Manchester United are preparing for their FA Cup curtain-raiser as they welcome Everton to Old Trafford on Friday night, with Erik ten Hag set to make his debut in the competition.
The FA Cup, known as the oldest competition in football, could be one of United’s best chances of ending their six-year wait for silverware and it will be interesting to see how much Ten Hag rotates his side.
United are in fine form, winning all of their last six matches and could potentially even be in the title discussion at the end of this month if results go their way.
Everton, on the other hand, are enduring another difficult season and Frank Lampard, who joined the Merseyside club in January last year, is under increasing pressure to keep his job.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s game, Ten Hag explained in his programme notes that Everton’s patchy form makes them an unpredictable opponent, highlighting their impressive point against Manchester City last week.
“We are facing a team with a point to prove,” Ten Hag wrote, according to BBC journalist Simon Stone.
“Everton may have had a bad result on Tuesday but in their previous game, they played well and drew with Man City. We can also recall how hard we had to fight to win at Goodison Park in the Premier League.”
Victory over the Toffees would secure United’s passage into the fourth round and also ensure that Ten Hag remains in all four competitions. The Reds will then welcome Charlton to Old Trafford for the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
