A tale of two approaches is how best to describe Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur’s preparations for this week’s Europa League final.
Spurs have metaphorically wrapped their stars in cotton wool and sat them out for weeks. Spurs have given every full-time staff member a free ticket to the final. Spurs flew out to Bilbao on Monday afternoon and will train at San Mames on Tuesday. Ruben Amorim and Manchester United have done none of the above.
Even with the stakes as high as they are – more on that shortly – the feeling inside Manchester United is one of relative tranquility even after a historically bad domestic season that has them sitting 16th in the Premier League.
The decision made by Amorim and his coaches was not to deviate too much from normal routine and so United will fine-tune their preparations on Tuesday morning at their Carrington training base away from prying eyes.
United have always held their UEFA-mandated open training session on their own turf all through this unbeaten European campaign and there was never any chance of them changing that now. Erik ten Hag, Amorim’s predecessor, always favoured the privacy of training at home rather than abroad when he was in charge, too.
It means that United’s players will not be reacquainted with San Mames, a stadium they won 3-0 at only recently in the semi-finals, until they undertake a stadium walk upon arrival on Tuesday evening.
Manchester United and Tottenham are taking differing approaches to the Europa League final
The feeling inside Man United is one of relative tranquility even after a historically bad season
With Tottenham having already flown to Bilbao for Wednesday’s clash, Manchester United will be fine-tuning their preparations at their Carrington training base on Tuesday morning
UEFA’s preference is for both teams to train at San Mames and so middle ground has been sought with United to have all players present on Tuesday night for the stadium walk before Amorim and two players, one of which is almost certainly Bruno Fernandes, face a press conference. A team meal will follow media requirements at San Mames on Tuesday night.
There is familiarity, too, in the Paul Smith suits United wear for major finals. Players were fitted for those in recent days and will sport the navy blue suits in the lead-up to the 9pm final local time on Wednesday.
United have partnered with Paul Smith since 2008 and it has become customary to team up ahead of major finals. They tailored players when they won this competition in 2017 and when they lost it in 2021, too.
Staying at home for as long as possible also allows those players pushing to be fit for the final extra opportunity to recover in a familiar setting.
Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro have been among the players assigned individual coaches and gym programmes away from the main group to try and recover in time to face Tottenham on Wednesday. Matthijs De Ligt is another that finds himself with an outside shot.
Dalot had played in every Europa League game prior to the semi-finals, while Yoro missed just one match during the knockout stage. Both remain touch and go for Wednesday with late fitness calls expected.
One of the frustrations in the build-up – to which there have been a handful – has been the inability to choose their own team hotel.
United stayed at the five-star Melia hotel, near the Guggenheim museum, prior to their semi-final first leg versus Athletic Club and found it an ideal base that met each of their needs.
UEFA’s preference is for both teams to train at San Mames – but Manchester United will ensure that all players are present for a stadium walk on Tuesday night at the very least
Players were fitted for Paul Smith navy blue suits in recent days and will wear them to the final
Diogo Dalot (left), Matthijs De Ligt (centre) and Leny Yoro (right) could be fit for the crucial final
There has been frustration in the build-up at United not being able to choose their own hotel
But UEFA dictate where finalists stay and so United have had no input at all on where players will reside in the lead up to the final.
This time around United will be split across three hotels with some staff returning to the Melia, players at the UEFA-designated hotel, and some additional staff at a base outside of Bilbao.
Back in 2012 on United’s first visit to Bilbao, players and coaching staff explored the city on foot for a morning walk.
Due to an ‘English invasion’ of fans, with 2,000 police officers drafted in to combat the reported influx of 80,000 Brits, no such downtime is planned this time around by club officials.
While Tottenham will participate in the tribute to Pichichi, laying flowers at his bust at San Mames, United did this back in 2012 and they are eager to keep extra-curricular activities to a minimum.
Another frustration has been inside the dressing room at the number of complimentary tickets (two) given to them by the club for the game.
Players have been allocated two tickets each, along with seats on a charter flight to Spain which lands in Santander on the morning of the game.
