Roy Keane has emphatically stated that Manchester United should not be celebrating prematurely for merely reaching another FA Cup final. The Red Devils are set to face their city rivals, Manchester City, for the second consecutive season, aiming to avenge their previous defeat at Wembley.
Last year, United’s final appearance came on the back of a third-place finish in the Premier League. However, this season, the FA Cup run has been a rare highlight in an otherwise disappointing league campaign.
Keane, who won four FA-Cups during his time at Old Trafford, criticized the United players for their attitude last year. Where they seemed content just to have made it to the final after defeating Brighton on penalties in the semi-final.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Keane said: “The noise coming out from Manchester United last year after they lost the final was that they were almost patting themselves on the back for getting to the final. Cut that c**p out – you have to turn up and put in a performance. Don’t go down after 15 seconds – give yourself a bit of a chance. The game was over after that – City toyed with them, took their eye off for a little bit and gave them a little bit of encouragement.”
Manchester City will again be the heavy favorites, with Pep Guardiola’s team coming off a record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title.
In contrast, United’s path to the final has been fraught with difficulty. They narrowly avoided a major upset in their semi-final against Championship side Coventry. Surrendering a 3-0 lead before VAR intervention in extra-time helped them secure a win on penalties. Earlier in the competition, they also struggled to overcome Newport County.
Despite Gary Neville expressing his nervousness about the final, Keane remains hopeful that United can rise to the occasion. Reflecting on the team’s poor season, which included two losses to City where they conceded six goals, Keane emphasized the importance of belief.
He added: “You [Gary Neville] are saying that you’ll be watching the FA Cup Final behind the sofa. That’s a sad state of affairs, if you feel you can’t watch Manchester United in a cup final – there’s always that hope that they will turn up and produce some sort of performance. I look at this Manchester City game over the past few weeks – are they favorites? Of course, but you’ve still got to believe. You have to have some belief in United and that they can turn up at Wembley and produce a performance.”
Keane’s message is clear: Manchester United must show up and give their all in the FA Cup final. Shedding any complacency and truly competing against their formidable opponents.
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