Perhaps Gary Neville sensed what was coming when the biggest day of his decade as Salford City co-owner finally dawned.
The promoter and spokesman for the ownership group of the club's '92 promotion was not present to see his team trained by a Manchester City team that included only two recognized defenders.
Neville was on a skiing holiday when Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt took their places in the directors' box. He missed a masterclass in which City's Jeremy Doku, to coin a term once reserved for Ryan Giggs, tore Salford apart.
Giggs more than made his presence known, prowling the pitch before kick-off, entering the technical area and engaging in the type of handshake with Pep Guardiola that is normally reserved for a coach.
Unconventional behavior on the part of a football director (his job at Salford) and surely not conforming to Robinson, no matter what the coach says.
It didn't make any difference. Salford were operating under the misunderstanding that a player can be left with the same space to operate as is safe in League Two, where they have made a decent promotion run in recent months.
Manchester City's resurrection as silver medal contenders took a celebrated leap into the FA Cup when Pep Guardiola dominated an 8-0 rout of local lower league rivals Salford.
James Mcatee (left) scored a hat-trick, while Jack Grealish (centre) also scored in the cup win.
Ryan Giggs (left) more than made his presence known, wandering around the pitch before kick-off, entering the technical area and engaging in the type of handshake with Pep Guardiola that is normally reserved for a coach.
The chant of 'Giggs is falling apart again' echoed through the venue after Jeremy Doku gave them an early lead, firing a right-footed shot past Salford goalkeeper Matty Young without even a touch of control, after Matheus Nunes and Jack Grealish had processed the ball towards him.
The meeting that Pep Guardiola organized with his players, during a break in the first half, told its own story. The team was already two goals ahead (it was already sailing), but the City coach directed the session as if it were the Cup final. The breeze that became the match should not hide the performance of the new generation, pending of each of his words.
There was a first senior goal for Divin Mubama, as Nunes embarked on a wide, sweeping run to receive a ball that set up the 20-year-old to tap into. And then a first senior goal for 19-year-old Nico. O'Reilly, who finished with an angled shot after Doku played with the defense.
Grealish was brought down to generate a penalty which he converted for the fourth before Nunes and Doku, a ruthless combination, teamed up again for the fifth: the Belgian sent running and leveled for 22-year-old James McAtee, a Salford lad, stepped in front of Shepherd to convert.
Doku was in 20 meters of space when he intervened and caused the handball that allowed him to convert a second City penalty. McAtee received and shot with his left foot to score the second, with Phil Foden contributing. Grealish gave Foden space for the eighth.
It was a profound humiliation for Salford, whose rearguard looked shaken and lacking confidence, with City scoring at will. The champions needed only ten shots on goal to score their eight.
Guardiola started a conversation with Jack Grealish, who marked his return to City's starting XI
Jeremy Doku scored twice as City secured safe passage to the FA Cup fourth round
McAtee was the star of the show as he scored an impressive hat-trick in the second half against Salford.
It was a long night for Salford goalkeeper Matt Young, who conceded eight goals at the Etihad.
Meanwhile, the prospects of Salford threatening City were virtually non-existent. A Kylian Kouassi run into the box in the first half was the only promising moment, but a weak shot followed.
It was a much-needed boost for City, whose fans indulged in a Posnan and urged their team to score ten even though the ninth had not scored. Giggs did not materialize again in the technical area when he was given the worst beating. . He has not known a Cup experience like this.
This tie was drawn in December, just after City's poor defeat at Liverpool had led the Anfield faithful to question Guardiola's future job prospects, and Neville's jovial response on X/Twitter had been “fired in the morning?”. Not so wise, as things turned out.
The City fans took great delight in giving him ritual insults at the end. Maybe staying away was best.