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In this season, Manchester United have shown a lack of consistency and this has derailed their campaign in both Premier League and Champions League. The only chance to finish their season on a high note is by winning the FA Cup.
Manchester United are the second most successful side in the history of FA Cup. If they want to win their 13th FA Cup, they have to first win their semifinals against Tottenham Hotspur and will likely face Chelsea in the finals.
In the last two games, they have shown two sides of their playing style. Against West Bromwich, they abjectly surrendered without putting up a fight which gifted the Premier League title to Manchester City. Their away game against Bournemouth was much better as they made fewer mistakes and were lucid in their overall play.
Here are the five changes that they need to make to come out victorious against Tottenham at Wembley:
#5 Guarding against set pieces
On numerous occasions this season, the Red Devils have faltered while clearing set pieces. In their match against Manchester City, Kompany scored from a corner as he was left free by Chris Smalling in the box, while Matic was clearly at fault while playing West Bromwich. He failed to clear the ball and Jay Rodriguez scored the winner.
Jose Mourinho has always stressed the importance of being defensively sound. In his post-match conference, after the West Bromwich game, he had the following things to say:
"I think we were deservedly punished. We were masters in complication, everything was complicated. We didn't want [to play] or couldn't play simple, everything was slow, one more flick, trick, turn."
It is important for United to learn from their mistakes and be alert while defending set-pieces. If Manchester United aspire to win against Spurs, they need to be alert and not make any errors while defending corners or free-kicks.
#4 Play Scott McTominay
Central midfielders are always a vital cog in any team. Their role is to find spaces while attacking or close gaps while defending. United have a history of having good holding midfielders.
McTominay has all the qualities to play in this position and build a legacy of his own. He has broken into the first-team this term and has made 20 appearances for the Red Devils this season. Notably, he has started games against big teams this season.
The 20-year-old with Scottish roots needs to start against Spurs as his holding game lends a greater balance to the team. His ability to control the ball and not give away the ball will make United look more compact in defense.
#3 Man-mark Hary Kane
Former Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, said the following things in an interview after Spurs win against United in January: “He reminded of a cross between Alan [Shearer] and Didier [Drogba] against United. Honestly, it was a brilliant performance from a centre-forward. I’d go as far to say that I think he’s the best centre-forward in Europe."
Tottenham Hotspur is heavily reliant on Hary Kane and is sometimes referred to as the 'Harry Kane Team'. He has had a phenomenal year and has scored 26 goals this season.
Harry Kane was one of the best performers during United's recent loss to Spurs at Wembley and was a constant threat to the Red Devils' defence. Jose Mourinho is known to man-mark important players during crucial games.
Last year, Herrera man-marked Hazard and was one of the reasons why United managed to win against Chelsea. They have to use similar tactics against The Lilywhites in order to be successful.
#2 Play with intent
The lack of intent from the players is hurting United's chances badly. Against West Bromwich, United looked lost on the pitch, and the performance reminded fans of the game against Sevilla, where they did not create too many chances which resulted in their exit in the Champions League.
The midfield has been a problematic area for the Red Devils with only Nemanjic Matic performing consistently. They had 70% possession but still could not penetrate The Baggies' defence.
For them to win against Spurs, Mourinho's men need to play like they did against Manchester City. Though they were down by two goals in the first half, they kept trying and eventually came out on top.
With a big match against Spurs, it is necessary for the players to step up, show aggression and play with intent.
#1 Press forward and attack
The frontline of United needs to attack relentlessly and be clinical in their finishing. Romelu Lukaku's poor performance against Baggies hurt United's chances; Paul Pogba was erratic throughout the game, and Alexis Sanchez had a match to forget against West Bromwich.
The introduction of Jesse Lingard at half-time added some bite to the frontline. His performance against Bournemouth was impressive, and Lingard will be crucial once again, as his pace, along with his ability to make runs will help United make inroads against Spurs.
Sanchez was rested, while Pogba showed glimpses of his talent against the 11th placed team.
Creating more chances leads to building up pressure, and when this happens, the opposition falters. They need to take a leaf out of Manchester City's book and play a similar game against Spurs.
It is the need of the hour for United to be creative up front and attack against The Lilywhites if they wish to proceed to the finals of the FA Cup.
