Manchester boss Erik ten Hag and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (Picture: Getty)
After watching Manchester United narrowly beaten by Manchester City in the 2023 FA Cup final, Erik ten Hag praised his team for a ‘brilliant’ season and spoke of what they needed to do next to achieve further progress.
Well, 12 months is a long time in football. On Saturday, the United boss will again lead his team out at Wembley against their local rivals but very little else is the same around Old Trafford.
Now, when Ten Hag calls his side ‘brilliant’ or describes them as ‘one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league’, onlookers check to see if they were watching the same game.
Yes, there have been injuries and, yes, there have been bright spots in the development of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund but the promise of youth has been offset by the signs of ageing displayed by Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Christian Eriksen, while those in their prime have failed to carry the load.
Bruno Fernandes continues to deliver the goods but Jadon Sancho has been lost, Antony has offered little and Marcus Rashford has regressed to the point that last year’s 30-goal striker can’t even get into a bloated England squad any more.
All this has taken place against a backdrop of new dawns and optimism off the pitch as Sir Jim Ratcliffe prises the claws of the Glazer family off the footballing side of the operation.
Erik ten Hag appears to be heading for the Old Trafford exit (Picture: Getty Images)
But with new bosses to impress, Ten Hag’s disastrous second season – resulting in United’s lowest league finish for 34 years and a group-stage exit from the Champions League – could not have been more badly timed.
He is not Ratcliffe’s man and United’s incoming executives Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox have no personal investment in Ten Hag’s signings. If United decide to start over in the summer there will be no emotional ties holding them back.
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For that reason, many believe Ten Hag is a dead man walking, like his compatriot and fellow former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal in 2016, preparing to take Manchester United into an FA Cup final with a possibility of victory, but with no chance of saving his job.
The contrast with fellow finalists Manchester City could not be greater.
A week after banking a record fourth consecutive league title, Pep Guardiola’s men are aiming to make it back-to-back Doubles.
Manchester City captain Kyle Walker lifts the Premier League trophy (Picture: AP)
While the background noise about the unresolved 115 charges the club faces for alleged breaches of FFP rules grows louder with every achievement, City’s hunger for trophies and ability to land them shows no sign of diminishing.
If there is to be a reckoning, City sure are making hay while the sun still shines.
Like all clubs who enjoy sustained success, City have evolved over time. Phil Foden has gone from rising star to fulcrum of the team, while year two of Erling Haaland has seen Guardiola’s side continue to profit from the striker’s goals without being over-reliant on them.
After tomorrow’s final, there will no doubt be further changes. Ilkay Gundogan was captain and man of the match in the final last June but left for Barcelona soon after.
Bernardo Silva, Guardiola’s on-field general, rarely misses a game but has long been linked with a new challenge. Could this be the year?
So all to play for at Wembley but, whoever lifts the cup two things seem certain. United are in the midst of revolution, whereas evolution continues to be City’s mantra – for now.
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