Dwight Yorke exclusive: How Man Utd can upset Man City in FA Cup final; being too harsh on Hojlund?

Manchester United finished the Premier League season on a fine note, winning their last two games with Erik ten Hag opting for a 4-2-2-2 line-up. But is that also how he should line-up against Manchester City on Saturday in the FA Cup-final? Not if you ask Premier League legend Dwight Yorke.

"Depending on who is available, which we're not sure of really, I would go with a 4-2-3-1," Yorkie opens his preview for the final before adding names to the number in an exclusive talk with Tribalfootball.

"In an ideal world I would want Aaron Wan-Bissaka for his pace at right back and then Lisandro Martinez in the centre with Varane. It's a better pairing than Martinez and Maguire, as Maguire is a slightly slower version of Varane. I would go for slightly quicker players

"At left back I would have Diogo Dalot, although he is a right back, but he's the best option. I would push Casemiro up into the middle of the park because of his experience in big games occasion. He can turn it up any day. Alongside him, I would put McTominay as he gives us legs," says Yorke, who won the FA Cup with Manchester United 25 years ago in the legendary treble season.

United can hurt City in 1v1

"Further up the pitch I will play Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, while I would put Rasmus Hjlund in at the front. With two holding midfielders, it gives those four players up top the freedom to roam," adds Yorke, who sees a potential for Man United to hurt the Premier League champions in one-on-one situations.

"Manchester City are a position-based team. They like to dominate the ball and that way their full-backs are the ones that really allows them to overload the wide areas. I think, they are very vulnerable down the sides. You want those centrebacks to be coming out into wide areas and go one-on-one with the likes of Garnacho and Rashford.

"I don't think they're super great at defending. They're good on the ball, but defensively they're only good in numbers. They're not really good one-on-one. So that would be an area that I would try to exploit. Get the ball in those areas and drag their centrebacks out wide. Centre-backs never like to come out of those comfort zones."

Hjlund in for harsh treatment

While he's added Rasmus Hjlund to the line-up, he, along with a few other pundits of late have been more or less critical of the young Dane and his performances this season. Scoring 10 goals in 25 league games in your opening season in the Premier League seems a fair output to Tribalfootball, so what did Dwight Yorke expect?

"I am not blaming the kid, let me make that very clear. He's put into a situation. He's 21 years of age, he's coming to a club that is bang average. It's not nowhere near the Man. United of old, so, all the demons are there for him to challenge. I look at the individual, what he's good at?

"Is he good on the ball? Is he a link-up player? Is he good one-on-one? Is he quick? Can he hit the ball? Is he a good finisher? It's still unknown to me. If I'm a coach, I'm looking to judge a player on what his specific strengths are. I still don't know what his strengths are. He hasn't convinced me yet.

"In the big games, he has gone missing. In the games that you expect a Man. United player to do well in, he's been doing OK. I haven't had a tremendous performance from Hjlund throughout the games I've seen," Yorke says of the player who delivered 15 goals in 31 games throughout the season. Nearly a goal every other game, which is decent, Yorke concedes.

"Maybe I am a little harsh, but when you're playing for the big boys, you're going to get judged harshly. That's just what it is. There's no rest in the park. There's no hiding place. I want him to prove me wrong. I want him to be successful at Manchester United.

"But for now, it hasn't quite worked out. The start he had was horrendous. And to be fair to him, he's done well to even get to that number of goals. In the last couple of games, he's come on and scored, which is positive sign," says Yorke who gave Hjlund a five out of 10 on his first season.

"The real test will come next season; can he then produce something that I can eat my words about? I'd be happy for that to happen and I'd be happy to go back on my five out of ten. People might think I'm a little bit harsh on him at the moment but I feel for the kid being put into that position. Coming into a team that is struggling at the age of 21 is never going to be easy, unfortunately."

- Dwight Yorke was talking to Tribalfootball on behalf of Crypto Casino