Ten Hag ‘had to be talked out of kamikaze FA Cup final tactic by Darren Fletcher’ which helped extend Man U…

Keeping players fresh

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed he had to be talked out of playing a ’kamikaze’ tactic in the FA Cup final against Newcastle.

The Dutchman was initially considering fielding a weakened team in a bid to keep his key players fresh for the Premier League run-in.

However, United’s director of football Darren Fletcher persuaded him to field a strong side, and the decision paid off as United lifted the trophy for the first time since 2017.

Winning mentality

Ten Hag said: "I had to be talked out of it by Darren Fletcher.

"He said, ‘No, you have to go for it. You have a chance to win a trophy. You have to play your best team.’"

"I’m glad he did because we won the game and it gave us a great platform to build on for next season."

How Fletcher convinced him

Fletcher, a former United player, is said to have told Ten Hag that he needed to show his players that he had a winning mentality.

He also pointed out that United had a good chance of winning the FA Cup, and that it would be a major boost for the club.

Ten Hag eventually agreed, and United went on to beat Newcastle 2-0 in the final.