Pep Guardiola hailed Erik ten Hag as an "extraordinary" manager, but that didn't stop Sir Jim Ratcliffe, showing the Dutchman the doors at Manchester United last year. Under Ten Hag's guidance, Manchester United clinched a notable 2-1 victory against arch-rivals Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final, powered by strikes from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
Following the match, Guardiola couldn't help but admire United's strategy, which delivered a shocking upset over his tea. Guardiola said: "He's a lovely person and an extraordinary manager. Winning the FA Cup is important for them like last season it was for us."
However, the FA Cup win didn't mask an overall poor campaign for the Red Devils. Ten Hag's tenure saw United finish their Premier League season at an unprecedented low of eighth place in 2023/24, with a lacklustre haul of just 18 victories from 38 games, in addition to an early League Cup exit at Newcastle's hands in round four.
In the Champions League, Ten Hag's squad disappointedly finished bottom of their group, trailing behind Bayern Munich, Copenhagen, and Galatasaray, with a solitary win in six matches. Despite uncertainty surrounding Ten Hag's position during last year's summer break, minority shareholder Ratcliffe and the United board chose to back the manager, avoiding a repeat of Louis van Gaal's abrupt dismissal shortly after his own FA Cup win in 2016.
Ten Hag was granted a contract extension until July 2026, along with a substantial transfer budget to strengthen his team for the 2024/25 season. However, despite nearly £200million spent on players like Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro, and Noussair Mazraoui, Ten Hag found it challenging to reverse the club's fortunes as the new season kicked off.
The 55-year-old could only muster three victories from the first nine matches of the season and was subsequently shown the door following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United in October. Despite receiving high praise from Guardiola, Ratcliffe evidently felt that Ten Hag wasn't the right man to restore Manchester United's glory days - and he even later confessed that retaining him after the FA Cup win was a mistake.
Ruben Amorim took over as manager the following month, with supporters in the northwest anticipating great things from the highly decorated ex-Sporting CP strategist. However, some argue that the 49-year-old Portuguese maestro has performed worse than Ten Hag did in his final season.
The club is on course for another record-low finish as the 2024/25 season draws to a close, having failed to progress beyond the fifth round of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the League Cup. Yet, Amorim could still secure the Europa League title, with the Red Devils due to face Tottenham Hotspur in the European competition's final on Wednesday.
A victory would not only significantly brighten their 2024/25 campaign but also secure them a spot in next season's Champions League. However, further backing from the board will be required, as Amorim continues to struggle to adapt his inherited squad from Ten Hag to his style of play, with United lagging behind their rivals.
Meanwhile, Guardiola is aiming to make amends for last year by securing Manchester City's eighth FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, with The Cityzens set to face Crystal Palace at Wembley. If successful, it would mark the third time Guardiola has led the team to this trophy, and it would be his 19th piece of silverware with the club, including Premier Leagues, domestic and European titles, Super Cups, and Club World Cups.
Conversely, a victory for Palace would represent the first time the London club has triumphed in the tournament. The Eagles have notably reached the final twice before, falling short against Manchester United in 1990 and 2016, respectively.