The month of May has lay witness to countless coronations throughout Manchester United’s history – whether the crowning moment was to celebrate domestic or European glory, United has been there and done it down the years. Has been being perhaps the most pertinent part of that sentence, unfortunately.
The uneasy truth is that the echoes of our past success are getting harder and harder to hear. It’s been 17 months since the Old Trafford faithful have even heard the Champions League anthem, never mind the 17 years it’s been since we actually won the competition. I wasn’t out of primary school when Van der Sar saved Anelka’s penalty in Moscow; I now actively keep tabs on the Bank of England’s interest rates.
At any rate though, England’s interest will be piqued by what is surely one of the strangest finals… ever? A seat at Europe’s most exclusive table is at stake in a game between two of the country’s so-called ‘big six’ and yet in another timeline – one where the bottom three weren’t quite as useless – both clubs would be going into the last day looking to stave off relegation.
Sidenote: since when was the Europa League Final played before the end of the domestic campaign? Game’s gone.
How important is this game?
The gravity of this fixture hardly needs impressing upon anyone. As Jay and Joe pointed out in the studio, it’s the most important game we’ve had in years – probably in the entire post-Fergie era. Even though we’ve been in this fixture twice during that time, you can’t help but feel this might already be make or break for Ruben Amorim.
Although United and Spurs have had similarly underwhelming seasons and are both technically competing for the same things in this game, the reality of the matter is starkly different. I’m not a Spurs fan obviously but I imagine if they were to win this match the players would be immortalised as the group that ended their infamous trophy drought. They’ll probably build Son Heung-min a statue.
If they were to lose, however, the truth (and I don’t write this to be overtly sardonic) is that it’ll just be another final Spurs haven’t won; another piece of silverware they’ve failed to secure. For us, on the hand, the need to win is almost purely ontological.
We’re Manchester United.
Never mind the fact that winning would help financially, aid transfer plans and land Champions League football. You can’t haphazardly meander through the season breaking all the wrong records and occupying the bottom half of the bottom half of the table, only to stumble into a situation in which all that is left to do to salvage something from this mess is… beat the one side below us in the league that hasn’t been relegated. Tottenham Hotspur at that – a club whose very name is a punchline.
And yet, it still feels as though the least surprising result would be a Spurs win.
So, forget things like the fact that we’re due a win against Spurs since we haven’t beat them in years or that not winning after that unforgettable night against Lyon would be a tragic waste, this final is about nothing more than – without speaking too colloquially – finding some shame.
Unlike our Wednesday counterparts, winning would see the players enter into the United annals as nothing more than a footnote or two; losing, though… I daren’t ponder. Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it, eh?
Manchester united Team News
Anyway, enough of that melancholy, the news ahead of the game is actually quite positive. Previous doubts Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee all took part in United’s Tuesday morning training session and all feature in the matchday squad. Aside from the ineligible Chido Obi, the only would-be inclusions in the travelling 26 that haven’t made it are long-time absentee Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt, who is still on an individual training regime.
Predicted xi
Onana;
Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro;
Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu;
Fernandes, Garnacho;
Hojlund.
Spurs Preview
As mentioned earlier, this is about the trophy for them. Rumours also seem to suggest Ange Postecoglou will leave regardless of Wednesday night’s result, so there really will be an air of finality in this final for Spurs. The last manager who guided Tottenham to silverware (Jaunde Ramos’ League Cup in 2007/08) was rewarded with the Real Madrid job the next season, so who knows what could await the big Aussie if he were to get over the line?
As also aforementioned, this will something of a legacy game for a player like Son, who recently said he would only be a Spurs legend if he wins a trophy with them.
Ultimately, Spurs – like United – will be looking to go one better than their last European final, where they were bested by Liverpool in the 2018/19 Champions League Final. In this game of games, you’d hope our more experienced players (such as Casemiro who has won all seven of the European finals he’s had in his career) would push us past the finishing line.
But with Ange’s pre-season quote looming in the air and this season already showing itself to be the year of the underdog with Go Ahead Eagles, Newcastle, Bologna, and Crystal Palace all ending long-term trophyless periods across Europe, could Spurs commemorate their manager’s 100th game in charge by getting over that elusive final hurdle?
“I’ll correct myself – I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing’s changed. I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”
Ange Postecoglou to Sky Sports reaffirming his pre-season defiance after losing 1-0 to Arsenal in September
spurs Team News
Spurs will be without three of their most creative players in Bilbao, with Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall all expected to miss out. While Pape Matar Sarr was forced off in Tottenham’s Friday loss to Aston Villa, Postecoglou confirmed in his pre-match press conference that team news is “pretty much the same as last week,” implying the midfielder will make the final.
Form Guide
A Europa League form guide seems somewhat fatuous given its a final therefore both teams have obviously won their previous ties in the competition. So, for added context: the only other time this fixture has been played in Europe was during the 1963/64 Cup Winners’ Cup. Sir Matt Busby’s United won the last 16 tie 4-3 on aggregate.
In more recent times, though, United haven’t been as successful – we are winless in our last six games against Spurs, losing the last three. We have never lost four in a row.
Manchester United form (all competitions): WLWLL
Spurs form (all competitions): WDWLL
Prediction
How this game will go is anybody’s guess, really. Aside from our dismal pre-Amorim display, United have actually looked okay against Spurs this season – irrespective of the results. But that’s all that matters here. I don’t care if United stage a vintage late comeback, commit brazen daylight robbery after being battered all game, or smash them 5-0. Just win. Just find a way to win.
I don’t know where those three predicted United goals are coming from either given our season-long attacking woes, but there’s no point betting against the bastards. We’re somehow the only unbeaten team left in European competition this year. Let’s hope they’ve got one more in them.
Manchester United 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur