After finishing third in the Premier League, coach Erik ten Hag said Man Utd had a great season and had a great chance of beating Man City in the FA Cup final on June 3.
In the final round of the Premier League on May 28, Man Utd got off to a poor start when Kenny Tete headed into the net in the 19th minute. Six minutes later, Casemiro fouled Tom Cairney in the penalty area and awarded Fulham a penalty. From the 11m mark, Aleksandar Mitrovic shot to the right corner and was blocked by goalkeeper David de Gea.
From there, Man Utd dominated the game and completed the comeback thanks to Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes. The 2-1 result kept Man Utd in third place and won their 27th home game in all competitions this season. Thanks to that, Ten Hag equaled the record set by Sir Alex Ferguson in the 2002-2003 season.
Ten Hag applauds Man Utd fans after the 2-1 win over Fulham in the final round of the Premier League at Old Trafford on May 28. Photo: manutd.com
After the match, Man Utd players and coaching staff stayed at Old Trafford to thank the fans. After De Gea received the Golden Glove award, Ten Hag gave a speech thanking the players, staff, and fans, saying that Man Utd had an excellent season.
The Dutch coach called on fans to continue supporting Man Utd in the FA Cup final to complete the double, after winning the League Cup. "There is still one game to go and I am sure these players will try their best to beat Man City. If you support me, I am sure Man Utd have a really good chance to bring the Cup back to Old Trafford," Ten Hag said, receiving a response from the stands.
At the press conference afterwards, Ten Hag admitted that Man Utd started "carelessly" against Fulham but "woke up" thanks to De Gea's penalty save. When asked more about the FA Cup final, the 53-year-old coach praised Man City as the strongest club in the world, but Man Utd still had a chance to win. He cited the fact that Man Utd defeated Man City 2-1 in the Premier League on January 14 to motivate his players.
Ten Hag also warned that Man Utd must invest heavily in the summer transfer window of 2023 to maintain their position in the top 4, and even compete for the Premier League title next season. He is confident that the transfer plan will not be affected even if Man Utd does not change ownership. British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim are currently two potential candidates to take over the role of owner of Old Trafford from the Glazers, in a deal that could cost more than 6 billion USD.
Ten Hag was backed in the summer transfer window of 2022, when Man Utd recruited Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Antony, setting a record for player spending at $250 million. But in the mid-season transfer window, the "Red Devils" were one of five Premier League clubs not to buy players, only borrowing Jack Butland, Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer.
According to Sky Sports , Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Mason Mount are on the shortlist for the summer transfer window, but Man Utd are unlikely to sign all three players.
Hong Duy
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