Jamie Carragher and Alan Shearer both made the same prediction after Manchester United avoided a massive FA Cup upset at the hands of Coventry City on Sunday.
Erik ten Hag’s men punched their ticket to the FA Cup final for the second consecutive season after snatching a hard-fought win over Coventry City.
However, Manchester United made a complete meal of their FA Cup semi-final tie and came close to crashing out of the competition after blowing a 3-0 lead.
Erik ten Hag’s side were in cruise control early in the second half after Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes scored for United.
However, United suffered a complete collapse late into the second half and a resilient Coventry side pushed the Red Devils on the back foot.
Haji Wright’s injury-time penalty ensured the FA Cup semi-final tie went to extra time, with United holding off Mark Robins’ men to push the match into penalties.
United walked away as the eventual winners of the contest after beating Coventry on penalties, with Casemiro being the only Red Devils player to miss from the spot.
Andre Onana also stepped up for United on the big occasion and denied Callum O’Hare before Ben Sheaf fired his effort well off target for Coventry.
Carragher makes Man Utd prediction
Manchester United are now in for a repeat of the FA Cup final from last season, with the Red Devils set to take on Manchester City at Wembley next month.
Manchester City, who defeated United 2-1 in the final in 2023, punched their ticket to Wembley after they beat Chelsea 1-0 in their FA Cup semi-final tie.
Erik ten Hag is hopeful of signing off United’s turbulent season with major silverware, having fallen short of the FA Cup trophy previously.
The United manager’s future at Old Trafford is shrouded in mystery after a lacklustre campaign and the arrival of Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the Premier League club.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher believes the writing is on the wall for Ten Hag and the Dutchman’s days at the Red Devils are numbered.
“We were all watching there in the end and [Coventry boss] Mark Robins famously kept a Man Utd manager in a job and I think that result today cost a Man Utd manager his job,” he said.
“I don’t see how he stays. I don’t. I would imagine that dressing room is the most embarrassed dressing room you could remember if a team who won a big game.”
Shearer dropped his Man Utd prediction
Alan Shearer admitted that Ten Hag could meet the same fate as former United manager Louis van Gaal even if he wins the FA Cup this season.
Louis van Gaal was dismissed from Old Trafford in 2016 after two seasons in charge, despite leading United to their last FA Cup trophy.
Shearer has predicted that Ten Hag will be axed from Old Trafford – much like Van Gaal – and believes a decision has “already” been made over the United boss.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, he said: “I think the future of the Manchester United manager is already determined.
“Even if they win the FA Cup, I think he’s gone.
“I don’t think it matters if they win the cup, for his future. That might be sad, that might be wrong, but I just get the feeling that even winning the FA Cup is not going to be enough for him.
“When you look at the players and where they are in the league compared to where they want to be, I think he’s already gone.
“I don’t know it for a fact; it’s just a guess, a hunch, but I just get the feeling that the decision is already made.
“We know how football works, they’ve got new owners, [a] new director of football, it just tells you that a new manager is incoming.”