2009 FA Cup Final

[StreetEndBlue]

So many missed the historic moment of the fastest goal in FA Cup final history because getting an extra pint and getting to the game after kick-off was obviously more important, not me, I was in the ground as soon as the turnstiles opened.

As for the game, well we were outplayed, we had a spell on top around 60-70mins but Chelsea scored their second soon after, one Howard should've saved, and in this era of goal line technology would've lost by a bigger margin as they had one which hit the underside of the bar and bounced in but wasn't given.

I remember going mad in the last 10 minutes as we pathetically accepted our defeat with a whimper instead of going for an equalizer. With time running down why on earth we didn't stick Lescott up top (a goalscoring centre back) and go route one towards him as time was running out I'll never know.

My view inside Wembley that day. Upper tier back row.

 

[Toast]

Beating United in the semis was our Final.

I remember walking out and the stands were buzzing, everyone singing.

I didn’t think we’d win the final, then we scored early and I got the belief only Everton gives you.

 

[PKwalnuts]

One thing for sure... the stewards and police couldn't cope with the numbers at about 1pm saw someone get turned out, and asked him why and he said he was testing the water for later on by bunking in early... later on it was like a revolving door or people going in in two's whilst others getting headlock thrown out of the double doors by Stewards. I am not saying I blagged my way in, but I felt pretty happy with myself when I was going up the escalator at my first FA Cup Final.
Roasting Hot That Day too.

 

[Kenshin]

We should have won the 2008 UEFA Cup but for Moyes being a coward.

We should have got to the final and probably won the 2008 League Cup. How the hell we didn’t beat, or at least draw, with 10 man Chelsea is beyond me.

We definitely should have got to the final of the 2013 FA Cup and we had a really good record against Man City in them days so may have won.

Moyes had his chances and completely blew them because he was terrified of losing. A more adventurous manager would’ve seen us win a Cup or two.

My sentiments exactly sir.

 

[The binman chronicles]

If Chelsea hadn't been robbed against Barca in the CL semi final we would have won that. They would have been focused on that game, making sure they didn't get injured etc. Another case of what could have been.

I will always remember it for the fact for about 5 minutes during the game I thought I was having a subdural hematoma. I never felt so bad in my life.

Also the supporters were magnificent, I was in the middle tier overlooking the Chelsea end and I could hear ours more than theirs.

 

[riddick]

You will never convince me we wouldn't have won that if we had ONE of Yakubu/Arteta/Jags.

 

[StreetEndBlue]

It was a superb Chelsea side which could easily have been European champions that season (they were robbed in the semi)

Considering they finished 20 points clear of us that season, I believe it's a touch fanciful to think we'd have certainly won but for three of our big players being out but they certainly would've given us a far better chance. By contrast, Chelsea were pretty much at full strength that day.

 

[superkeeper]

So many missed the historic moment of the fastest goal in FA Cup final history because getting an extra pint and getting to the game after kick-off was obviously more important, not me, I was in the ground as soon as the turnstiles opened.

As for the game, well we were outplayed, we had a spell on top around 60-70mins but Chelsea scored their second soon after, one Howard should've saved, and in this era of goal line technology would've lost by a bigger margin as they had one which hit the underside of the bar and bounced in but wasn't given.

I remember going mad in the last 10 minutes as we pathetically accepted our defeat with a whimper instead of going for an equalizer. With time running down why on earth we didn't stick Lescott up top (a goalscoring centre back) and go route one towards him as time was running out I'll never know.

My view inside Wembley that day. Upper tier back row.
View attachment 92507

Not too far from where I was sat on that day. Thankfully also in my seat for Saha's goal also, which as great as it was, it was a goal I wished was in the 90th minute as I knew we wouldn't hold out for the rest of the game.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to win it, not least because we had, Arteta, Jagielka and Yakubu out, but also because while we still had some decent players out there, like Baines and Pienaar on the left side, we did have Hibbert and Osman on the right, never mind the players Chelsea had out that day.

In a way, even though this is the closest we've been to the FA Cup in recent times, I don't think of it as a what it could've been, or at least, compared to 2013 or 2016, seeing as we would've had Millwall in the semi and then in the final, a Man City team that allowed probably the worst United team to win the Premier League at ease in 2013 and then in 2016 would've had Palace in a final, had Lukaku taken the chances he had in the semi and the clearence (from Jagielka?) didn't fall kindly to Martial.

 

[DanEFC92]

An upsetting thread.

 

[orly]

It was a superb Chelsea side which could easily have been European champions that season (they were robbed in the semi)

Considering they finished 20 points clear of us that season, I believe it's a touch fanciful to think we'd have certainly won but for three of our big players being out but they certainly would've given us a far better chance. By contrast, Chelsea were pretty much at full strength that day.

Yeah that's my view on it as well. They were a fantastic side. We lined up with Hibbert and Osman down the right.

 

[messymascot]

Chelsea were full strength. If we had been full strength our team and bench would have looked something like this.

Howard
Neville Jagielka Lescott Baines
Fellaini Osman
Arteta Cahill Pienaar
Yakubu

Subs
Nash Hibbert Yobo Rodwell Gosling Anichebe Saha

That team would be a more even match. We would have had players to bring on to change the game. Its typical Everton nothing ever quite works out. We beat the teams that finished 1st, 2nd and 5th in the league on the way to the cup final and Chelsea were controversially denied a place in CL final that year which was played only 3 days before and would have an effect on there energy levels.

 

[Terrarian]

11 years ago, where does time go. It would be nice to get to a final again. I hope Ancelotti can finally break the trend of l

 

[barneygumble]

Had we had Yak, Arteta and Jagielka in the final who knows?

But let's not kid ourselves. No Ronaldo, No Rooney and No Giggs. Federico Macheda started upfront. That United team was insanely good. Had we faced a full strength team we'd have lost.

The Fiorentina round was probably the most "Moyes" set of games ever. Moyes was terrified of losing that game in Florence, and set up accordingly. Threw a load of defensive minded players into a team, and they didn't gel. Arteta didn't start, Baines didn't play, needing pace... Andy Johnson didn't come on til late.
Moyes mentality there was "we'll knick it at Goodison with a 0-0". Only when Fiorentina went 1-0 up, we had no plan B and they just smothered us.

The game at Goodison was immense. We absolutely thrashed them and after the heartbreak leaving the ground, I was raging really because if we can play that well, why didn't he have the confidence to go for it in Italy?

That team deserved a trophy, but Moyes didn't.

 

[GwladysBlue]

My vibe from the 08 defeat was that even before the match the players seemed cocky in the 1st leg. Just went through motions, dunno if that's on the players or the manager. Prob should have won the 2nd leg 4-1, but their keeper was tremendous.

2009, we were running on fumes by the Utd semi and probably should have lost. Chelsea was just top to bottom better than us. FFS they had a front 5 of Essien, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba and Malouda.

I don’t think they seemed cocky, Moyes just flapped it in that first leg. We should’ve beat a team like Fiorentina home and away that year. Even Rangers managed to knock them out and we’d already beaten the eventual winners.

 

[Big Neville Southall]

I think that defeat was worse for the club than the defeats in 68, 85 and 86.