Wayne Rooney, the legendary footballer, has shared some intriguing insights on how Erik ten Hag, the current manager of Manchester United, should approach the upcoming FA Cup final against Manchester City. Rooney suggests that Ten Hag should take a gamble and adopt a different strategy to outsmart their arch-rivals.
Manchester United will face Manchester City at Wembley next Saturday. The Red Devils are determined to prevent City from adding another trophy to their collection this season. Under Ten Hag’s leadership, United has had a promising first season, securing a top-four Premier League finish and winning the Carabao Cup. Winning the FA Cup would turn this good season into a great one.
On the other hand, Manchester City is eyeing the Treble this season. After securing the Premier League title, they are now focused on the FA Cup final and the Champions League final against Inter Milan. Rooney believes that United will need to adopt a unique strategy to outperform this formidable City side.
Rooney shared his thoughts with The Times, suggesting a strategy similar to the one used by Jose Mourinho during his first stint at Chelsea. He explained, “My strategy would be to go the other way and ask City to do something different. I’d try something similar to a tactic Jose Mourinho sometimes deployed in his first spell at Chelsea, where he would get the likes of Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and Damien Duff to take up ‘half’ positions where they didn’t come all the way back and defend when Chelsea were out of possession but instead cheat a bit and wait higher up the pitch in areas from which they could counterattack as soon as Chelsea won the ball back.”
Rooney believes that United could use Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in similar roles, defending with eight players and keeping these two in counterattack positions. This would pose different challenges for City, forcing them to adapt their strategy.
Rooney’s proposed lineup for United would be a 4-4-2 formation, with Martial and Rashford up top and a solid midfield behind them. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining discipline and keeping the distances between the eight defending players small.
Rooney concludes, “Playing my way carries risks but I feel you have to risk it against City and ask questions that force them to do something different. Gamble and they may punish you but if you just sit back you’re going to get punished by them anyway — so why not take the initiative and try something?”
This FA Cup final is a crucial juncture for Manchester United. The team’s performance in this match could set the tone for their future under Erik ten Hag’s leadership. As Wayne Rooney suggests, a bold strategy might be the key to victory.
