Manchester United have the chance to put a positive spin on an underwhelming season by winning the FA Cup against Crystal Palace. But will it be enough to spare those with uncertain futures?
Wayne Rooney
It’ll take more than an FA Cup win for Rooney to silence his legion of doubters. But if he has ambitions of clinging on to the captain’s armband, he simply has to lead a victorious United up the Wembley steps on Saturday. Anything else, and he’ll go down as the first silverware-less permanent United skipper since Ray Wilkins briefly flirted with armband duty in 1982.
His explosiveness has vanished; the aura has waned. If Louis van Gaal departs as expected, Rooney’s future is hugely uncertain. He has to prove his use – both in the FA Cup final and with England. He might not keep the captaincy, but he could prolong his stay and finally break Sir Bobby Charlton’s long-standing goal record.
Juan Mata
If the ‘Special One’ saunters into the Old Trafford dugout, Mata may as well start shipping off CVs to Spain. He fled Chelsea and Jose Mourinho for United in January 2014. The following two-and-a-half years have been mediocre at best. How many memorable moments has he had in a United shirt?
At 28, he should be enjoying his peak years. Instead, he’s out of the Spain squad and hardly indispensable in Manchester. While a starring role at Wembley might help salvage his United career – potentially halting Mourinho’s arrival – he might be better off under a manager who is prepared to take the shackles off. A return to his homeland beckons.
Michael Carrick
Carrick was accompanied by his kids as he led United on to the pitch for the rearranged season-ender with Bournemouth, an indicator his time in Manchester is up. United have become stale. Carrick is not to blame, but offering a new deal to him – he’ll be 35 in July – is hardly going to bring out the bunting in Stretford. Still, there’s no better place to demonstrate your value than on the Wembley turf…
Marouane Fellaini
Fellaini’s spell at Old Trafford is more notable for misplaced elbows than any football success. Arguably United’s biggest scapegoat this season – a fair achievement in an era of misguided defenders and Rooney’s decline – the FA Cup final may represent his last chance to save his reputation at United.And he’s set to start. Crystal Palace have starred from set-pieces this season, meaning Fellaini’s aerial ability will prove useful in both boxes. In all likelihood though, the fans won’t accept the Belgian back into their hearts.
Every defender aside from Chris Smalling
Well, not quite. But Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian all face an uncertain future. Mourinho, if he is indeed appointed, is renowned for building sides with a solid base. This trio do not fit the brief. Jones hops between injury lay-offs at will, the poster boy for awkward memes; Rojo has looked flaky since his arrival; Darmian has petered out following an impressive start.
Sure, United had the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League – but there’s no escaping this was a feat almost exclusively down to David De Gea. Their only hope: win the FA Cup, convince the board to prolong Van Gaal’s stay of execution, limp into the 2017-18 campaign...