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Manchester United are obsessed with stopping Man City - their history depends on it
Manchester United are obsessed with stopping Man City - their history depends on it
Even before this week’s last preparations for the FA Cup final, Erik ten Hag long realised he had to do something different. Managers like the Dutch coach and Pep Guardiola usually avoid referencing media narratives, in order to ensure the players stay focused on “the process”. Ten Hag knew that was impossible in this case, so it’s better to use it as motivation. It might even be all the more necessary given his Manchester United side had been flagging. Going right back to the semi-final victory over Brighton, though, Ten Hag knew it was pointless to talk down the idea of stopping City doing a treble. He was well aware it means everything to the fans, so he is insistent his team will play with “everything”. That is a message that has repeatedly been rammed home in the last week. United go into this with the sort of emotional intensity that many recall from Jose Mourinho’s better moments, but that can still go one of two ways. City themselves would know that too well, from their own experiences of such fixtures before the 2008 takeover. It shows how the course of history has gone a different way than many would ever have anticipated - not least Sir Alex Ferguson - as those 142 years of rivalry see a first ever Manchester derby in an FA Cup final. For most of the living memory of that, United were so superior to City they didn’t have to even concern themselves with their neighbours. They were just fun to further beat down, especially en route to grander feats. The path to their domestic double, in 1995-96, involved a typical comeback win over City. Far more meaningful history weighs over this match. It could never have just been about United seeking to do a first domestic cup double - and just the fifth on record - or even the prize of lifting the oldest trophy in the sport, and one long associated with the club’s key moments. Nor is it about what victory mean for the future of Ten Hag’s side. It is all about preserving the greatest success in United’s history, and the feat that has most defined the post-Busby era of the club. “The treble” is one of a few precious factors that make United unique, all the more so for how it was delivered with a group of homegrown players that echoed the Busby Babes. For City to equal it, and especially by beating United in the final that matters the least to them, would be more symbolic than either "the 6-1" or the FA Cup semi-final of 2011. This is where we are now, though, and how history has turned just as the two clubs play out this epochal match. It is now City that are more concerned with greater aims, and United that have become obsessed with just stopping their rivals. It is also why another FA Cup final has been repeatedly mentioned this week, fittingly from a similar period when United were between eras of glory. That was the 1977 showpiece, as Tommy Docherty’s burgeoning side faced an identical situation against Liverpool. Bob Paisley’s side had already claimed the league and were preparing for a European Cup final against Borussia Monchengladbach. They won that 3-1 but wouldn’t win the FA Cup, as Jimmy Greenhoff scored to give that United side a 2-1 win and the eternal legacy as “treble busters”. This has the same stakes. It is also why United are very much the story to this game, especially after so much focus on City’s brilliance, if also the Premier League charges that cloud their future. The situation over the next few days is much clearer. While City would derive great satisfaction in beating their neighbours to win a double and set up the treble, defeat would be forgotten if they won the Champions League the following week. That is what everything is building up to. That is the one they want above anything else. This will not define their season, even if it will decide the treble. The very preparation for Wembley has been with Istanbul in mind, the staff looking at minutes played and fitness in the way they wouldn’t have to if the FA Cup final was the last game. For United, this is the be-all and end-all of the campaign, and a potential landmark moment. The current squad are keenly aware of this. Even allowing for the economics of the modern game, most of these players are at United because of the prestige of the club. They want to preserve what makes it special. Casemiro is understood to have internalised it. Marcus Rashford has been talking about it. Ten Hag has similarly pressed all of this home. Perhaps the biggest question about the game is whether such emotional intensity will influence the tactical approach. Does Ten Hag go with it, or use it in a more restrained way. This is again why United are more the story, or