Winning the FA Cup final today is a must for Man Utd to defend the "treble" feat of the 1999 generation against the threat of "noisy neighbor" Man City.
In September 2009, just a year after the Abu Dhabi owners took over Man City, Sir Alex Ferguson - the most respected and widely listened to figure in English football at the time - gave his opinion on the future of the King's sport in the city where he made his name.
Sitting behind his desk in the Manchester United academy building, beneath pictures of the players who helped him build his empire at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson is asked whether Manchester City will ever dominate English football, and whether Manchester United will ever be considered underdogs against their cross-town rivals.
"That will not happen in my lifetime," the legendary Scottish coach replied firmly.
Coach Ferguson with three titles won in the 1998-1999 season, from left to right: Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Photo: Man Utd
At that time, Man Utd and Man City were literally "shoulder to shoulder", as the two clubs' training grounds jostled for space at Carrington - a vast area just off the M60 motorway in south-west Manchester. "When Ferguson spoke that day, the Man City players could almost hear his contemptuous tone through the fence", the British newspaper Sports Mail likened.
Now, almost 14 years on from that interview, City are in their own vast football palace on the other side of town – a state-of-the-art complex built with Abu Dhabi money, and basking in the glory of Pep Guardiola. It shows not only that the power dynamic between the two Manchester clubs has shifted far more quickly than Ferguson could have imagined, but also that City’s dominance of English football is unrivalled.
Man Utd may question the legitimacy of the investments that have made Man City their modern success. But what really gets them fired up is the steady accumulation of trophies by their city rivals that is slowly turning blue into the dominant colour in Manchester, rather than Man Utd’s traditional red. Over the past 14 years, Man City have won seven Premier League titles, two FA Cups and six League Cups.
It seemed Sir Alex was deliberately ignoring the future that had been clear for years. Two days after his comments about Man City, Man Utd won 4-3 in a thrilling derby at Old Trafford. But the performance in that big game showed that Man City were making great progress in a short time and deep down Ferguson must have understood that.
Nearly 14 years later, Guardiola's side are on the brink of overcoming the last remaining barrier , destroying the uniqueness of one of their greatest rivals' most cherished achievements. Along with lifting the European Cup in 1968, a decade after the Munich disaster, Man Utd are even prouder of being the only English club to have won the three major trophies of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the 1998-1999 season.
Man Utd fans poured onto the streets of Manchester to celebrate as Man Utd paraded their treble of major trophies in the 1998-1999 season. Photo: PA
This season, Man City have won the Premier League and are favourites to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on June 10. So today's FA Cup final at Wembley is a pivotal match for the history of both clubs, as well as the perception of one of football's longest-standing rivalries.
Man Utd under Ferguson always took the field with a dominant and winning mentality. But now, they will have to choose a safer, more modest approach. It is almost certain that the "Red Devils" will play defensive counter-attacks, with the first goal of trying to repel Man City's stormy attacks. Today, Ten Hag's team will take the field as the only ones who can protect and preserve Man Utd's place in the history of English football.
On June 1, about 300 metres from where Ferguson spoke in 2009, a gaunt, unremarkable-looking Dutch coach sat in another building and proposed the challenging concept of how to stop Man City.
Ten Hag, 53, lacks Ferguson’s aura or his impishness. But he brought confidence back to Old Trafford in his first season, with a third-place finish in the Premier League and the League Cup. Ten years after Ferguson retired, a win at Wembley today, if it materialises, will add to the sense that Ten Hag’s presence could help United break the stranglehold of their city rivals.
Ten Hag and his players have a heavy responsibility in today's FA Cup final - preventing Man City from winning the treble, matching Man Utd's feat 24 years ago. Photo: Reuters
Ten Hag's English is still imperfect and he is not a natural orator, even in his native tongue. And in an interview with The Times , the 53-year-old refused to be drawn into the topic that has dominated the British press in recent days - "can Man Utd stop Man City winning the treble?".
"I've watched a lot of FA Cup finals, and I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. Of course, the fans will be happy if we stop Man City from winning the treble. But the important thing is not stopping Man City from winning the treble, but Man Utd winning the FA Cup. We want to build our own legacy and era," Ten Hag emphasized.
Ten Hag may be different to Ferguson, but the pair have spoken regularly this season. Some of the Dutchman's decisions have mirrored Ferguson's decisiveness and have certainly shaped a season that has steadily improved from a poor start - losing at home to Brighton and a 4-0 thrashing at Brentford.
History is not the only thing on Man Utd's side . The Old Trafford outfit still have a stable foundation, a growing fan base and a manager capable of taking them forward over the long term, as Guardiola himself has said.
But much of what the club and Man Utd fans continue to cherish is wrapped up in Ferguson and all he achieved, 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two Champions Leagues and most notably the great treble.
So today’s FA Cup final derby is not about the future, steady improvement, or a stepping stone back to the top, but about the present, the immediate, the short-term, and keeping the ‘noisy neighbours’ at bay. At Wembley, United have the chance to defend something so special and cherished that it lies at the heart of the club.
Guardiola's Man City are on course to become one of the greatest clubs in English and world football. But the interesting thing about today and next week is that, statistically at least, Man City must win the treble to prove it.
So, Man Utd is the club that holds the power today, even if it's just for one day.
Hong Duy (according to Sports Mail )
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