"I was really mad - for me it was so unacceptable," Erik ten Hag reflected in his press conference ahead of Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final meeting with Brighton. "As a manager, I can't accept my team not giving its best."
A humiliating 3-0 defeat against 13th-place La Liga side Sevilla, which concluded less than 67 hours before they took to Wembley, set United in bad stead ahead of a knockout match of even greater magnitude. It was a chance to put things right, but circumstances meant Brighton were the bookies' favourites heading into the encounter.
The concept of United's mentality has been a nebulous one this season. On one hand, they have had a selection of games, including against Sevilla, where they have capitulated and been outplayed amid feeble performances. However, they have generally responded well to adversity game-to-game.
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It did take until a penalty shootout, but United managed to respond to their number of hardships, including the Europa League exit, being faced with a number of absentees, and a significantly inferior turnaround time from their previous match.
The reality is that it doesn't matter quite how you get the job done in a semi-final. What should matter more to United is that, once again, they have responded to a wretched defeat in an admirable manner, all things considered. And an FA Cup final is the reward this time around.
United have lost 10 times this term, but they have won the next match on nine occasions (if you include the shootout win over Brighton on Sunday). They haven't lost two matches in succession since their opening two games of the season, when defeat to Brighton was followed by the annihilation at the hands of Brentford.
The first noteworthy show of resilience came after the drubbing in West London, when United responded by beating Liverpool at Old Trafford. Defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad was followed by three successive wins and a nine-game unbeaten run. Away defeat to Aston Villa was followed by a home victory against the same side in the Carabao Cup.
More recently, an emphatic 4-1 win over Real Betis came days after the 7-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield, and an equally disappointing 2-0 domination by Newcastle United was followed by league wins against Brentford and Everton.
The point here is that, while they have struggled to prevent themselves from capitulating to differing degrees across a number of their losses this season, Ten Hag's United have displayed foundations in terms of resilience, with an ability to respond in winning fashion whenever these games do occur. The mentality has certainly shown signs of improving.
United overcoming Brighton, who have been no slouch this season and remain in with a good shot at qualifying for the Europa League through the Premier League, is the latest case study to fit this trend.
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The circumstances surrounding the game make United's win over Brighton all the more impressive. A number of absentees at present mean the same group of players are having to play large portions of matches without much scope for rotation (even if Ten Hag isn't one to favour chopping and changing his side anyway) despite little recovery time.
And while the midfield and attack were relatively unblemished, albeit with a still-returning Christian Eriksen and not completely fit Marcus Rashford, the defence was makeshift.
Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane could both miss the remainder of the season through injury, and Harry Maguire was unavailable due to suspension courtesy of an accumulation of yellow cards. So Victor Lindelof was paired with Luke Shaw at centre-back - the latter again exemplifying the squad's mentality shift under Ten Hag with willingness to play out of position.
And this was a big game for Shaw to play a more unfamiliar role, yet he showed courage and delivered a really strong display. While neither side had many huge chances amid a fairly chaotic affair, Brighton had the most of the ball and the slightly better of the opportunities too. But Shaw, along with Lindelof, repelled an attack-minded side.
Shaw was only just returning from injury himself, but he dug deep to complete the 120 minutes There was the odd occasion where full-back habits showed, with the odd surge into forward areas. However, this aggressive and proactivity also benefited him, allowing him to intervene whenever there was danger.
In possession, Shaw also showed why he can be useful at centre-back compared to other options. One navigation out of a tight area with a turn showed his press resistance, while his profound technical ability allows him to build play from the back.
There is a drawback that these qualities are, of course, lost from left-back. Adding to the somewhat makeshift nature of the backline, Diogo Dalot was the left-back with Tyrell Malacia on the bench - possibly still recovering from an injury of his own.
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Lindelof deserves plaudits to the same degree as his new centre-back partner for an outstanding performance. He was commanding in a way that he often hasn't been a part of his game, with noteable levels aggression, shown by a goal-saving tackle on Danny Welbeck, mitigating a lack of physicality. He is excellent at timing his tackles and is growing in strength in duels too.
