Gary Neville has given his admitted his "disappointment" with Manchester United’s defeat in the FA Cup final.
Erik ten Hag’s side were hit with an early hammer blow as Ilkay Gundogan put Man City ahead after just 12 seconds. It was the worst possible start for United, who were targeting a domestic cup double to add to their top four finish this season.
In the first-ever FA Cup final between the two sides, City were dominant in the early stages but United were given a route back into the game before the half-time break. After reviewing a potential handball from Jack Grealish, referee Paul Tierney awarded a penalty and gave United skipper Bruno Fernandes the opportunity to score from the spot in trademark style.
Momentum looked to be swinging back in United’s favour but it took City just five minutes to restore their lead in the second half. A Kevin De Bruyne free-kick found Gundogan on the edge of the box, with his volley finding the back of the net, despite David De Gea getting a glove to the shot.
Gary Neville was critical of the defence for the winning goal and signed off for the season after sharing his feelings on the team’s failure to get the better of their local rivals. Winning the FA Cup leaves City one game away - the upcoming Champions League final against Inter Milan - from emulating United and Neville’s 1999 treble-winning teammates.
“Ah well a big disappointment,” Neville wrote on Twitter. “A poor second goal to concede. Time for a mini-retirement. See you in August.”
The Sky Sports pundit recently went viral for essentially describing a holiday as a “mini-retirement” but he will be hoping that the club can use the summer to build on Ten Hag’s early success as United boss.
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