at least where more of the intrigue lies. Just as we know what City prioritise, we also know how they’ll set up - at least in terms of imposing their game on United. Ten Hag would ideally play something much closer to what City do, but knows his team are still some way off that. He also knows they've been some way off the accelerated level of January-February when they beat Guardiola’s side. This is why the stakes of the treble involve useful motivation. It might also mean Ten Hag has to go with something much more tactical. The absence of Lisandro Martinez is key, too. He would have been seen as important to drawing Erling Haaland into a scrappier battle. All of this is another reason why this marquee match may not be that pretty. The Metropolitan Police have similarly taken necessary precautions given the train strike and the precedent set by some of the fan issues that surrounded the 2011 FA Cup semi-final. There are undeniably heightened emotions around this game. There are also heightened stakes. This is a rare case where one of the teams wants their players to be even more aware of those. Read More How Raphael Varane transformed Manchester United: ‘You need the character to fight’ Ruben Dias interview: ‘Man City have done nothing yet - thinking too far ahead will kill us’ What time is the FA Cup final? How Yaya Toure changed everything for Man City – and delivered Man Utd a ‘slap in the face’
1970-01-01 08:00
New York to Open Tiananmen Museum After Hong Kong’s Shuttered
New York to Open Tiananmen Museum After Hong Kong’s Shuttered
A museum commemorating the Communist Party’s deadly crackdown on students in Tiananmen Square will open on Friday in
1970-01-01 08:00
Debt ceiling news - live: Senate passes debt limit deal bill sending it to White House for Biden signature
Debt ceiling news - live: Senate passes debt limit deal bill sending it to White House for Biden signature
The Senate has passed a bipartisan agreement forged by US president Joe Biden and House speaker Kevin McCarthy to raise the $31.4 trillion US debt ceiling after the deal survived a Republican rebellion in the House of Representatives. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will also implement new federal spending cuts, cleared the lower chamber with 314 votes in favour and 117 against on Wednesday night. The narrowness of its passage through the House was made possible through the support of Democrats, who stepped in to thwart a Republican rebellion that badly undermined Speaker McCarthy’s claims to control over his increasingly divided party. On Thursday, the Senate rejected 11 proposed amendments before passing the bill 63 for to 36 against. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer will now send the bill to President Biden’s desk for his signature. Full congressional approval was required before Monday 5 June, when the Treasury Department was expected to run out of funds to pay its debts for the first time in American history. Read More Underestimated McCarthy emerges from debt deal empowered as speaker, still threatened by far right Lauren Boebert didn’t turn up to vote on debt ceiling deal she furiously campaigned against What’s next for Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling deal as Senate races to beat default deadline?
1970-01-01 08:00
Eamonn Holmes’ photo with Dan Wootton pre-GB News interview has become an instant meme
Eamonn Holmes’ photo with Dan Wootton pre-GB News interview has become an instant meme
Both of them had stints at ITV - Dan Wootton used to be a showbiz reporter on Lorraine, while Eamonn Holmes presented This Morning alongside wife Ruth Langsford – and now, amid the ongoing controversy over broadcaster Phillip Schofield, Holmes has given an interview to Wootton on their new TV home, GB News. The chat comes after Schofield – another former This Morning host – resigned from ITV and admitted being “unfaithful” to his wife after having an “unwise, but not illegal” relationship with a younger male colleague. In a two-part interview with Wootton, Holmes (who ditched ITV for GB News in 2021) claimed the younger male colleague would be “delivered from Phillip’s London home” to ITV’s studios in a car, after having stayed at his London home “in cars paid for by ITV”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “Those in authority had to know what was going on and they thought they would dodge a bullet with this,” said Holmes, adding that the affair was “known by virtually every staff member both on and off screen”. While Holmes’ revelations to Wootton set social media buzzing, so too did an unusual snap of the pair from the interview, which was widely mocked on Twitter: As the scandal surrounding This Morning continued online and in the press, the first edition of the programme following Schofield’s departure – on 22 May – saw the Dancing on Ice