Ten Hag: Forget last season

United were beaten 2-1 by our city rivals at Wembley last June, in our third appearance at the national stadium under Ten Hag, following victories over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final and Brighton & Hove Albion at the FA Cup semi-final stage.

We’re hoping to qualify for the showpiece event in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2005, with Championship side Coventry City standing in our way.

Ten Hag is focused on what’s ahead of us, rather than what’s gone before, as we seek to claim his second piece of silverware as boss.

"Last season is last season,” Ten Hag replied, when asked if the City defeat spurred us on.

“We want to achieve every season. We want to win trophies and we have a big opportunity, because we are in the semi-final.

“But it's a huge challenge, we know all the problems and, like always, when you have so many problems, you have to find solutions. Also for Sunday, we will find solutions.

“We want to go into the final.”

Coventry are bidding to become the first second-tier club to reach the final since Cardiff City did so in 2008.

They’ve already claimed a significant Premier League scalp on the road to Wembley, in the form of Wolves, and Ten Hag pointed out that they could easily be a top-flight side themselves.

The Sky Blues were beaten on penalties by Luton Town in last season’s play-off final, so have their own Wembley heartache to overcome, and Erik is taking nothing for granted when it comes to the Midlanders and manager Mark Robins.

“We did our job and we are prepared, so we know their team, we know how they play, we know the individual abilities of the players,” Erik added.

“Of course, also we know the manager, a former United player, striker, his long period there, he's doing a fantastic job there. So, we know a lot about them.

“Of course they are dangerous, they are in the semi-final. It's logical.

“Last season, they were that far away [gestures to a small gap] from being promoted to the Premier League. So they do a fantastic job over there.

“We have seen the game against Wolves, in the quarter-final, the mentality in the team is fabulous, so we have to play to our best levels.”