There were already too many echoes of 1999 for Manchester United’s liking. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City could emulate Sir Alex Ferguson’s immortals, the only team to do the treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League. Yet that side reached the final game of a marathon season famously depleted, with Roy Keane and Paul Scholes suspended for the date with Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.
Now United head to Wembley for the 62nd and last match of their season almost certainly without two of their first-choice front three. Anthony Martial is definitely out, Antony almost certainly. “He has a very small chance,” said Erik ten Hag, who had been more upbeat about his biggest buy’s fitness a few days earlier. Lisandro Martinez, his other signing from his former club is already sidelined: Ten Hag marked the Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle by dancing on the Wembley pitch with his Ajax allies, and the two South Americans looked more natural movers, but presumably there will be no repeat this weekend.
Ten Hag has adopted an uncomplaining attitude. Martial has missed much of the season, Christian Eriksen, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane have had lengthy spells out of the side and Casemiro’s suspensions have disrupted his campaign. “I have had questions so many times about the absence of players,” sighed Ten Hag. “It is about the players who are available and many times we were successful. We have a good squad and from the good squad we make a good team.”
His task has nevertheless got harder. He is short of forwards, a theme that sets the scene for the summer transfer market where a striker is the top priority. Thus far, he has tended to deem Alejandro Garnacho at his best as an impact substitute. The harsher verdict may be that Wout Weghorst has had little impact as starter or substitute. It seems likely this will be the loanee’s valedictory appearance for United, though Ten Hag insisted: “You can’t say that at the moment. I am not at the moment into transfer politics.”
He is more into tactical strategies. Injuries give him a still greater reason to borrow from the blueprint he used when beating City at Old Trafford in January, only this time with Marcus Rashford leading the line and Sancho starting on the left. But Bruno Fernandes began as a quasi right winger that day and United’s shortage of compelling attacking options is only one reason to give him the same duties.
The Portuguese can, in effect, be United’s fourth central midfielder. City invariably try to play with four, in various roles. Arguably, they have five now, with Bernardo Silva able to tuck in from the right wing and John Stones’ reinvention as Rodri’s sidekick. When United were demolished 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium, they were ripped apart in midfield. Ten Hag’s attempt to man-mark backfired. City dragged their central trio out of position, leaving a gaping hole in the centre of the pitch; Eriksen was particularly miscast as Kevin de Bruyne’s sentry.
Come January’s rematch and Ten Hag had made two significant changes. Firstly, Casemiro had taken over from Scott McTominay as the defensive midfielder. But secondly, Fred had come into the side and replaced Eriksen as De Bruyne’s designated policeman, instead putting the Dane against Rodri. And, even though De Bruyne set up Jack Grealish’s opener, Fred was outstanding. The gameplan worked. Ten Hag could revive it this weekend.
Fred has fallen from favour since then, starting only two of United’s last 16 games, seeming to slip behind both Marcel Sabitzer and McTominay in the queue for midfield berths. Yet he made an influential return to the side against Fulham last Sunday. Mercurial and inconsistent as he can be, Fred has tended to reserve his best for some of United’s bigger games. “Fred will tear you apart,” rang around Old Trafford in an October tour de force against Tottenham. When United eliminated Barcelona from the Europa League, it owed much to Fred, to his assist in the Nou Camp, to his equaliser in Manchester.
His energy and enthusiasm can equip him to harry better players. City’s technicians may be hassled by a man who, strange as it feels now, could have been a teammate: as part of Guardiola’s lengthy search for Fernandinho’s long-term successor, he considered Fred after missing out on Jorginho. City ultimately decided not to bid for the Brazilian, United did and Rodri has seemed a more appropriate choice for Guardiola than Fred would have been.
He has had a curiosity of a United career but, given the importance of De Bruyne, given City’s status as overwhelming favourites to win the Champions League final, there is the possibility the obstacle on their path to the treble is Fred. Rewind to 1999 and absences meant United’s makeshift central midfielder was David Beckham. Now, as they seek to ensure that team remains unique, they may need Fred to tear City apart. Or, at the least, to tear around after City players.
