgive the fans for preferring to live in the present. United, playing a team mostly packed with youngsters and reservists were dire against a non-League side and almost certainly did not deserve their 5th round victory over Crawley Town. Wes Brown's goal saw the hosts through to the quarter finals, but astonishingly after dominating the first half, United - with Wayne Rooney on the pitch - decided to sit back in the second half and came very close to giving up the equalising goal.
Manchester United Vs. Crawley Town: United Limp To Quarter-Finals 1-0 Win
For the visitors, after being on the back foot for the first 45 minutes, they did themselves a huge credit by putting severe pressure on the Premier League side in the closing stages. The story would have been very different had David Hunt managed to guide his late volley towards the target, or if Matt Tubb’s overhead kick wasn’t deflected away from danger by Wes Brown, or had Crawley not wasted several dangerous free kicks. They even hit the crossbar in injury time thanks to a looping header from Richard Brodie with United keeper Anders Lindegaard stranded.
Had Crawley scored, it would have been deserved. It was an abject performance by United, with Bebe and Gabriel Obertan particularly disappointing. Sir Alex Ferguson's side are through to the next round, but if the players featuring today are tomorrow's senior players, the manager has plenty of reason to worry.
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