Focusing on our own goals ahead of the game against City

In a few hours we will take on Man City in the FA Cup semi final.

Whilst there are numerous back drops behind the game, the basics of the tie is that there is a team between us and a final at Wembley. Of course the fact that team is Man City  makes the game all the more exciting but like Sir Alex said we should be looking to play the game rather than play the event.

The absence of Rooney and Tevez, the fact it is a Manchester Derby and the fact the tie is being held in Wembley have all made the headlines, something Sir Alex is well aware of,

“It can drain the players.

“There is an impact in terms of the emotional build-up to the game. The fact it is at Wembley makes it more of an occasion, simply because of the name.

“It is a derby game in London, which is unusual but we are ready for it.”

Despite it being talked up, the whole back drop of City being close to ending their run of 35 years without a trophy should be irrelevant to us as we have our own aspirations to be concerned with.

Sir Alex has hinted to our experience being a telling factor in the game and he makes a valid point, we have played in big games before whilst Man City’s stars may lack the same experience. It should be our players that make the difference here, we showed our mettle against Chelsea in the Champions League and I hope we do so again today as we have hit form at just the right time as Sir Alex pointed out:

“Our players have a great determination. I am really pleased with that. It has given us a good chance.”

Today’s game is huge, it’s a step towards another trophy and that should be the over ruling notion not that we are playing Man City or that we can stop them getting their hands on silverware for the first time since 1976, whilst these things make a victory much sweeter they aren’t our primary concern, so we’ll leave all the small time stuff to them.