FA Cup

SIR JIM RATCLIFFE refused to back Erik ten Hag following Manchester United’s FA Cup triumph.The Red Devils beat rivals Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday to lift the trophy for the first time since 2016.Sir Jim Ratcliffe refused to back Erik ten Hag after Manchester United’s FA Cup winCredit: X / @BradJCoxThe United chief did not answer after being asked ‘is Erik staying?’Credit: X / @BradJCoxGoals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were enough to seal a 2-1 victory.United chief Ratcliffe was present in the stands and was spotted walking through the media mixed zone after the match.However, he failed to back Ten Hag after being asked about his future.As Ratcliffe walked through with INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, a reporter asked: “Is Erik staying?”READ MORE MAN UTD NEWSRatcliffe turned to acknowledge the media member but did not answer the question.He then turned his head away and continued to walk before heading out the room through a door.Ten Hag’s future has been in doubt for a number of weeks after a disappointing second campaign at Old Trafford.United’s eighth place finish in the Premier League was their lowest since 1990.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSA series of poor results have also seen the club linked with a move for Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna.Meanwhile, Ten Hag insisted the club want him to lead next season’s rebuild ahead of the FA Cup triumph.Man City 1 Man Utd 2: Garnacho and Mainoo stun title winners in FA Cup final to give Ten Hag perfect send-offAsked before the match if the talk regarding his future had affected preparations, he said: “[It has] not. I am focused on the game and the team.”I don’t talk about my future. It’s not about me, it’s about the team and winning the cup.”The Dutchman has now secured European football for next season, with the cup win booking United’s place in the Europa League.In turn, Chelsea have been demoted to the Conference League, whilst Newcastle are out of Europe altogether as a result.Ten Hag is also a two-time trophy winner since joining United following last year’s Carabao Cup victory. More

MANCHESTER UNITED hailed Scott McTominay after noticing his “subtle s***house” tactics to help them clinch the FA Cup.Erik ten Hag, who looks set to be sacked, watched his team produce a brilliant display to deny Premier League champions Man City a double, double as they won 2-1 at Wembley.Man Utd fans loved a moment of ‘s***housery’ from Scott McTominay at WembleyCredit: PAThe midfielder threw an extra ball on the pitch to delay Stefan Ortega taking a goal kickCredit: BBCHis actions helped United hold on and claim a 2-1 victory over the CityzensCredit: GettyMcTominay screams with delight as he lifts the FA Cup trophy aloftCredit: GettyThe Red Devils lost Casemiro from the subs bench due to an injury in the warm-up before Ten Hag broke his silence regarding his imminent sacking.But his players put all of that drama and their miserable campaign behind them to lift the cup and stun City.And it also means that they will be in the Europa League next season after relegating Chelsea to the Europa Conference League, while Newcastle miss out completely.Alejandro Garnacho pounced on a defensive mix-up between Stefan Ortega and Josko Gvardiol to deservedly give them the lead on the half hour.READ MORE ON MAN UTDIt got even better before the break as United doubled their lead courtesy of a fine finish from Kobbie Mainoo.Speedster Jeremy Doku replaced Matteo Kovacic at half time before Kevin De Bruyne was hauled off and replaced by Julian Alvarez as Pep Guardiola tried everything to get back into it.They huffed and puffed to find a way back as Erling Haaland thundered an effort off the crossbar but the United defence looked unbreakable.Finally, with just three minutes of normal time remaining, City’s pressure told as Doku’s low drive from the edge of the area squeezed past the outstanding Andre Onana to set up a frantic finish.Most read in FA CupBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSFears of a City comeback escalated when the board went up for seven minutes additional time.United bravely hung on as their fans in Wembley anxiously watched the seconds agonisingly tick by.Awkward moment Gary Lineker asks Erik ten Hag if it his last game in tense interview after Man Utd’s stunning FA Cup winBut they absolutely loved one moment of time-wasting by McTominay as he made his way off the bench in the dying seconds.Mason Mount took his place on the pitch while the midfielder trudged his way back to the dug-out the long way, going behind City’s goal.But he spotted an opportunity to waste some vital seconds after the ball had been kicked out for a City goal kick.Goalie Stefan Ortega raced after the ball in order to restart play quickly, but by the time he got it, McTominay had already kicked another one on to the field to delay him.His actions earned him a yellow card from the whistle but it mattered little as City were denied a double, double as United got exactly what their performance deserved.A host of stars secured themselves hero status with the Old Trafford faithful with their performances at Wembley.However, several were quick to hail McTominay on X after watching his time-wasting antics.One wrote: “Scott McTominay is such a streetwise footballer and a subtle s***houser, love it.”Another said: “McTominay throwing the ball back on the pitch is top tier intelligence.”A third commented: “Nah McTominay that was really intelligent throwing the ball inside.”READ MORE SUN STORIESSeconds before going up to lift the trophy, Mctominay then took part in a number of flash interviews.And right at the end of it he showed his backing for under-pressure boss Ten Hag by saying: “We are delighted for the manager.”SunSport’s verdict on Man Utd flopsSir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have a busy summer ahead to get Man Utd’s squad in order for next season. Below SunSport gives it verdict on how they should deal with the Red Devils flops this summer.
