Neville Dalton is a journalist with the BBC News website and a
As an admirer of Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, I'm probably in a smallish minority on this site (and one that has probably diminished even since I began writing this).
I like their style of play; I'm impressed by the workrate of the players as well as their abundant skill, and I admire how Sir Alex has created successive generations of entertaining, yet continually successful teams.
I honestly hope they win a trophy this season, but I'm absolutely delighted it won't be the FA Cup.
The nagging doubts that have always curbed my admiration for the Red Devils (don't hear that nickname much from the Stretford End these days) are the obnoxious arrogance and aggression with which the players have so often surrounded or approached the referee when he dares give a decision against them and that perception (which over time has become so much more than just a sneaking suspicion) that match officials favour them, particularly in the marginal decisions.
Most of their opponents can probably vouch evidence for the latter, including Pompey on several occasions, not least in earlier Premiership encounters with the
But hey, you make your own luck; their sublime skill and attacking approach maybe merits more of those benefits of the doubt than the over-physical, attritional approaches of some of their rivals over the years.
And what goes around comes around, eh?
So when some of those managers of lesser clubs whinge that they've been hard done by against the Mancs, I've never concerned myself unduly.
Better the dignified way that Harry Redknapp, (and this was one of his qualities!) Alain Perrin and one or two others take it on the chin, preferring to focus on the game, their own team's contributions and shortcomings, and even finding time to acknowledge the undoubted skills possessed by their mighty opponents.
So Sir Alex's bitter, twisted and totally irrational reaction to losing - yes, losing, Sir Alex - at home to Pompey (together with the desperately misguided verbal vomiting from his assistant, Carlos Queiroz) disappointed me on God knows how many counts.
It doesn't become a club of that ilk.
Cast-iron Penalty
And management, players and fans so used to such high standards and results should find it beneath them to bleat about their opponents' style of play and the officials' performance (especially when so many of the marginal - yet admittedly less crucial - decisions went their way).
It's not as if we kicked them off the park. Yes, we were physical - slightly too much so, in my opinion, although Harry has seen our pretty football negated so many times by teams of lesser quality that you understand why he has adapted our approach somewhat.
Yes, we do commit more fouls than we should, but not through viciousness. Not through nastiness or a desire to badly hurt an opponent.
That's not Harry's way. And in my opinion, it's not the Pompey way.
The fact is that on Saturday, we soaked up a lot of United's attacking play; we defended outstandingly, probably better than I've ever seen us do; we rode our luck, but earned much of it with lashings of skill, and we played our way into United's penalty area to earn a cast-iron penalty and a magnificent passport to Wembley.
We stood up to a bunch of magnificent footballers.
We maybe upset and frightened a few. But it was our legitimate tactics that helped earn us that memorable win.
And I heard many United fans grudgingly congratulate us for it as we trooped out of the ground together and shared cramped trams back to the city centre.
More than one said he hoped Pompey went on to win the cup.
So where does that leave
It leaves the pair somewhat embarrassed - and if they're not, they should be; somewhat beneath many of their more reasonable supporters in the dignity stakes, and open to accusations of disproportionate response… and hypocrisy.
While the early Ronaldo penalty appeal (and I've been a stoic defender of Ronaldo's approach, preferring to let his skills earn him the benefit of the doubt against accusations of cheating) may have had some grounds (though I felt it was the sort of clash that is given the way of the defender more often than the attacker), it's hardly the first time a team has been denied a penalty.
As I said earlier, Pompey have been on the receiving end, particularly at Old Trafford, and so has every other team in the country.
Martin Atkinson is not the reason that Manchester United are out of the cup. And if United consider that it is, then they're a far more inadequate bunch of footballers than I've previously given them credit for, poor sensitive darlings.
If Sir Alex wants heavier penalties for footballers who like to play it rough (and I'm all for the sport becoming prettier), let's do it - starting with the perpetrator of the worst foul of the match on Saturday, Wayne Rooney.
Another immense talent, who I'm proud to see play for
Role models
His two-footed jump at Niko Kranjcar was by far the most violent piece of play in the match, though I accept there was no contact, and I actually believe he is an honest player.
Want to go back a few years, Sir Alex? Let's admire some of the players you've signed, nurtured and helped shape.
Bryan Robson, for instance. Now there's a shrinking violet.
Paul Ince? Not a nasty bone in his body.
Mark Hughes. Did wonders for United; probably helped save
Roy Keane. Good player; enigmatic, old chap. But vicious? Violent? The sort of player prone to a bit of pre-meditation? Ask Alf-Inge Haaland.
Think, too, of how some of those players have turned out since becoming managers (and by dint of the title, examples to new generations of professional footballers and club supporters).
All have had degrees of success (though in Robbo's case, enough failures to all but negate them).
One or two could well become among the most successful bosses of the 21st century.
But have you ever heard the likes of Hughes, Robson or Steve Bruce complain after a result didn't go their way?
When they lose or draw games they feel they should have won, do they criticise their own players; hold their hands up and admit the better team won and good luck to them?
Or do they whinge and whine and blame the ref; the weather; the opposition; the fans, anyone but themselves?
Well yes, actually, the latter.
There's a lot of good about Manchester United - and a lot that I still obviously admire, even after Saturday.
But Sir Alex and his number two did themselves and the club no favours with their outbursts after being denied a chance of the treble by a team they considered not worthy of tying their players' expensive bootlaces (and they probably do have someone to do that for them!).
I really can't see Sir Bobby Charlton, or Sir Matt Busby before him resorting to those sort of measures just because they're losing.
It was clearly a big disappointment to all those connected with the club, but United should still go on to win at least one competition this season, which would overshadow the FA Cup any day of the week.
But how about a bit of magnanimity for once?
You've shown so many times how good you are at winning.
For everybody's sake, not least your own dignity, show you're good losers, too.