The Red Devils were firmly behind their manager
Manchester United squad pass the FA Cup trophy to manager Erik ten Hag as they insist the Dutchman upon lifting the title in front of their fans. The Red Devils beat Manchester City 2-1 to avenge last year’s loss at the same stage, and win their 13th trophy in the competition, more than any English side besides Arsenal (14).
Alejandro Garnacho put United in front after 30 minutes with a simple tap into an empty net following a miscommunication between Josko Gvardiol and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Nine minutes later, Kobbie Mainoo doubled their advantage with a clinical finish through a sea of blue shirts.
Manchester City were offered a ray of hope by substitute Jeremy Doku, who came off the bench to pull one back for them in the 87th minute, but the Premier League champions ultimately fell short of finding the equalizer as their hopes of a second consecutive league double were dashed.
During the trophy celebrations, Manchester United players were seen passing on the trophy for Ten Hag to lift and celebrate as fans watched on, a moment that is winning hearts among its supporters. It was a reflection of the squad standing firmly behind their embattled manager, who could be sacked regardless.
Reports of a sack had been doing the rounds for sometime now, with some sources even claiming that Ten Hag will be fired regardless of the Saturday’s result at Wembley. This is due to United’s awful league campaign, which saw them finish in eighth place, their lowest in the Premier League history.
However, with the FA Cup title sealed, and a place in the Europa League also secured, fans will be hoping that Ten Hag remains in the job next season.
Manchester United’s season is salvaged
The 2023-24 season had been truly disappointing for Manchester United in the Premier League and the Champions League. But now, with the FA Cup victory, the pain appears to have eased, as the Red Devils finished with a major trophy, which also secured them a place in the Europa League, preventing huge losses that could have occurred without European football next season. All’s well that ends well.
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