Former captain Gary Neville does not believe Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag can deploy his preferred midfield trio in Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley.
Following last season's woes, both collectively and in the engine room, United bolstered their midfield options in last summer's transfer window, bringing in Christian Eriksen on a free transfer and Casemiro from Real Madrid in a big-money deal. The duo have since excelled in their first season at Old Trafford, forming an excellent relationship with Bruno Fernandes.
The trio, both individually and as a collective force, have played a key role in United's resurrection under Ten Hag this term, not least Casemiro. He has added a world-class presence to that area of the team, offering defensive nous and an ability to dictate proceedings.
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Eriksen, too, has also played an instrumental role with his ability to orchestrate a game from deep, while Fernandes has pulled the strings at the tip of the midfield. But in a contest that is likely to see City dominate possession, Neville believes Ten Hag should axe his preferred midfield system to boost the Reds' hopes of winning the contest.
"It's hard to play well at Wembley sometimes and I might regret saying that because Manchester City will probably go out there and make two million passes," admitted Neville, speaking on The FA Cup Special Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet.
"It's not an easy stadium to get your best performance in, so I'm hoping that's the case and City are just below their level.
"I don't want Manchester United to play with Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and Christian Eriksen in midfield. The game where they beat them [City], it was Fred with Casemiro. I just don't see how City won't run a mop if it's those three in midfield."
Saturday's meeting at Wembley will mark United's third clash with City this season. The Reds, despite winning January's showdown at Old Trafford 2-1, have conceded first in both encounters this term, meaning it will be vital to stay in the game if they concede first again this time around.
"Staying in the game is everything for United," added Neville. "If they are in it with 10 or 15 minutes to go, they've got a great chance - something could happen."
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