Manchester United’s aim for the season: Stop Man City

After Manchester United had laboured and battled to an FA Cup semi-final shoot-out victory over Brighton, Erik ten Hag was asked about the possibility of having to stop Manchester City doing the treble. The Dutch coach had initially talked about wanting to win every game and only focusing on themselves but, when inevitably pressed on the importance of United being the only club to win the treble, he insisted his team were determined to protect their proud record.

Especially when City are the opposition. “We’ll give everything and, when I say everything, it’s everything… the fans can rely on that,’’ he declared.

“We want to give that against City. We want to go and give the fans that.” These are stirring words that any manager would say, but they aren’t empty words.

The performance against Brighton illustrated that, even if it wasn’t the most illustrious football. You only have to consider the circumstances. Despite the obvious resource gaps between the clubs, United had their own disadvantages here, and this could’ve been one of the most dismal weeks in the club’s recent history.

Ten Hag went into this game with three centre-backs missing, a left-back short of fitness at centre-back, two strikers short of fitness and the recently injured Christian Eriksen playing his third game in a week.

The manager admitted that may’ve contributed to the Europa League elimination to Sevilla. That’s saying something given it’s also involved a 7-0 defeat to Liverpool, but it could well have preceded a brutally brief period where they also went out of the FA Cup, fell out of the top four and on Friday could yet see the Glazer owners confirm they are staying at the club.

It may yet happen but the cascade of on-pitch catastrophes hasn’t. United are in their 21st FA Cup final, and surely have a new emotional momentum ahead of a crunch game with Tottenham Hotspur, who are falling apart. That is from a real resilience that Ten Hag has instilled in this team.