and The Cube presenter gave an on-air tribute lasting just 30 seconds. Alison Hammond told viewers: “We can’t start today’s show without paying tribute to the man who spent the last two decades sitting on the This Morning sofa: Phillip Schofield. Co-presenter Dermot O’Leary continued: “So, the show – everyone on and off-screen at ITV and This Morning – want to say a huge thank you to Phil for what he’s done to make the show such a success over the last 21 years." Hammond added: “Quite simply, we all know he’s one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had, and we and all the team wish him all the best for the future.” Meanwhile Holly Willoughby, who appeared alongside Schofield on This Morning for more than a decade, first thanked her colleague for “all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour”, adding “the sofa won’t feel the same without him”. After Schofield admitted to the affair with a younger man, Willoughby issued a follow-up statement and said: “It’s taken time to process yesterday’s news. When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. “It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.” Willoughby is understood to be returning to This Morning from next Monday after a half-term break. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00
'And Just Like That' Season 2 Trailer Review: Carrie Bradshaw wants to take second chance on old flame Aidan Shaw
'And Just Like That' Season 2 Trailer Review: Carrie Bradshaw wants to take second chance on old flame Aidan Shaw
While the trailer doesn’t hint about Kim Cattrall’s comeback, it does give us a peek at other surprising turns that lie ahead in Season 2 of the iconic series
1970-01-01 08:00
Ukraine says it downed 36 Russian missiles and drones
Ukraine says it downed 36 Russian missiles and drones
By Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian forces in Kyiv said on Friday they shot down 36 Russian missiles and drones
1970-01-01 08:00
De Bruyne v Casemiro and Haaland v Varane – The key FA Cup final battles
De Bruyne v Casemiro and Haaland v Varane – The key FA Cup final battles
Manchester City take on arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Here, the PA news agency looks at some key battles ahead of the Wembley encounter. Pep Guardiola v Erik ten Hag City manager Guardiola has again underlined his status as the best coach of his generation by guiding his side to a fifth Premier League title in six years and bringing them within two wins of a glorious treble. Ten Hag, who worked alongside the Catalan at Bayern Munich for a spell, cannot match Guardiola’s success but his record at Ajax was impressive and his first season with United has been encouraging, with one trophy and Champions League qualification secured. They have both beaten each other once this season. Ruben Dias v Marcus Rashford Portugal defender Dias has been back to his best for City during the run-in. After a spell out around the turn of the year, he has recovered form and fitness to provide a rock-solid barrier at the heart of the defence. He will come up against United’s player of the year Rashford, who has bagged 30 goals in all competitions. The forward’s scoring rate may have slowed after a prolific spell in the winter, but after overcoming a recent illness, he will be United’s main threat. Rodri v Bruno Fernandes Rodri has enjoyed his best season for City and is now widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. The Spaniard not only provides a defensive shield, but is a driving force who regularly initiates and supports attacks. Fernandes is an important cog in the United midfield. He finds space well, makes dangerous runs and passes incisively. He is both a creator and goalscorer, and has shown of late he can be as effective on the right as centrally. Kevin De Bruyne v Casemiro It is remarkable that De Bruyne was criticised by Guardiola just a few months ago. The Belgian playmaker had been performing well enough but the City boss clearly felt he had another level. So it has proved, with the 31-year-old outstanding in City’s charge to the title and two finals. His partnership with Haaland has been especially potent and Casemiro will aim to keep a close watch. The experienced Brazilian has made a big impact at Old Trafford this season, providing a steeliness and maturity they previously lacked. Erling Haaland v Raphael Varane Haaland’s first season at City has been absolutely sensational with 52 goals scored in all competitions and nine assists for good measure. His size, pace and strength make him difficult to contain and, after scoring so many goals this term, he will now want to add some signature trophy-winning ones. Varane will provide a good challenge. The Frenchman reads the game well, is strong on the ball and is quick himself. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
