Perhaps Gary Neville intuited what was coming when the most high profile day in his decade as a co-owner of Salford City finally dawned.
The driving force and spokesman of the club’s Class of ’92 ownership group, was not present to see his team schooled by a Manchester City side which included only two recognised defenders. Neville was on a skiing holiday, as Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt took up their positions in the directors’ box.
He missed a masterclass in which City’s Jeremy Doku, to coin a term once reserved for Ryan Giggs, tore the League Two side apart and Salford-born James McAtee scored a second-half hat-trick.
Giggs very much made his own presence known, loitering on the pitch before kick-off, stepping into the technical area and engaging in the kind of greeting with Pep Guardiola that is usually reserved for a manager. Unconventional conduct from a director of football — his job title at Salford — and surely not settling for manager Karl Robinson, whatever he might say to the contrary.
It made no difference. Salford were operating under the misapprehension that you can leave a player with the same space to operate in that is safe in League Two, where they have made a decent promotion run. They tried to impede City’s progress through the middle, but were simply swept aside in the wide areas.
The huddle Guardiola embarked on with his players, during a first-half break in play, told a story. The team were two goals to the good by then, but City’s manager conducted the conversation as if it were the Cup final. There were also firm words with Jack Grealish about a tactical matter, during a second-half substitution.
Manchester City produced a masterclass to school League Two Salford in the FA Cup
James Mcatee, left, scored a hat-trick while Jack Grealish struck for the first time in 13 months
Pep Guardiola, right, shared an embrace with Salford director of football Ryan Giggs, left
Kyle Walker was dropped from the squad because he approached City director of football Txiki Begiristain on Friday, asking to ‘explore opportunities abroad’ and leave the club, Guardiola revealed last night. There have been expressions of interest from Saudi Arabia in Walker, who has not featured for City since the defeat to Manchester United here on December 15.
Guardiola could look to the future. The chant of ‘Giggs is falling apart again’ was ringing through the place after Doku swept City into an early lead, ripping a right-foot shot past Salford keeper Matty Young without so much as a controlling touch, after Matheus Nunes and Grealish had processed the ball across to him.
There was a first senior goal for Divin Mubama, when Nunes embarked on a wide, sweeping run to receive a ball he set up for the 20-year-old summer signing from West Ham, who sauntered in to tap home. And then a first City goal for 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly, who swept home on the angle after Doku had toyed with the defence.
Grealish was hacked down to bring a penalty he converted for the fourth — his first goal for more than a year — before Nunes and Doku, a ruthless combination, linked again for the fifth. The Belgian, sent racing away down the right, levelled for 22-year-old McAtee to step in ahead of Shepherd to convert.
Doku was in 20 yards of space when he cut in and provoked the handball which saw him convert a second City penalty. And then McAtee wrapped up his 19-minute hat-trick — first receiving a sharp ball from Phil Foden to score with his left, then running into the box to score right-footed.
‘He loves to make a run at the last moment,’ Guardiola said of McAtee.
Guardiola was locked in conversation with Grealish during as substitution in the second half
Jeremy Doku scored twice as City secured safe passage to the fourth round of the FA Cup
McAtee was the star of the show as he bagged a stunning second-half hat-trick against Salford
It was a long night for Salford goalkeeper Matt Young who conceded eight times at the Etihad
‘His movement is unbelievable. The way he runs, with the tempo. But he can play better than this.’
The champions needed just 10 shots on target to score their eight. A run across the area from Salford’s Kylian Kouassi in the first half was a rare moment of promise but a weak shot ensued.
It was a much-needed boost for City, whose fans could allow themselves a Posnan and urged their team to score 10 even though a ninth had not gone in. Giggs did not re-appear in the technical area as the worst of the beating was inflicted. He has never known a Cup experience like this.
This third-round draw was made just after City’s bad defeat at Liverpool had led the Anfield faithful to question Guardiola’s future employment prospects, and a delighted Neville had jokingly tweeted ‘sacked in the morning?’ The City fans were taking great delight in dishing out abuse for him by the end. Perhaps staying away really had been the best option.
