London - Manchester United will not need another motivational speech from Wayne Rooney on Tuesday to explain just how important the FA Cup could be in defining their season.
Louis van Gaal’s side face League Two Cambridge United at Old Trafford and could take another step on the road to Wembley which has opened up after the exits of Chelsea and Manchester City.
And Rooney is desperate to win the one domestic honour that eludes him.
Van Gaal revealed how the United captain was not afraid to tell team-mates what was expected of them against Leicester City on Saturday in light of their 5-3 defeat by the same side in September.
“Rooney said before the start of the match, “Do you remember how we lost that?”,’ said Van Gaal. “Everyone wanted revenge. It’s good and it is also that same feeling with Cambridge.
“Everything is against you at Manchester United and everything is in favour of the underdog.
“But, in spite of all the criticism we have had, we are still in the FA Cup and a lot of teams are not.”
With Chelsea and City set to contest the title race, Van Gaal’s only realistic hope of a trophy in his first season at Old Trafford lies with the Cup.
Asked if Rooney has been emphasising the importance of the competition, defender Luke Shaw said: “Of course he has. Wayne hasn’t won it and he’s going to want to win it this year.
“But the whole team look at it as a trophy we all want to win - especially now it’s the main priority because the league, I wouldn’t say it’s gone, but we’re quite far away.”
Daily Mail