It’s what football is all about - little Jack, or in this case big Freddy, slaying the giant. The greatest result in Southend United’s history sent Roots Hall wild in the club’s centenary year as Freddy Eastwood’s 30-yard free-kick sent Manchester United crashing out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday night.
But was the phenomenon of the Championship’s bottom club beating the Premiership leaders as big a shock as everyone is making out? OK, Sir Alex Ferguson did field several of his mega-stars - but the likes of Tomasz Kuszczak, David Jones, Ryan Shawcross, David Gray and Kieran Lee are hardly household names. And of course Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Co. are only as good as the service they get from their team-mates, a number of whom are clearly only of Championship standard as yet.
Weigh that up against a second-class team like Southend (albeit with at least two first-class players in Eastwood and goalkeeper Daryl Flahavan) - and there’s never going to be much in it. Just as there wasn’t in the previous round, when United’s patchwork quilt of a side were lucky to beat third division Crewe 2-1.
Nothing can detract from Southend’s achievement, however. They can only beat what’s in front of them and if Fergie decides to rest some of his stars, it’s his problem if it all goes pear-shaped.
As far as Southend were concerned, Manchester United are just about the biggest name in the game as well as being top of the English league. And if beating the best couldn’t motivate the Shrimpers to play out of their skins, then I don’t know what would.
As Southend manager Steve Tilson said after the game: ‘’We were looking for a good performance and just to try to keep the score down. Yet in the end we could have nicked another goal.’’
Southend’s performance is hardly without precedent. Indeed, English cup competitions have been littered with giantkilling acts for generations. People still talk about third division Walsall’s 2-0 win over mighty Arsenal in the 1930s and just about every lesser club in the league has scalped at least one so-called giant over the years.
The nation went wild when my own team, Cardiff City, knocked then Premiership leaders Leeds United out of the FA Cup in 2002 - when we were in the third division. That result provided a springboard for both teams, albeit in opposite directions. Today, Leeds are 20 places below Cardiff and seemingly heading for League Two, while the table-topping Bluebirds have their eyes on the Premiership.
Two years ago, Southend were in the fourth division. Successive promotions lifted them into the Championship, where they are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Or seemed to be until Tuesday night. No one would bet on them swapping places with the Red Devils over the next few years - but I think Sir Alex would love to see a talent like Eastwood heading to Old Trafford in the January transfer window.
The bottom line is that we all love a giantkilling act … unless we’re one of that boring lot who support the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Their big-money status means they can never enjoy the delights of giant-killing, which I find rather sad. I mean, what does it prove to be a killer giant?