Erik ten Hag comes out fighting – and clutching another trophy! Winners and losers as Man Utd stun Man City in FA Cup final in glorious last stand for beleaguered manager as Erling Haaland & Co. come up short
The Dutchman produced a tactical masterclass in the face of growing speculation that he will be sacked, and embarrassed his bosses in the process
Erik ten Hag was in a fighting mood all week, raging against journalists for repeatedly asking him about his future and hitting out at pundits for expecting Manchester United to win every game. And when he got into Wembley on Saturday, he took the gloves off and delivered a knockout blow to Manchester City.
Despite being shown no respect by his INEOS bosses, who have been speaking to other coaches about the prospect of replacing the Dutchman, Ten Hag produced a perfect game-plan and did something that no other coach has managed since Unai Emery in December, to beat City in 90 minutes.
Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho were the stars of this cup shock, which was made in United’s academy. But Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane also played crucial rules in shutting out City for most of the game until Jeremy Doku caused the Red Devils a late scare.
Doku was the only City attacker who can be pleased with his performance as Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez all struggled to turn up or take their chances. Pep Guardiola’s side were overwhelming favourites, with some bookmakers offering odds of 7/1 for a United triumph, but they couldn’t handle the Red Devils, who wrecked their hopes of becoming the first team in English football history to win back-to-back doubles.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Wembley…
Ten Hag faced the ignominy of hearing second-hand that he was going to be sacked when he should have been focusing on one of the best occasions of his career. But he used an awful situation to his advantage and masterminded City’s first defeat in any competition in six months.
And, bar a few nervy moments towards the end after Doku had reduced the deficit, his United side fully deserved the win. The Dutchman got his tactics spot-on while making some tough calls, above all dropping Casemiro. Benching Rasmus Hojlund was also a big move, but it got the best out of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
It was fitting that Garnacho and Mainoo, the two teenagers whom he had brought into the team from last year, proved the difference. Their goals gave United a second trophy in two years under Ten Hag, having been on a six-year silverware drought before he arrived.
It won’t be enough to keep him in the job and nor should it after a truly terrible campaign in the Premier League and in Europe. But being remembered for winning the club’s first FA Cup in eight years while dethroning their arch rivals is a pretty good legacy to leave.
LOSER: Sir Jim Ratcliffe & INEOS
United’s minority shareholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, took his seat at Wembley next to Joel and Avram Glazer, having made the same mistake the Americans had made at the 2016 FA Cup final. They had agreed to sack Louis van Gaal and replace him with Jose Mourinho, news of which leaked out during United’s win over Crystal Palace, leaving a sour taste after what should have been a glorious occasion.
Ratcliffe and his self-described “best-in-class” colleagues at INEOS were supposed to restore clarity to United, but instead they have created another image of a club that doesn’t know what its doing, allowing news that Ten Hag was getting the boot to get out on the eve of the final.
As it turned out, those reports had no impact on United’s fortunes. Indeed, it might have galvanised the team. But it created another ugly situation.
Given how badly United have done this season, no one could really argue with the decision to part ways with Ten Hag. But the decision should have been communicated earlier. Negotiating with candidates such as Thomas Tuchel and Kieran McKenna behind Ten Hag’s back showed a lack of respect to the manager and increased the likelihood of intermediaries spreading the news.
Announcing that Ten Hag was leaving would have given the boss the chance to have a dignified ending to his reign. Instead, there was a backdrop of distrust and betrayal on what should have been a day of celebration for the club.
As the players did their lap of honour on the Wembley pitch with the trophy in hand, the legendary ‘Manchester United Calypso’ song blared out on the speakers. Written and sung by Edric Connor in 1957, it was an ode to the young, homegrown United side built by Matt Busby, containing the lyrics: ‘A bunch of bouncing Busby Babes, they deserve to be knighted’.
It was an apt song with which to celebrate a game that had been won by two players who came through the club’s academy. Mainoo and Garnacho grabbed the headlines, but a total of five academy players contributed to this triumph. Rashford and Scott McTominay also started while Jonny Evans, who graduated from the academy all the way back in 2007, came off the bench.
The fact that Garnacho and Mainoo were the architects of the triumph was the perfect storyline, as Ten Hag had nurtured their rise from the youth academy and into the first team. Ten Hag invited Garnacho to the pre-season tour in 2022 and had to discipline him for turning up late for breakfast. With a lot of patience, he has helped the Argentine become one of the most exciting young forwards in England, starting him in practically every game since November.
The Dutchman, meanwhile, gave Mainoo his first-team debut when he was 17 and showed repeated faith in the midfielder after he injured his ankle in pre-season. Sometimes it seemed unfair for him to put so much responsibility on such young shoulders, but Ten Hag knew he had two remarkably talented players on his hands, and on Saturday he was rewarded for his faith in them.
The manager said this week that the way he has developed certain individuals has been forgotten, but now Garnacho and Mainoo look to be his legacy.
LOSER: City’s misfiring forwards
Guardiola’s side also looked nothing like the team that had stormed to a fourth consecutive league title. The manager refused to blame the result on his players’ wild celebrations from last weekend, but his stars certainly looked like something was not right.
Erling Haaland had just 12 touches in the first half, although he was inches away from pulling a goal back when he hammered the crossbar shortly after the break. The Norwegian has now played in nine semi-finals and finals for City, and failed to score in any of them.
Phil Foden, meanwhile, barely produced any of the magic which made him the Premier League’s Player of the Year, and Kevin De Bruyne was sluggish and sloppy. Substitute Julian Alvarez wasted his share of chances, too.
Doku was the only City attacker who could be proud of his contribution as his twisting runs threatened to change the game, and it was his goal which gave City a fighting chance in the end. His team-mates will reflect on a bad day off the office, although they can drown their sorrows on Sunday during the team’s parade to celebrate their league crown.
WINNER: United’s returning defenders
The United defence that kept City at bay for so long was almost unrecognisable from the one that had shipped 58 goals in the Premier League, and there was a simple reason for it. At last, United had their best centre-backs playing together, and it made a massive difference.
Martinez was back to his brilliant best, moving the ball around his own area seamlessly with confidence, meaning United had meaningful possession for long periods and did not have to spend the whole game with their backs against the wall, as in the previous derby in March.
The Argentine also relished every challenge he made and did his part to wind City up and get in their heads. He also put all his energy into the trophy lift, hoisting the cup numerous times, to the delight of the United fans. If he had been fit all season rather than starting just 11 games in all competitions, the team would have had a serious chance of finishing in the top four.
Varane was also imperious in his final appearance for the club. His three years at Old Trafford have been disrupted by too many injury setbacks, but this was a last stand to remember.
Chelsea and Newcastle would have been backing City from home as a victory for Guardiola’s side would have assured both teams of their places in Europe next season as expected after finishing in sixth and seventh in the Premier League, respectively.
But United had other ideas, and after staring at the prospect of no European football for the first time in a decade, the Red Devils aimed a wrecking ball at Chelsea and Newcastle’s travel preparations.
United’s shock win booked their place in the Europa League and pushed Chelsea from the same competition into the much less prestigious Conference League, which comes with it two qualifying games in late August.
Newcastle, meanwhile, were left with no continental football at all, a big blow after playing in the Champions League this season for the first time in 20 years.
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