The 2023/24 FA Cup campaign concluded fascinatingly with Manchester United getting the better of their city rivals, Manchester City in the final. Erik ten Hag’s side managed to dig out a narrow 2-1 victory, shocking soccer fans around the world. City were considered the overwhelming favorites coming into the tie but were ultimately defeated by a side that was in dire need of lifting the coveted FA Cup trophy.
🚨 Ten Hag: “Two trophies in two seasons and three finals… not bad”.
“If they don’t want me anymore, I’ll go somewhere else and win trophies. That’s what I do”. pic.twitter.com/f1aK2IW6Hg
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 25, 2024
Owing to the win, United will now finish consecutive seasons with silverware in their bag. The Red Devils have also secured UEFA Europa League qualification for next season thanks to this victory. With a lot riding on this fixture, United players showed up on the day with the intent of being satisfied with nothing but the cup.
After a difficult season in the Premier League, the fanbase will be relieved to witness a strong end to the campaign. Erik ten Hag set up a tactical masterclass to tackle his opposition in what may well be his last-ever game as Manchester United’s head coach.
Erik ten Hag’s willingness to surrender possession to Manchester City
Leading up to the final. it was evident that Erik ten Hag’s game plan would have to be spot on for his team to have a chance at winning the match. Not many sides in the world dominate Manchester City in terms of possession and ten Hag was more than satisfied with allowing City the major share of the ball. Pep Guardiola’s side enjoyed 74% of the possession but were not able to make full use of it.
Just watching some clips, today was a game and game-state for Pep to use KDB deeper, all the space was outside of the Man Utd block as evidenced by the time and space Walker had for his 3 long shots and Akanji for his long shot in the 2nd half. Man Utd were happy to sacrifice…
— Raj Chohan (@rajsinghchohan) May 25, 2024
The Dutch manager asked his players to not press high up the pitch and adopted a passive style of play. This allowed United to create overloads in the central areas, hence restricting Manchester City’s ability to progress through the middle.
Their double-pivot of Mateo Kovacic and Rodri were the worst affected by this set-up, constantly finding themselves outnumbered. United’s low block allowed them to take advantage of turnovers in possession due to City’s backline being higher up the pitch, leaving them vulnerable to counter-attacks.
Manchester United identified City’s weakness on the wings
Ever since Pep Guardiola took over the job at Manchester City, he has guided the Mancunian club to become one of the dominating sides in recent history. Weak points in Guardiola‘s City are a rare occurrence due to the manager’s tendency to identify them quickly and repair them before they can be aimed for. However, this particular season, City have not enjoyed much success from their wingers and Erik ten Hag was smart enough to recognize it.
Evans on ten Hag: “I think over the last month or so he’s shown incredible tactical flexibility. To be able to sit off and counter attack, it’s not the sort of style he probably sees himself coaching, but he’s been able to do it.” [via @BeanymanSports] #mufc pic.twitter.com/q3yfaFJooJ
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) May 25, 2024
Manchester United was happy enough to concede space out wide, trusting his fullbacks-Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to contain the threat out wide from Manchester City. With Foden and Bernardo Silva moving into a more central role, City’s width came only from Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker who were unable to make any sort of impact.
This approach allowed the eventual champions to guard the central areas better, limiting any sort of creativity from their rivals. Defending in this narrow shape, United’s wingers were in turn allowed to enjoy open spaces out wide which was a key factor in both the goals scored by the club. If it was indeed Erik ten Hag’s last game at the club, then he made sure to leave a huge impact with his tactical prowess.