Erik ten Hag and Manchester United deserved to win the FA Cup. They set up exactly how you should face opponents with higher soccer IQ.
Ten Hag played with two starters in midfield, Sofyan Amrabat and Kobbie Mainoo, used Scott McTominay to stop Rodri and made the big decision to deploy Bruno Fernandes as a false nine instead of starting Rasmus Hojlund.
It worked perfectly because a team like Manchester City deserves that level of respect if you want to beat them.
But I was left with the lingering question: ‘Why hasn’t Ten Hag done this more often and shown better tactical ability over a longer period to compete against the biggest and best?’
On Saturday, United did well – both full-backs Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were great and deserve credit – but you have to wonder why it took Ten Hag so long to get it right.
Man United deserved to win the FA Cup after playing the perfect set-up against Man City
But it raised questions about why Erik ten Hag had not achieved that performance before.
Of course, it helped that Lisandro Martínez and Raphael Varane were available. They are guys who understand the position and it is a shame that they have missed so many games.
But that doesn’t explain why Ten Hag came up with a suitable game plan at Wembley and not before.
The only other time I remember United playing like this was at Anfield, and on that occasion they had luck on their side to earn a 0-0 draw. This victory was not a matter of luck.
Although the first goal was a mistake by City, United’s response was impressive. They carried out their plan with real discipline, without getting carried away, and the second goal was fantastic.
A wonderful cross ball from Marcus Rashford started the play and Bruno’s final pass for Mainoo was possibly the best assist of the season. It was brilliant from a player in complete control of his emotions. We saw how United lacked creativity when they lost the game at Crystal Palace. Producing an incredibly clever skill in the middle of a hot final summed it up.
United won because of what went well, not because City lacked intensity, even if Pep Guardiola’s team started more lethargically than usual.
The conversation will now be about the future of Ten Hag. I’m glad he’s won a second trophy because he’s had to put up with a lot at Old Trafford. At the same time, it is normal for a coach to accept criticism in such a big club.
One swallow does not make a summer. The reality is that you have not demonstrated enough in the way of motivational techniques or tactics over a period of time.
He has failed repeatedly and I don’t think this final will be enough to save him because United’s owners cannot base their decision on a single game.
United have been horrendous too many times this season. Fans of rival clubs would love for Ten Hag to stay because they don’t see him as the figure driving the team.
Clubs are criticized for changing coaches without having a successor in mind, but they are also criticized for seeing what is available first, which is considered a lack of respect for the incumbent. My view is that after the season United have had, it was imperative for the club to look at viable options. I don’t think the hierarchy will feel guilty if Ten Hag is upset. He will be well compensated if he leaves and his job would not be in jeopardy if the team had performed well.
United have to be competitive in big competitions. They haven’t been close to that for a year and the responsibility falls on the manager. I would be surprised if there were no changes despite yesterday.
I was interested to see Steve McClaren involved on the touchline. Steve was one of the best coaches I worked with when he helped Sven Goran Eriksson in England.
Pep Guardiola must have been good with his lineup and there was no pressure until the first goal
Ten Hag got United job too early and is not the answer despite correct tactics at Wembley
Ten Hag has underused him. I’ve watched United many times and wondered how they could be outplayed so badly when Steve was on the touchline.
I suspect it played a role yesterday. United condensed the space centrally and played on the counter, perfect for the occasion.
Guardiola will not have doubted his alignment. They were not under pressure until Josko Gvardiol’s error and the first goal were always going to change the dynamic against an opponent who was feeling well.
For Ten Hag, it was good to see him smile. He is a humble and friendly guy and he got his tactics right. But the bigger picture is that he got the United job too early and I still don’t think he’s the answer.