1970-01-01 08:00
Brooke Shields says she ‘fought’ against her daughter becoming a model
Brooke Shields says she ‘fought’ against her daughter becoming a model
Brooke Shields has explained why she was initially against her teenage daughter Grier Hammond Henchy joining the “brutal” modelling industry. The 58-year-old, who was a child model and actor, said she “fought it for so long” but has since realised the “rules have changed” since her time as a model. Shields was recently the focus of a two-part Hulu documentary Brooke Shields: Pretty Baby, in which she described being sexualised at a very young age. At the age of 10, her mother Teri Shields consented to her daughter being photographed nude for Playboy, and at 12, Sheilds appeared in the 1978 film Pretty Baby as a child sex worker. After eventually giving her daughter the green light to begin her own modelling career, Shields said she has laid down some ground rules. In an interview on US chat show Live with Kelly and Mark on Thursday (1 May), she said: “It’s such a different industry now than it was… I finally had to give in and say, ‘If you’re going to do this, I’m not going to be your manager. You’re going to be with an agency. You’re going to have a great work ethic. It’s not going to be comfortable and you’re going to listen to me’.” Grier is keen to begin modelling on the runway, a category that Shields never broke into but which she understood to be “brutal”. “That’s brutal and backstage is just brutal,” she told hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, adding she did not think she could have “handled it”. When Shields began working, her mother Teri was her manager and they were “glued at the hip”, she said. “[It was] probably how I could survive because you couldn’t get to me. She was such a mama bear and so protective. On the one hand I was very naïve and on the other, I was just thrown into this crazy world.” In an interview with The Times published earlier this year ahead of her documentary, Shields reflected on her mother’s choices for her. She said it was difficult to have a conversation with her daughters, Rowan, 19, and Grier, about why their grandmother allowed her to do projects that left her vulnerable to sexualisation. “I mean, I could say: ‘Oh, it was the time back then’ or ‘Oh, it was art’. But I don’t know why she thought it was alright. I don’t know,” she admitted. However, Shelds said she wasn’t angry with her mother, who died on 31 October 2012 at 72. “Everyone wanted me to be angry with her, but anger was just too sad for me to take when I looked at how insecure she was,” she told the publication. “It’s so innate when you’re an only child of a single mother. All you want to do is love your parent and keep them alive forever, and so I wanted to protect her. And by virtue of protecting her, I was justifying everything and that solidified that bond between us.” Shields shares her daughters with husband and film director Chris Henchy, whom she married in 2001. Read More Beanie Feldstein marries girlfriend Bonnie-Chance Roberts Pregnant transgender man Logan Brown stars on cover of Glamour UK’s Pride issue Everything we know about Jordan’s royal wedding attended by Prince William and Kate Big Issue teams up with fashion designers to launch range of T-shirts How to do gel nails at home like a pro Vogue editor Anna Wintour announces Vogue World 2023 is coming to London
1970-01-01 08:00
Andrew Tate: Marvin Vettori hails 'toxic' influencer after fiery BBC interview, calls him 'genius'
Andrew Tate: Marvin Vettori hails 'toxic' influencer after fiery BBC interview, calls him 'genius'
Andrew Tate gave an interview to BBC News and many had their own opinions and shared them
1970-01-01 08:00
From MrBeast to Charli D'Amelio, 5 social media influencers who have had serious health scares
From MrBeast to Charli D'Amelio, 5 social media influencers who have had serious health scares
MrBeast said, 'I’m probably one of the least energetic people you’ll ever meet. I get tired very easily. I take a lot of naps and stuff like that'
1970-01-01 08:00
Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison's relationship made Hollywood history with $85M divorce
Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison's relationship made Hollywood history with $85M divorce
Harrison Ford and his second wife Melissa Mathison had been together for over two decades, before getting divorced in 2004
1970-01-01 08:00
Football transfer rumours: Rice to reject Bayern; Modric to leave Real Madrid
Football transfer rumours: Rice to reject Bayern; Modric to leave Real Madrid
Friday's transfer roundup includes news on the race for Declan Rice, the Real Madrid stars who could be heading to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi's future and more.
1970-01-01 08:00
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