Wembley woe for United kids
Sir Alex Ferguson rarely gets it wrong. It's an attribute that has seen the fiery Scot remain in one of the most pressurised hotseats in club football for almost 23 years.
But the manager's prolificacy in lifting titles – he is the most decorated coach in British football history – only exacerbates his failing last Sunday.
Looking to continue their unprecedented quest for five trophies this season, Manchester United faced a dogged Everton side in the semi-final of the FA Cup.
Knowing how Moyes' Merseysiders approach the game – a wily, workmanlike outfit that pack the midfield and hustle and harry the opposition – Fergie sent out an inexperienced side who could only boast 126 Premier League appearances between them this season.
In fact, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Ji-Sung Park and Carlos Tevez were the only regular league starters (and contributed 94 of those appearances) for a Red Devils 11 that comprised an average age of 22.
And, despite his young team stifling their more established opponents for 120 minutes at Wembley, few would argue the inclusion of Ferguson's big guns would have offered a far stickier proposition for the Toffees.
Ferguson, as to be expected, fully backed his decision to opt for youth over experience and used the opportunity to shift the blame from his young charges to the inconsistency of the recently relayed Wembley pitch.
"We had picked a team after Wednesday's game [against Porto in the Champions League, from which he made eight changes], but when I saw the pitch yesterday I didn't want to go into extra-time with our strongest squad," he said.
"We had to take the bold decision of going with the younger ones with energy, confidence and a good temperament. I'm satisfied with their performance. Everton didn't make one chance in the game."
That the final was settled on penalties will be of little consolation to Ferguson. The manager has since insisted the quintuple that has occupied most of the headlines in the past few months was an "impossible" task even before Phil Jagielka calmly slotted the decisive penalty past Ben Foster.
He too will be wary of the effect losing such a high-profile match could have on the younger members of the squad; evident in eagerness to heap praise on the largely ineffective Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck after the match, although the latter improved markedly in the second half.
Fergie claimed his second string have now left him in little doubt that they can cope with the pressures of a series of significant games starting against Tottenham tomorrow night.
"Our club is built on giving young players opportunities and they didn't disappoint. I'm delighted for them, and the only disappointment is they were in a losing team.
"Once we made our mind up [about fielding a youthful side] I was quite enthusiastic about it. It was the right thing to do. It was good for them," added Ferguson.
It is difficult to argue with the battle-hardened boss whose 1995-96 side, bristling with the talents of Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers (much to Liverpool legend and BBC pundit Alan Hansen's dismay) went on to master both domestically and on the European stage.
The spirited Scotsman, after all, rarely gets it wrong.
Vettel victorious
Sebastian Vettel further enhanced his burgeoning reputation in Formula One with a superb ride to claim victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Sunday. The Red Bull driver led a stunning one-two on the podium, as team-mate Mark Webber finished behind the 21-year-old in second. It was the British-based team's first grand prix title, but their Swiss No1 will rightfully earn all the plaudits for his breathtaking drive on the rain-hit track.
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