Erik ten Hag will undoubtedly be dissatisfied with his team’s performance after Manchester United faced heartache at Wembley Stadium this afternoon after losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup Final.
After won the League Cup earlier this year, the Red Devils were on track to complete the domestic hat trick, but it wasn’t meant to be on this particular day as the overwhelming might of their neighbourhood rivals emerged only seconds into the game in London.
With just 40% possession, fewer shots on goal (3 v 5), fewer accurate passes completed (267 v 450), fewer duels won (40 v 48), and fewer tackles completed (11 v 19), United struggled to dominate the game in any area of the pitch, demonstrating that Ten Hag’s team was outplayed in both attacking and defensive play.
Nobody could have imagined in the first half that Man City would be breaking records barely 12 seconds into the Wembley match, but Ilkay Gundogan’s magnificent volley gave the Sky Blues the lead and set a record for the fastest FA Cup goal in tournament history.
After the German goal, VAR and refereeing decisions stole the show. Jack Grealish was given a penalty for a contentious handball in the box, giving the Red Devils a fantastic chance to get back into the game. Bruno Fernandes converted the resulting penalty kick to tie the score in the 33rd minute.
Gundogan punished the Red Devils once more early in the second half, scoring again in the 51st minute to retake the lead. This goal ultimately proved to be the game-winning goal, giving the club its seventh FA Cup in history.
While Ten Hag will be proud of the accomplishments his team made this season, including winning a trophy and earning a spot in the Champions League, this afternoon’s game will serve as a reminder that the club is still actively rebuilding and that some players must be offloaded.
How did Fred do vs Man City?
The Brazilian midfielder, who cost £47 million when he was acquired in 2018, has struggled to adjust to life at Old Trafford, and if rumours are to be believed, he might be one of the players shown the exit doors this summer.
Declan Rice, Manuel Ugarte, and Mateo Kovacic have all been mentioned as possible targets for the Dutch manager this summer, and the midfielder did himself no favours by staking his claim to stay in this afternoon’s game at Wembley. Fred has been linked with a number of midfielders who could be set to replace him.
The 30-year-old loser lost 81% of his duels (3/16) throughout his 90-minute outing, mishandled 100% of his crosses, lost control of the ball ten times, and was twice dribbled past. He also failed in 100% of his dribble efforts.
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While Fred cannot be held entirely responsible for Man United’s lacklustre performance at Wembley, it is painfully clear that the team is in desperate need of a player with more vigour and someone who can handle the ball better moving forward.
To prevent their chase of trophies and supremacy from stagnating again next season, Ten Hag must carefully examine his starting players and make improvements in crucial areas. Fred should be one of the players who never dons the jersey again.
