"I would hope that” - Gary Neville tells Manchester United stars how they can ‘shock the world’ in coming weeks

Pundit Gary Neville suggested that a victory for Manchester United over rivals Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup could shock the world. The former Red Devils defender outlined the game as an opportunity for the team to bounce back after a difficult season.

Neville was speaking at the premiere of an upcoming Amazon Prime documentary titled 99, which portrays the side's treble-winning exploits. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said:

"At the moment it’s really difficult. It mustn’t be easy for them having this history rammed down their throats and, to be fair, quite a few of us are on television and we’re talking about the team regularly so I can understand why that would be uncomfortable.

"I would hope that say, for instance, in three weeks when Manchester United play the FA Cup final against City, they see that as an opportunity to shock this country and probably the world by beating City in a final. It was an FA Cup that Sir Alex Ferguson won in 1990 that started off this successful period that we were part of. Why can’t this FA Cup against Manchester City?"

It has been a difficult second campaign at Old Trafford for manager Erik ten Hag. In his first season, he led the side to a third-placed finish in the league besides winning the Carabao Cup.

The 2023-24 campaign, however, has been dismal. They are far off the race for the top four and had a disappointing Champions League campaign as well. They are seventh in the league and will look to secure Europa League qualification with a win in the FA Cup final over Manchester City.

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Manchester United interested in out-of-contract Premier League star

The defender is set to leave Fulham in the summer.

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo has attracted interest from Manchester United. According to ESPN, the Red Devils are looking to sign the central defender who is set to become a free agent in the summer.

The report suggests that other Premier League sides including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are also interested in the player. He has made 20 appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals.

Center-back could be a key position to address in the summer for Manchester United. With Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof, and Raphael Varane all set to be out of contract, they could do well to capture the 26-year-old who could be a solid option for the side.