Manchester United vs Sunderland Guess the Score: Wembley calling

No rocket science needed. Avoid defeat and we’re at Wembley. Lose 1-0 and we’re out if it stays that way in extra time..

That is only one-goal defeat that sends us straight out. A 2-1 defeat after extra time means penalties while 3-2, 4-3, 5-4 etc means we win on away goals. Correct me if I am wrong in my understanding of the Capital One Cup rules.

The other possibilities are that we win again – unlikely but possible – or they breeze past us as if we weren’t there, somewhat less unlikely.

Despite all the home advantage, it’s been a morale-boosting run, all the more appreciated in such a dire season for league performance. All we need to do at Old Trafford is produce a strong, competitive game and stop United blowing us away. Getting through would be marvellous; getting close would represent a noble exit.

I will stump up for a Salut! Sunderland mug for the first reader, whoever he or she supports, to post – before kickoff – a correct prediction of the scoreline after extra time. Tell me how penalties would go by all means, but that is not part of the competition. A United winner would receive a mug with amended design.

Quite separately, the deadline is reached at midnight on Tuesday for charity bids for Eric Bowers’s spare mug. Out in front by some distance is “CSB”, who has staked £30 for Water Aid. That is even more than the mug’s worth.

If you feel like gazumping him, the link is either https://safc.blog/2014/01/west-ham-gone-man-utd-faltering-forget-formalities-man-city-safc-final/#sthash.HjxnBbdo.dpuf or https://safc.blog/2014/01/sunderland-vs-southampton-guess-the-score-can-the-mini-revival-continue/#sthash.gpc5TIE9.dpuf. But a bid here would do.

Ha’way the Lads. Do us proud.

Catch the Man Utd ‘Who are You?’ at https://safc.blog/2014/01/manchester-united-vs-safc-who-are-you-fergie-fear-to-moyes-muddle/

Sample:

Salut! Sunderland: And what have been your own high and low points as a United supporter?

Jerry Lawton: My highest point as a supporter – and probably of my life – was when Ole Gunnar Solksjaer put the ball in the Germans’ net to clinch the 99 Treble. I could not be at the game and had to watch on TV at home – alone in a darkened room – as we got completely outplayed for 70 agonising minutes. I felt sick to my stomach at the Bayern players’ premature victory celebrations and leapt so dramatically in the air when Ole scored the winner I went dizzy, lost my hearing and almost passed out. Then I wept like a baby! I went straight to my local off licence and bought two bottles of the Dom Perignon which I drank with my baffled then-girlfriend. She later tersely observed I never bought it again at any stage during our seven-year relationship. Football eh? Bloody hell!

My lowest point was being beaten 1-0 at home by League One Leeds United in an act of third round FA Cup giant-killing in 2010. As my Leeds-supporting wife celebrated wildly I sincerely announced our marriage was over as none of my United-supporting friends would forgive me for wedding such a villain. I told her had I known how passionate she was about her home town club I would never have proposed in the first place, I would be contacting a divorce lawyer in the morning and suggested she did the same. Then I shut myself away in the office for three hours. Remarkably, and perhaps foolishly, she remains Mrs Lawton!