According to former striker Wayne Rooney, coach Erik ten Hag should apply Jose Mourinho's tactics to help Man Utd defeat Man City in the FA Cup final.
Write on the sheet The Times, Rooney wants Man Utd to play with a 4-4-2 formation, including the striker duo Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. In the midfield, the British player chose Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Fred.
Rooney also emphasized that he wanted the eight-man squad in the lower team to keep the position and minimize the space. "In football, if you have a squad of eight good players, solid and disciplined, it's very difficult for you to fall," he explained. "Man Utd have had a few good matches against Man City in recent years thanks to their counter-attacking style, usually with Rashford and Martial starting."
However, Ten Hag could not develop the formation suggested by Rooney because Martial is definitely absent because of a hamstring injury. The Dutch coach's options in attack today include Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Wout Weghorst, while Antony left open the possibility of playing.
Rashford competes for the ball (left shirt) for the ball with De Bruyne and Ake in the match Man Utd beat Man City 2-1 in the Premier League on January 14, 1. Image: AFP
Besides changing the squad, Rooney suggested that the old club implement the same strategy as Mourinho when he was working at Chelsea, with a counter-attacking style and making the most of opportunities. The former Man Utd striker wrote: "Mourinho puts Joe Cole, Arjen Robben or Damien Duff in positions in the middle of the pitch, but not deep and defensive, but waiting to counterattack as soon as Chelsea get the ball back.
Since then, the 37-year-old former striker has questioned Man City's play. “If John Stones is still stuck in midfield, will the space open for Rashford to exploit? If Kyle Walker goes up, will this open the gap?”, wrote Rooney.
After defending the Premier League title, Man City is aiming for a treble with the FA Cup final against Man Utd at Wembley today and the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul, Turkey on June 10. If they win both of these matches, Pep Guardiola's teachers and students will recreate the miracle of their rival Manchester in the 6-1998 season.
Meanwhile, Man Utd aim for a double title in Ten Hag's first season, after winning the League Cup. In addition, if they win at Wembley today, the "Red Devils" will also prevent Man City from repeating the treble 25 years ago.
"For City players, members and fans, the FA Cup final will mean just as much to those on Man Utd's side, and I look forward to an interesting, tight match," Rooney added, adding, "Man Utd could win if the game goes into extra time or penalties."
In the English Premier League season 2022-2023, Man Utd lost to Man City 3-6 at the Etihad on the day Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both scored a hat-trick. But when the rematch at Old Trafford, Man Utd won 2-1 thanks to Bruno Fernandes and Rashford.
Hong Duy
