Manchester United will want nothing more than to wreck Manchester City’s ambitions of emulating their 1999 Treble triumph when they meet in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
Although Pep Guardiola’s side will start as overwhelming favourites at Wembley, Erik ten Hag has demonstrated enough tactical acumen this season to come up with an effective game plan.
United were thrashed 6-3 by City when they met at the Etihad early in the season but gained some revenge with a 2-1 success at Old Trafford.
In a one-off match, with all the pressure heaped on City, they should fancy their chances of an upset – but everything must go perfectly to plan.
The Mail on Sunday’s DANNY MURPHY takes a look at three areas where United can get the better of City and smash their triple-trophy dreams.
It’s going to be tough for Manchester United to beat City at Wembley – but not impossible. Here are three things I believe Erik ten Hag has to do.
Erik ten Hag knows his game plan has to be excellent to get the better of Pep Guardiola
Fred did an excellent man-marking job on Kevin De Bruyne in January’s Manchester derby
Play another ‘spoiler’ next to Casemiro
This is an absolute necessity. When Fred played alongside Casemiro at Old Trafford, United won.
When Ten Hag played only one natural holding midfielder at The Etihad and asked Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen to fill in, they shipped six.
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I am pretty sure ten Hag will start with either Fred or Scott McTominay. Otherwise they won’t be able to contain Gundogan and De Bruyne. I’m sure the United manager will recognise that.
I realise United scored a controversial goal in beating City in January but that doesn’t hide the fact Casemiro and Fred were terrific.
Casemiro will be central to any chance Manchester United have of winning at Wembley
Rashford down the middle
It’s always difficult to second-guess Pep Guardiola but assuming he plays his strongest team with Ruben Dias and John Stones in the middle of defence, United need genuine pace at centre-forward to unsettle them.
We know Stones likes to step into midfield so if United get a turnover, they need to exploit Dias one-against-one.
Anthony Martial isn’t quicker than Dias and Wout Weghorst is barely quicker than my Mum, so that means Rashford down the middle. He’ll make Stones think twice about pushing forward.
Ten Hag has the luxury of having a ready-made replacement on the left if he moves Rashford inside – from what I’ve seen Alejandro Garnacho is a natural winger who can catch pigeons. Ten Hag might take this approach but I’m not sure.
Marcus Rashford turns on the burners as he runs at the Chelsea defence on Thursday night
Ban de Gea from passing out from the back
United can’t afford to gift City anything and as the champions are brilliant at pressing, and De Gea uncomfortable with his feet, I’d ask him to kick long. Every. Single. Time.
It’s not a style that will win the league but in a one-final against the best in Europe, you have to do what it takes.
And that means trying to release Rashford and Garnacho and as long the midfielders to pick up second balls, so be it.
To ask De Gea to play out is asking for trouble so you may as well remove any uncertainty and expressly forbid it.
David de Gea often gets himself into trouble when trying to play out from the back