One city, but totally, totally opposite clubs. One is preparing a new contract for their coach, the other will sack theirs. One is in sight of another trophy the other one is risking not playing in Europe next season. Fans from one club are laughing at the other, while they believe that their club will always be bigger, no matter what. Welcome to Manchester! United and City are playing for the FA Cup trophy and will meet again in the last game of the current season but, as we said, in a totally different mood.The #EmiratesFACup Final is HERE! 🏆The battle of the Manchester clubs has returned for its second iteration, but will the outcome be the same a year later? 👀 pic.twitter.com/rJFuQPO2h3— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 24, 2024 Last season, they also met in the finals, but United already had the Carabao trophy and finished third in the league, so things were positive under new coach Erik ten Hag. So, a defeat from the Citizens was not so bad like it would be this year. If they fail today, there will be no European football for them for the first time after 2013/14 season, when they finished seventh with David Moyes (they finished eight this season). Surely, players need to be sold and manager should be sacked. Not if you ask Ten Hag. Asked if talks with the executives are planned for next week and if he needs assurances about his job, he said: “No, we already did that. Sunday, I go on holiday. I think I deserved it. It’s not necessary. We go for next season”.Tuchel and Pochettino give Manchester United hopeOn the other hand, everybody else knows he is as good as sacked, not only due to a terrible season, but only because finally some good candidates to replace him emerged. The Guardian claims that United’s brass decided to sack the Dutchman regardless of the result today, and that their four main candidates are Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna. There were brief contacts with all of them and the interviews will start after the FA Cup final. But Ten Hag believes he will still remain at the helm, and even believes that United was still the better team against City last season.”Last season, you can’t change it anymore but when we analyzed that match, we were better than them. I have some data and on almost every occasion we were better than them – not in terms of possession, they were far better in possession, they had more possession. But all the other facts like getting into the final third, creating chances getting shots on target, every data we were better than them. Saturday we are going to have to suffer, sacrifice out of possession because they are good at it. We have to fight and be organised defensively, and if we can do that, we have an opportunity. We know they play at very high levels. We have to get up to those levels. We want to be the best. That is our target” Ten Hag said.Pep: United is always United! This will be completely different than our league clashesOn the other side is Pep Guardiola who turned Manchester City into a trophy winning machine (17) since taking over eight years ago. He still has a year on his contract but Daily Mail reports that the owners want to sign a contract extension with the Spaniard, with a considerable wage upgrade. City will place no pressure on Guardiola and the decision will be his. It is also understood that he has discussed the situation with at least one key player over dinner recently to gather their thoughts and input. If he do signs a new deal, it would be his fourth extension since coming to the club. But he didn’t sound like that on the last day of the league, when City once again were crowned as champions.FA CUPFinalSaturday17:00: (8.00) Man.Utd. (5.30) Man.City (1.35)***odds are subject to change***