Andre Onana – STAY: After a dodgy start at Old Trafford Onana has proven to be one of the more reliable members of the squad this season despite being peppered with shots constantly.
Altay Bayindir – GO: Reports in February suggested Bayindir was unhappy with his bit part role at Man Utd amid interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray. If profit can be made on a sale then it should be done.
Tom Heaton – STAY: Veteran goalkeeper Heaton, 38, is a reliable back-up and is on a relatively small wage at the club. So long as he is happy it makes sense to keep him.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – GO: Wan-Bissaka, 26, has never managed to make the right-back position his own. With his contract up in 2025 it makes sense to cash in now.
Diogo Dalot – STAY: Dalot, 26, has been one of Man Utd’s most consistent performers this season.
Raphael Varane – GO: If it wasn’t for his injury record there would be a strong shout to keep Varane, but costs need to be cut to allow the squad to be freshened up.
Harry Maguire – GO: Maguire has showed he has the right character to be at Man Utd but overall ability and desired profile are another matter, with Maguire too slow to play in a high line defence.
Lisandro Martinez – STAY: Martinez, 26, is second to none in terms of build up play. He needs a long-term defensive partner on the right side and to cut out the injuries which have plagued him this season.
Jonny Evans – GO: Veteran campaigner Evans could easily be on the stay list if he was only going to be a bit part player. But he has shown his advanced years at times this season.
Victor Lindelof – GO:  Lindelof, 29, has been reliable if not unremarkable in his Man Utd career. He has one year left on his contract so should be moved on if a decent transfer fee can be got for him.
Willy Kambwala – STAY: He should be given the opportunity to mature for a few years behind a senior CB pairing before stepping into the first team as a starter or being moved on.
Luke Shaw – GO: One of the Premier League’s best left-backs when fit, Shaw has been a good servant when available. But alas that has been his Achilles heel once again this season.
Tyrell Malacia – STAY: Malacia, 24, was decent enough to earn some merit in his first season at Man Utd before injury ended his season and inadvertently led to his second season being a write off.
Sofyan Amrabat – GO: Amrabat, 27, looked like a world beater at the Qatar World Cup with Morocco. But he’s had an underwhelming season in England and his loan spell will almost certainly not be made permanent.
Casemiro – GO: An alarming physical decline has seen him turn from key star to burden. If a club is willing to buy the 32-year-old – who has two more years on his contract – then United should snatch their hand off.
Christian Eriksen – GO: Eriksen proved a useful asset and Ineos should look to bring in another player with similar traits, but frankly his legs have looked gone towards the end of this season.
Kobbie Mainoo – STAY: The first of the so-called untouchables, Mainoo has been a rare glimmer of hope in the Red Devils midfield this season.
Mason Mount – STAY: Mount can be given the benefit of the doubt until summer 2025 at least after a debut season riddled with injury.
