Topics: Manchester United, FA Cup, Erik Ten Hag, Casemiro, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, Brazil
A Manchester United player told Erik ten Hag he didn’t want to play in the FA Cup final.
Saturday saw United end a dismal season on a high, by winning the FA Cup over bitter rivals Manchester City.
Alejandro Garnacho pounced on a mix-up between Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega to score United’s opener, while Kobbie Mainoo finished off an excellent move to double the advantage.
While City netted a late consolation goal through Jeremy Doku, United held on to claim silverware in successive seasons for the first time in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
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Since the victory, however, it has emerged that Casemiro told Erik ten Hag he did not want to play in the final after suffering a minor injury problem.
According to the BBC, while Casemiro’s name appeared on the official team sheet, the Brazilian told Ten Hag he felt a tight hamstring and didn’t want to play any part in the encounter.
The ex-Real Madrid star was pictured with the trophy after the game, while he was among the signatories of a letter to supporters on Sunday evening promising improved performances next season.
Casemiro then made a fleeting appearance at United’s post-season party before jetting off on holiday with his family. The 32-year-old’s poor form this term has seen him left out of Brazil’s Copa America squad this summer.
Elsewhere, despite the victory, Ten Hag’s position as United boss remains precarious, after a season where they recorded their lowest league position in the Premier League era and were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.
By all accounts, the Dutchman is set to learn his fate this week upon the completion of the club hierarchy’s review of the campaign.
When asked about his future after the game, Ten Hag said: "I don't know. All I can do is prepare my team, develop my team, progress my team. This is a project. When I came in it was a mess, now we are better. But we are by far where we want to be.
"Football is about winning trophies. I want to play the best football. I want to play dynamic football. But you have to win games and trophies. That's the mentality we've brought in. We only had one opportunity, the FA Cup and we did it. I'm so proud of the players and staff."
