Manchester United’s chances of domestic silverware for 2020/21 appear to be over.
FA Cup elimination at the hands of Leicester City at the quarter-final stage was a bitter blow.
Sadly our error prone performance in the 3-1 defeat got the result it deserved.
United are 14 points behind Manchester City in the Premier League, albeit with a game in hand.
Even with a strong run of form to end the campaign, and a late City collapse, overtaking them is nigh on impossible.
Community Shield appearance?
So could United still find a way to appear in next season’s annual curtain-raiser, the 2021 Community Shield?
The short answer is yes. It depends on City winning the FA Cup.
In the event a team wins the double, the side who finishes second in the Premier League fill the spot, as opposed to the beaten FA Cup finalists.
United benefitted here once before, when Chelsea won the double in 2009/10, United beat them at the start of the next season in the 2010 Community Shield on penalties when we played them at Wembley.
In 1996, United beat Newcastle 4-0 in the Community Shield after they finished second in the league and we won the 1995/96 double.
So what are the chances?
City face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals this season and then the winner faces Leicester or Southampton in the final.
United would also have to retain second place in the Premier League. This is no guarantee.
Leicester are just one point behind us, and tough games against Tottenham, Leeds, Liverpool, Wolves and Leicester themselves, still lie ahead.
A lot has to go right for United to get there, and then there is the question, do we even want to play in the match, having barely earned the right to be there?
Such showpieces are meant for the winners of the league and FA Cup. It’s no fun being there by default.
United will feel a lot more worthy if the season is punctuated by a Europa League win. That in itself will lead to a date in the European Super Cup – hopefully not against City.
Starting next season with a Community Shield win over City would be nice – whereas a loss will set us off to a bad start before the campaign has even started. United’s good record against City will make us fancied to pick up a win – but can we do it when it matters, and does this matter?
Even the celebrations would be mute. The trophy barely counts as one, and if United fail in the Europa League, it won’t be seriously regarded as Solskjaer’s first trophy – although it will be used as another reason to criticise him by his detractors if United lose. Don’t forget, even David Moyes won one of these (even if it was against Wigan).
The biggest downside of United having to play in this Wembley showpiece would be the lack of rest.
The fixture would take place on the weekend of August 7/8, less than a month after the Euro 2021 final on July 11.
Ideally United’s players will get as much time to rest as possible, and could do without having to play in this semi-competitive fixture for a faux trophy.
Consider it one more reason to root against City winning the FA Cup.
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