The Swede is one of the most aware defenders around, allowing him to sniff out danger. This also translates to his in-possession capabilities, where he is a reliable passer, able to fit in with Ten Hag's tactical demands. Lindelof has only started six league games this term so may seek a move away to get more gametime, but he has starting quality. He is the perfect example of a necessary depth option that can fit seamlessly in when starting.
'Dependable' is a watchword with Lindelof - he rarely puts in a bad display or makes any errors. And that extended to the penalty shootout, where he showed his regular composure to step up and score the decisive winning penalty as though he regularly takes spot kicks.
United defended with resolve as a collective despite it being little near their first-choice back-line. And it was that fact, amid pressure from Brighton, that likely won them the game.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was one common feature of the defence, which certainly wasn't the case a few months ago. But, with credit to Wan-Bissaka's determination, he is now back in the first-team picture and an exit is no longer inevitable. The right-back's display on Sunday sparked a tweet from Leicester City's James Maddison related to how tough Wan-Bissaka is to play against, and Brighton's major attacking threat, Kaoru Mitoma, felt that wrath.
Few defenders are better one-v-one than Wan-Bissaka, who won all of his duels against Brighton. He is no longer having to display his tackling ability to bail himself out of trouble as much, either, with his positional discipline much improved; this stretches towards in-possession improvements, whereby he is more tactically proficient.
Wan-Bissaka may lack the profound technical ability Ten Hag desires by way of his passing, however he is exceptional when it comes to dribbling, with all four dribbles completed, involving some lovely skill at times.
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While he was ineffective in the penalty shootout, with the decisive moment a miss from Solly March, David de Gea's influence was also significant. He exemplified his side's bounce-back ability with a performance including a selection of vital saves following a torrid display in Seville, which saw him shoulder the blame for all three goals conceded.
Demons exorcised? Maybe not for De Gea given he was unable to have any input in the penalty shootout. But for some of his teammates, certainly. And probably for United on the whole.
United had lost seven of their eight prior shootouts, including in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough last season. Most notable in recent times was the Europa League final defeat on penalties against Villarreal under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Significant in terms of individuals was the fact that Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford both scored in the same location that they missed penalties in the EURO 2020 final and subsequently suffered abhorrent abuse.
The overall performance was admirable even if not the prettiest from United, with the plan not involving any desire to play out from the back, instead going long from De Gea. There was not necessarily any prolonged, defined pattern, with momentum swings throughout with both sides displaying attacking intent in phases.
United's tiredness did show at times: they didn't make the most of their chances, with some timid attempts leading to easy saves. They also struggled to sustain any possession. But there was nonetheless resolve shown to absorb opposing pressure.
Ten Hag's decision to introduce Fred in place of Eriksen in the second half aided United's bid to hold their opposition off as fatigue became more of a factor, with an injection of energy and defensive security offered in contrast to the Dane, who excels when on the ball but doesn't offer much out of possession. Scrappiness defined portions of the game - a situation that Fred works well in. Ten Hag once again showed his in-game managerial prowess.
United lacked massive cavalry on the bench, but even Ten Hag's timely addition of Wout Weghorst in the first half of extra time was shrewd; the Dutchman may be inadequate in many departments, but his work rate was useful, including to win a free-kick at one stage. This is endearing to the fans, who Weghorst sprinted straight over to at the conclusion of the penalty shootout. He scored the sixth penalty in the shootout himself.
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Progressing to the FA Cup final reaffirms what a successful first season this has been for Ten Hag. United have already won the Carabao Cup, and despite the disappointing Europa League exit, they have backed this up and proven it is no anomaly by reaching a second final.
Adding to the fact they look in a good position to finish inside the top four in the league, winning a trophy and reaching a further final marks a hugely positive maiden campaign. And, of course, they could still go on to win the FA Cup and take a second trophy.
Facing Manchester City in the final - the first meeting at this stage of the FA Cup - is meaningful. United's city rivals could yet win the treble: they have momentum greater than Arsenal's in the Premier League, and they are a win over Real Madrid away from the Champions League final.
It could be in United's hands to stop City from winning the treble - the most prestigious feat in English football history, which has only ever been achieved by United in 1999. In the words of Ten Hag: "I already said, we will give everything. And when I say everything, it’s everything."
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