Former Manchester United full-back Paul Parker has previewed the side’s FA Cup final tie against Manchester City on Saturday.
Parker, who is set to unveil Prostate Cancer UK’s new advertisement during match coverage, is extremely pessimistic that the Red Devils will be able to get the job done at Wembley.
United are, of course, the major underdogs heading into the fixture. Not only are City the current holders of the trophy, but they’re fresh off the back of winning a fourth successive Premier League title, becoming the first team in English history to do so.
Now that their celebrations are over, the Blues’ attention will have switched solely to tomorrow’s clash, in which they could seal a double against their most fierce rivals.
Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag is thought to be on borrowed time in the dugout at Old Trafford. He’ll know that defeat this weekend could see his tenure cut short prematurely by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co., with reports suggesting they’re already scouring the manager market for potential successors.
Parker’s pre-match verdict
“When we talking about being an underdog, it is not a team from a league below – we are talking about the biggest club in the world against its own neighbour, which is trying to embed itself as the best club in the world,” Parker began, as cited by Yahoo Sport courtesy of PA Media.
“No one can put their hand on their heart and say ‘I expect Manchester United to win’, it is absolutely impossible. You have got to really explain the reasons why you believe it. Just on form, everything about it, it is impossible to see Manchester United winning it.
“The only thing which does come into it is in the last three or four league games, City were not the same side who had the similar run-in last season – they have not got that kind of spark. You saw that in the first half against Spurs and even against West Ham when they pulled a goal back.
“There was a reaction in the second half of both of those games and the manager, Pep [Guardiola], he was absolutely fuming – you could see him giving out a hair dryer [team talk] at half-time.”
