How Manchester United can stop Manchester City winning the FA Cup final

Manchester United fans have a song about their 1999 treble winners, and it goes like this: “Have you ever won the treble, like Phil and Gary Neville? Have you ever won the treble? Have you f**k!”

It’s directed at just about any rival teams’ supporters or players, because Man United are proud of being the only English team to have won the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup in the same season, aka the treble.

Others have come close. United stopped Liverpool doing it in 1977 by winning the FA Cup. But to date no other team has actually managed it. That unique achievement is under grave threat, though.

Manchester City have already won the Premier League this season and are clear favourites to win a first-ever Champions League when they meet Internazionale in Istanbul having pulverised holders Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-final second leg. Manchester City also have the small matter of the FA Cup final too, and only their despised, underdog red neighbours stand in their way of victory.

With a City Champs League victory seemingly already a formality, many believe United are the only team that can viably stop City from winning the treble. Putting a positive spin on it, Man Utd have been underdogs plenty of times and often prevailed. Against Barcelona in Rotterdam in ’91 and at Wembley in ’85 against Everton both spring to mind, but they’ll need to be at their very best to triumph here again City.

“The fact that United were the first English team to win the European Cup, the first to win the treble will always be the case,” David May, a treble winner, told GQ. “Someone at some point is going to win the treble again, but they won’t be the first club.

The United fans can help win the FA

In the 2004 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, an out-of-form United were playing an Arsene Wenger team who won the league by 11 points and finished 15 points ahead of Ferguson’s third-placed side. But thanks to their fans, United defied the form book and won 1-0 with the Guardian’s Richard Williams writing: “The fervour that fuelled United’s effort reinforced by the incessant ardour of their fans, made this one of the season’s great occasions.”

United have had a forgiving run to the final, being drawn at home in every round (and in the League Cup too) before beating an excellent Brighton side on penalties in the semi-final. United’s strength this season has been at home, with 27 wins from 33 games in all competitions, and the weakness has been away against top sides, like City. The fans can make the

United finishing third and winning the League Cup win has made this a positive first season for new boss Erik ten Hag; add a second trophy. and this will be the best season in the post Ferguson era. A Red cup parade in Manchester would attract far more fans than any City one next month. The fans can make a difference.

No love lost between City and United

The enmity between the two clubs is long-standing. Long gone are the days when some Mancunians supported both their local clubs. If there’s a Mancunian who will be proud if either team win for their city, then they’ll be quiet about it.

Service stations en route to Wembley are now designated for fans of either club to reduce potential flashpoints. In 2011, when the pair last met at Wembley in the FA Cup for a semi-final, the atmosphere was vile. Then, it was about trying to stop City winning a first trophy in 35 years, a record United long chided City for. Now, it’s about stopping a treble.

Both sides, Reds and Blues have their gripes with each other. City fans tell United fans to ‘f- off back to London’, United tell Blues to do the same back to Stockport and the other satellite towns around Manchester. The rivalry is visceral.

It means the final is a huge game and yet, surprisingly, demand for tickets isn’t close to the Manchester United vs Newcastle United Carabao Cup final in February. Then, you had two sets of fans desperate to see their side win a first trophy in years. Saturday has sold out to Wembley’s 90,000 capacity, but train strikes have dampened demand, while City have got the small matter of a game in Istanbul the week after.

How Erik Ten Hag can stop Pep Guardiola’s Man City – according to United legends

United boss Erik ten Hag is the real deal. When there was uncertainty about Pep Guardiola signing a new contract, City – always ahead of the game with recruitment – looked at him and liked what they saw when he was at Ajax. Ten Hag is a disciplinarian and a realist who has called most decisions right this season, most notably the way he handled Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite being underdogs for the FA Final, he’s been bullish. “There’s still one game to go. And I’m sure that with these fans we have a really good chance to take the cup back to Old Trafford,” he told fans after the final home game of the season.

“It’s going to be very tough on Saturday but how Ten Hag sets up is crucial. It’ll all be about not letting them score,” says May. “Play tight, sit deep, be aggressive, don’t give anything away, contain them and then counterattack. United are one of the best counterattacking teams and that’s the only way to beat City – and I think United will, just like at Old Trafford where we sucked them in and then ‘bang’ – hit them on the counter.

For May, the team selection is a no-brainer. “Like City, the United team almost picks itself but I’d go with Fred, who was outstanding in the January derby, in midfield. That would mean Christian Eriksen, a sensational footballer, not starting, but Fred is better to do the hard slog, the constant running. United will probably go with Bruno Fernandes, Antony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho as the forwards, though part of me would love to see Alejandro Garnacho start as he’s fearless.”

“I can put my heart on my sleeve and say I hope United win 2-1,” says former United and England defender Paul Parker. “I’m not a fan of watching City. It’s cutting-edge and effective, but cynical. I’d prefer to watch Brighton and I think they’d have a better chance against City than United in the final. I’m not convinced by any of United’s forwards, though I’ll give Antony the benefit of the doubt with a full pre-season. United need to buy at least two forwards.”

But as much as there can be favourites and underdogs, as we all know, football has a habit of throwing up a surprise. “I’ll never forget the first FA Cup final that I watched as a kid,” says Parker. Sunderland against Leeds, with Leeds the favourites and they were completely dominant in the match. Sunderland won 1-0.”