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One of many largest days within the English footballing calendar has lastly arrived.
Tens of millions of Manchester United followers will probably be waking up this morning, or have already woken up, after having dreamt of Wembley success.
Not many within the media have given Erik ten Hag’s facet a lot likelihood on this match, so it’s as much as the Crimson Devils to show their price on the largest stage.
Two of a very powerful individuals in your entire stadium this afternoon couldn’t have had extra completely different preparation for the showpiece occasion in the event that they tried.
Ten Hag has simply come off an horrendous season the place his group have completed eighth and with a detrimental objective distinction for the primary time in Premier League historical past. After a comparatively profitable first season in cost, he made the peculiar alternative to tear up the playbook and attempt to rework United into the world’s finest transition group.
An early Champions League exit earlier than Christmas and an eighth positioned end reveals how effectively this turned out.
Consequently, there was a lot hypothesis concerning the Dutchman’s future and an avalanche of stories got here by yesterday afternoon and night concerning the beleaguered coach’s future.
It has been reported that the membership have already taken the choice to sack the supervisor whatever the end result within the closing and that the coach has recognized this every week earlier than the Arsenal sport, so virtually three weeks in the past.
Ten Hag has defiantly revealed in his pre-match press convention that he doesn’t want “assurances” about his job and the BBC have reported that the membership are adamant that no choice has been made, however this one actually appears a case of the place there’s smoke, there’s hearth.
In distinction, Manchester Metropolis’s boss, Pep Guardiola, couldn’t be safer in his job.
The Catalan received the treble final 12 months and he has simply received the Premier League for a fourth consecutive 12 months, one thing not even Sir Alex Ferguson was capable of do.
Guardiola is broadly thought of one of the best coach within the sport and a few even recommend he’s one of the best of all time, regardless that not many United followers would attest to this as a result of a sure Scotsman’s time in Manchester.
Nonetheless, one of many largest mismatches at Wembley could possibly be between the 2 managers. Nonetheless, there’s a glimmer of hope.
Erik ten Hag has had success in opposition to Manchester Metropolis earlier than. In January 2023 in a 2-1 win at Outdated Trafford, United have been very harmful within the first half and regardless of conceding the primary objective, fought again to win the sport.
Ten Hag outfoxed his former boss at Bayern Munich when he was capable of stunt the affect of Kevin de Bruyne and largely take Erling Haaland out of the sport.
Metropolis managed only one shot heading in the right direction in the entire encounter that crisp January day and Ten Hag will certainly look to this match for inspiration.
If Ten Hag opts to attempt to go toe-to-toe with Metropolis or flip the sport into chaos, it’s unlikely to finish effectively for anybody in pink. Nonetheless, the final three video games within the league have pointed to the actual fact he could think about a extra compact, measured strategy, which might work if the gamers are fully engaged of their activity.
As well as, Guardiola has a historical past of constructing unusual selections and over-thinking cup ties. With the favorite tag weighing so closely on them, he could really feel the urge to tweak his facet which has had disastrous penalties for him within the Champions League.
Probably the most clear and apparent was the instance of leaving Rodri out of the Champions League closing in opposition to Chelsea in 2021, which they might go on to lose 1-0 after it horribly imbalanced the facet.
Furthermore, because of the two’s historical past collectively when Ten Hag was Bayern Munich II’s supervisor on the similar time Guardiola was senior coach, the Dutchman is aware of Pep’s mindset inside out.
Even in final 12 months’s 2-1 loss within the closing to the identical group, while neither facet performed very effectively, it was a decent sport and United might have taken the match to additional time solely to have Scott McTominay’s late likelihood bounce onto the roof of the online.
In different phrases, Ten Hag popping out on prime in opposition to Pep Guardiola is unlikely however it isn’t inconceivable.
If there’s any day, any second to only consider, it’s on cup closing day.
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