Player guests will also have day access to food and drinks in a meeting room at the team hotel as part of a low-key build-up which will keep guests fully separated from the team all day Wednesday.
United are eager to keep extra-curricular activities to a minimum before they go for glory
There have been frustrations at the number of complimentary tickets given to players for free
Amorim’s players had the option to buy up to 10 more tickets from UEFA at face value – priced from £200 down to £55 – but they are responsible to pay for the additional flights and hotel rooms as Ineos look to keep costs to a minimum.
Amorim, dismayed at the decision for support staff not to receive a single complimentary ticket, put his hand in his pocket to cover the costs for 30 of his backroom team to bring family members along.
Mail Sport understands that players were ready to step in to cover those costs had Amorim not got there first.
All or nothing
What has been apparent around the halls of Old Trafford and on the pitches at Carrington is that there is a real level of seriousness to the preparations.
While there is a positive spirit among players right now, sources have spoken up about the leadership of figures like Casemiro.
The Brazilian has won all 19 of his career finals and while personable, he is ‘serious’ in his manner and he has been a real standards driver that Amorim has come to rely on, particularly in Europe.
Amorim drafted in a series of youngsters that haven’t made a first team debut to freshen up the training group in the days prior to Chelsea including Jim Thwaites, James Overy and Sekou Kone.
But much of the emphasis has been put on players who have been in major semi-finals and finals previously with a large portion of the responsibility in the dressing room falling on Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, both of whom have played for England in a major final, as well as Noussair Mazraoui and Casemiro.
There is a real level of seriousness at Old Trafford and Carrington in terms of preparations
Sources have spoken highly of the leadership of the likes of Casemiro in the build-up to game
Emphasis has been put on players with experience of major finals and semi-finals – including Luke Shaw (left) and Harry Maguire (right), who are two of Man United’s most senior stars
Emphasis, too, has been placed on playing players into sharpness and form, rather than follow the Tottenham approach of being wrapped in cotton wool.
‘They will play because sometimes it’s better to play,’ Amorim explained earlier this month.
‘They have to play. It’s better to play than to stay out.’
One thing Amorim isn’t a big believer in is motivational videos or dressing up the occasion beyond the game itself.
Amorim is painfully honest with his players and that has won respect in the dressing room amid a turbulent, and frankly terrible, campaign.
He is a meticulous thinker and planner. During his study years when trying to become a manager he had a seminar with Jose Mourinho where Mourinho dissected his tactics for the 2017 Europa League final, the last time Manchester United won this competition.
He knows everything you could need to know about United’s previous European finals and everything that went right and went wrong.
And, if all goes to plan and United come out victorious, there will be muted fanfare. No bus parade, unlike at Tottenham, and instead the players are expected to enjoy a private barbecue with their families and other staff during the tight turnaround if they win.
Amorim is not a big believer in motivational videos or dressing up the occasion unnecassarily
Players are due a wage hike in the region of 25 per cent if they earn Champions League football
Champions League qualification would also open up a pool of cash for the transfer window
Here comes the money
Then there is the financial side – for players and the club.
On the player side, should they need any further motivation than is already painfully obvious, most are due a wage hike in the region of 25 per cent if they secure Champions League football.
Those wage hikes are contractual if United are dining at Europe’s top-table – far from a given these days – and so the likes of Casemiro and Fernandes are in line for significant pay bumps if they can get this badly underperforming side over the line.
There is unlikely to be shared excitement of those pay increases with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos, mind you.
A 16th-placed finish in the league, if that is how it ends after Sunday’s game against Aston Villa, earns the club just £14m from the Premier League. If they win the Europa League, add £10.95m from UEFA. A total short of the anticipated £30m it is going to cost to cover squad wage bonuses.
But what the Champions League does do for Manchester United is open up a pool of cash that gives them far more flexibility in a transfer window that is not worth thinking about without it given how far away they are from competing with the ‘Big Six’.
Amorim insists winning the Europa League will not save Manchester United’s season but he’s wrong.
Victory in Bilbao on Wednesday is far and away one of the most singular important games in his entire career. He simply has to win it.