Scott McTominay – STAY: McTominay, 27, has proven himself to be a brilliant plan B off the bench this season, and that is exactly why Ineos should look to keep him.
Bruno Fernandes – STAY: Man Utd’s best player since his arrival just over four years ago, Fernandes, 29, remains second-to-none when it comes to creating chances while his tenacity boosts those around him.
Antony – GO: There’s a case to argue that Antony may be the worst pound-for-pound signing in Premier League history. Despite some memorable moments he simply isn’t Man Utd quality.
Anthony Martial – GO: Ultimately Martial needs to be let go when his deal runs out this summer after an appalling injury record of late.
Marcus Rashford – STAY: As easy as it would be to say Rashford should leave the club this summer, it is difficult to look at the market and find many available players capable of scoring 30 goals a season.
Alejandro Garnacho – STAY: Another third of the untouchables trio, Garnacho has made the right-wing his own since coming into it. He’s a raw talent but has shown he has the quality to improve.
Rasmus Hojlund – STAY: A slow burner in his first Man Utd season, the 21-year-old has often been starved of supply which has led to him being unable to get the goals his movement and unselfish play often merits.
Amad Diallo – STAY: In the fleeting moments he has been on the pitch for Man Utd this season, Diallo has looked dangerous and exciting. He should be given a chance to flourish with some proper chances in the first team across a whole season. More

MANCHESTER UNITED duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have emulated a Red Devils legend.The pair both found the back of the net in the first half of today’s FA Cup final between United and neighbours Man City as United lifted the trophy.Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho both scored for Man Utd in the FA Cup final todayCredit: GettyBoth Garnacho and Mainoo are 19 years old, making them the first teenagers to net in an FA Cup final for 20 YEARS.The last teen to score in the historic competition’s final was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004 – a fellow Man Utd star.Ronaldo opened the scoring that day at the age of 19 as United went on to beat Millwall 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.And Man Utd fans have been left stunned by the incredible fact – with many hoping it’s a sign of things to come for Mainoo and Garnacho.READ MORE MAN UTD NEWSOn social media one fan wrote: “This is so nuts!”While another added: “The future is scary, but not for Manchester United.”A third commented: “Carrington has done it again.”And a fourth chimed in, writing: “We only breed generational talent around here.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSCristiano Ronaldo was the last teenager to score in an FA Cup final before Mainoo and GarnachoCredit: GettyRonaldo’s record was held for so long that neither Garnacho or Mainoo were born when the Portuguese superstar set it in 2004.But their age wasn’t evident when they both took full advantage of their opportunities under the arch this afternoon.Erik ten Hag in blunt three-word response as Man Utd boss is asked whether he’s been treated unfairlyBoth rising stars showed they have a calm head on their young shoulders and they tucked the ball away and gave Erik ten Hag’s team a crucial two-goal cushion.Garnacho had done well not to panic after a blunder from Man City pairing Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega had handed him an opportunity on a plate.While Mainoo superbly placed his chance into the bottom corner when a moment of brilliance from Bruno Fernandes teed him up inside the box.Despite being underdogs for the game, United were able to dig in and hold on to the lead their academy graduates had given them to lift the FA Cup They fought off a late scare in the form of a Jeremy Doku consolation goal to win the game 2-1. More

HERE, in what was likely to be his last match as Manchester United manager, was Erik ten Hag’s ‘football bloody hell!’ moment. In one of the greatest FA Cup final upsets of recent times, Manchester City blew their chance of an historic ‘double Double’ as first-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo sunk Pep Guardiola’s champions.  Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho fired Manchester United to FA Cup gloryCredit: GettyGarnacho tapped into an empty net after a mix-up at the back for CityCredit: ReutersMainoo coolly slotted past Stefan Ortega to make it 2-0Credit: APIn 135 years of English football history, no club has ever retained both the league title and the FA Cup in the same season. And, thanks to a tactical masterclass from their Dutch manager, United gleefully wrecked the party of the one-time ‘noisy neighbours’ who have dominated them for the last decade. It was Ten Hag’s second trophy in as many seasons and it was the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s era that United had triumphed in a cup final against the odds. In the last largely-barren 11 seasons, United had beaten Crystal Palace, Southampton, Ajax and Newcastle to win trophies. READ MORE ON MAN UTDBut this was the most impressive by far – at the end of a staggering Cup win which included the epic 4-3 defeat of Liverpool and the extraordinary semi-final which saw United chuck away a 3-0 lead against Coventry only to escape a last-gasp defeat courtesy of a cruel VAR call.Ten Hag played without an authentic centre-forward, sucked City in and triumphed due to two long diagonal passes which stretched their rivals’ defence and led to those first-half goals. Jeremy Doku set up a nervy finale with an 87th-minute strike but United held on through seven minutes of injury-time. Ten Hag is likely to go irrespective of this famous win due to a lowest-ever eighth-placed Premier League finish as well as the humiliation of exiting Europe before Christmas. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBut if he does receive a P45 he can keep it in a drawer alongside a Cup winner’s medal – and in the knowledge that he had out-foxed the greatest tactician on the planet here. Before kick-off, there was the usual pomp and ceremony, hymns and arias, pyrotechnics and servicemen. Wayne Rooney breaks silence after being named Plymouth manager and reveals plan to do something he’s never done beforeAnd then United hoping to keep things tight for the opening 20 minutes rather than the 12 seconds they had managed before Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring in last season’s final. But within a minute, Guardiola was hopping-mad, demanding a penalty for a Lisandro Martinez shove on Erling Haaland, which ref Andy Madley and his VAR ignored. Ten Hag had dropped his top scorer Rasmus Hojlund, with Bruno Fernandes operating as a false nine.England outcast Marcus Rashford teed up Garnacho who drilled straight at Stefan Ortega. United packed the midfield, often had 11 men behind the ball, waiting for a City mistake and the chance of a counter-attack.It led to a turgid opening 30 minutes before that long-awaited City error arrived. Diogo Dalot, United’s best player by a country mile this season, spotted Garnacho and delivered a brilliant diagonal ball from deep.Josko Gvardiol panicked and headed over an on-rushing Ortega, offering the Argentinian winger an open goal, to which he gleefully tapped in. City had three-quarters of the possession until that point but they had been spectacularly ambushed. United’s tails were up and Rashford sound found the net only for Garnacho to be ruled offside in the build-up. No matter, six minutes before the break, United doubled their lead with an excellent team goal. This time it was Rashford who picked out the long diagonal which stretched City, Garnacho fed Fernandes who teed up Mainoo to slot past Ortega. It was staggering stuff. City hadn’t lost a game outside of a penalty shoot-out in almost six months but United’s Cup run had been an extraordinary ride and here it was continuing into the final. At half-time, Guardiola sent on Doku for Mateo Kovacic in a desperate bid for more width and Manuel Akanji replaced the struggling Nathan Ake in central defence.Rodri tried to beat Andre Onana from inside his own half, Foden fell over his own feet when teed up by Doku and then Haaland thudded against the bar.  Guardiola dragged off Kevin De Bruyne, who had been strangely ineffective, and sent on Julian Alvarez on 56 minutes. Kyle Walker let rip from 35 yards but Onana dived to push wide and then Alvarez blazed over. Next Foden slipped a gorgeous pass through to release Alvarez who stabbed wide of the far post when he ought to have scored. City were peppering United’s goal but to no avail. Garnacho had a shot beaten away by Ortega at his near post as United’s counter-attacking threat remained. Martinez and Walker had a rutting match near the touchline, just as United’s Argentinian Red Dwarf was taken off with cramp. Hojlund, who had replaced Rashford, out-muscled Akanji to win a free-kick on the edge of the City box but Fernandes stuck it straight down Ortega’s throat. READ MORE SUN STORIESThen on 86 minutes, Doku’s daisy-cutter from outside the area beat a blundering Onana at his near post. But after seven minutes of injury-time were called, United clung on to take the Cup. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. 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