Sky Sports' Paul Merson pens his latest column on how Man Utd can beat Man City in Saturday's FA Cup final, why he thinks Harry Kane won't leave Tottenham and Chelsea's "mind-blowing" decision to let Mason Mount go to a top-four rival
Saturday 3 June 2023 15:28, UK
If Manchester City play well then there’s only one winner in Saturday’s FA Cup final - it’s as simple as that.
But Manchester United have got to give City something different to think about. If they go with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho on the wings, that won't cause them any problems.
I'd play Sancho as a false nine. He's someone who can play in the middle, pick up the ball, turn and run. It also stops John Stones from coming into midfield.
If City do push Stones into there to pick up Sancho then Rashford and whoever is on the other wing can be making inside runs on the City defence - and that will cause them problems.
I'd also definitely play Rashford on the right rather than on the left up against Kyle Walker, who is City's best defender. He won't be as effective cutting inside from the right but you've got to change it up.
Guardiola always gets people thinking about Manchester City; managers must start getting City thinking about what they're going to do.
United will end up playing like Roma did in the Europa League final if they don't change it up - 11 men behind the ball, 35 yards out from their own goal. You don't want that to happen. They've got to take a chance and keep the wingers up the pitch.
After walking off the pitch against Brighton and Brentford having been absolutely battered at the start of the season, to then win a trophy, finish in the top four and be in the FA Cup final, United had an amazing season.
Those defeats seem a long, long time ago and that shows how well they've done really. If they don't win on Saturday, their season has still been a success.
This isn't the Manchester United of old, this is the new United. Chelsea and Liverpool would love to be where they are at the moment.
If Manchester United sign Harry Kane this summer then they're a shoo-in for the top four next season.
Can they win the league? I'm not sure but he scored 30 Premier League goals this season. Kane will take them to another level.
He has to leave Tottenham now otherwise he's never leaving because Man City have got Erling Haaland and United and Chelsea need to buy a centre-forward this summer. So, by the time Kane is a free transfer at the end of next season, everyone will have a striker.
But I don't see him leaving Tottenham. People say he has to win trophies, the only place he can guarantee winning them is at Manchester City. If he goes to Manchester United they could easily win nothing next season.
And what about his young family? You've got to weigh up this stuff as well. Everyone just looks at the footballer. He's a family man and Tottenham through and through. I'd be quite shocked if he did leave.
I cannot believe Chelsea are letting Mason Mount go.
We saw it last season with Antonio Rudiger, who was outstanding and one of the best defenders at the club. He asked for more money and they didn't give him it and then they buy Kalidou Koulibaly for £33m on a four-year contract which works out as more money than what they'd give Rudiger.
Now they're doing it with Mount. He's one of their own, he hasn't had a very good season but they're judging it just on one season. The year before he was Chelsea's best player. He was one of the first names on the teamsheet for England. Now they're letting him go. It's mind-blowing.
They'll bring someone in who will probably take another year to get used to the league because they will have played abroad.
You're also letting a very good footballer go to Manchester United or Liverpool, who Chelsea are fighting with to get into the top four next season. You couldn't write it.
How can you let him go to a club that could majorly haunt you? United won't believe their luck if they get him.
