FA Cup Final: Crystal Palace vs Manchester United

Manchester United have a chance to redeem (somewhat) their season this Saturday in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.

Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye expressed his excitement of reaching the FA Cup final where they will play against Louis van Gaal’s men. He confessed he had never imagined to play in the final, and also said he was “disappointed” he never had the chance to reach the pinnacle in the competition with his former club Newcastle. “To be honest, no. At Newcastle the cup runs were very bad and now I have the opportunity to play in a big game,” said the 30-year-old midfielder.

Cabaye suggested that his current boss, Alan Pardew, is one of the main reasons why they’ve reached the FA Cup final. “The FA Cup semi-final (victory over Watford) was fantastic, the atmosphere was very good and yeah. I am disappointed I didn’t get that with Newcastle,” said the French international. “The cup has always been important (to Pardew), even at Newcastle. Maybe the group mentality is different.”

“All the players now know how important the cup is, to het a trophy. We have had a fantastic run, we have beaten four Premier League teams (to reach the final) and now we ain the final. All the player are focused and determined to win,” said Cabaye.

Pardew highlighted an FA Cup final win for the Eagles on Saturday could have a greater meaning for English football and especially for English managers in the game. “It will not just be good for me and the club to win it but good for English coaches,” highlighted the 54-year-old manager. “English coaches and managers get a bad press. As an English manager I’m coming close than anyone for a long time. It gives me an opportunity to try and win it.”

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will be looking to take out the big guns in the FA Cup final this Saturday. A win for the Red Devils at Wembley would be their first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson departed the club after clinching the Premier League title in 2013. The Dutchman previously admitted that Champions League football was among the top priorities for the club, however winning trophies is more of an indicator of success.

(Image credit: The Guardian)

“Silverware is always important, because it is an exciting moment to be close to winning a trophy. A qualification is not a title but a Cup win would be,” said the 64-year-old Dutch manager. “The players can look at the Cup and hold it – it would be an achievement – but at the moment we are only close and close is not enough. For Manchester United this would be a big title, I think, the first Cup win since 2004, but we still have to beat Crystal Palace to win it and finals can never be predicted.”

The Man United boss believes his side can beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final by neutralizing their set pieces, as they’ve been the secret weapon for the Eagles half of the times this season. “It will not be so easy to beat them, they have a lot of quality. They will defend against us and try to use their speed on the counterattack,” van Gaal stressed. “They are also dangerous from set pieces. More than 50% of their goals this season have come from set plays, and that is a lot more than us.”

Crystal Palace faces quite a challenge against on Saturday, and their odds reflect that 5.25 (17/4), per online sportsbook Betway. But considering the way Louis van Gaal’s men have played all season, the Eagles might actually have a chance. It really wouldn’t be a surprise if they managed to pull off a draw 3.60 (13/5) during the 90 minutes, only for them to win the FA Cup final in additional time, thanks to some Man United blunder.

The Red Devils are understandably the favourites 1.72 (8/11) to clinch the FA Cup final this Saturday, but we urge you to consider this match more carefully before you place a wager on Man United. They’ve had a tumultuous season all-year round, which saw them finish fifth in the Premier League, behind cross-town rivals Man City who finished fourth only due to better goal difference.

(For more info about the online sportsbook, check out Betting Herald’s Betway Sports Review.)

If Man United were to win the FA Cup final it would be their first trophy in the competition since 2004, and it would also be Louis van Gaal’s greatest achievement since he took over the club two years ago. Should he fail to win the Cup title on Saturday, the club’s hierarchy will surely have to consider his departure from Old Trafford, to make way for a special Portuguese…