Diogo Dalot's message to Man Utd fans - "I’m going to be honest with you"

Diogo Dalot has admitted Manchester United's players owe it to their loyal fans to lift the FA Cup on Saturday after such a shambolic season.

United ended up eighth in the table, their worst finish of the Premier League era, missing out on a European place completely. Despite such a wretched season, United's fans have continued to support the players, even when they lost 4-0 at Crystal Palace a fortnight ago.

Defender Dalot said United's under-performing players did not deserve such unwavering support from the 3,000 travelling fans after such a humiliation. But Dalot and his United team-mates have the chance to atone by beating local rivals Manchester City to end a dismal campaign on a high.

“Listen, I’m going to be really honest with you,” said Dalot, speaking at United's training complex this week. "After that game against Palace, the way the fans were supporting us, it was almost like a feeling that we didn’t deserve that.

“After you concede four goals against Palace, a 4-0 defeat, they were still there, pushing us, even after the awful game we had. This is the type of thing that shows why these fans are special. Every time there's a United game, they always think something special will happen.

“They're always expecting something special so we’re going into the game on Saturday to try to give them a special afternoon. You can almost get used to it, because you know they're always going to be there, so you can take it for granted. But you can’t have that feeling.

“You have to realise they make all the effort to go to games, especially away, sometimes travelling at night. They make that effort to support you and you cannot just take it for granted because you’re playing for a big club.”

Diogo Dalot is helped up by Man Utd team-mate Casemiro after conceding in their 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace earlier this month

Dalot, voted Players' Player of the Year by his United team-mates, described the final as United's “game of the season”. Not only would victory stop City from doing the Double, it would clinch a Europa League place for Erik ten Hag's beleaguered side.

Against that backdrop, there is much at stake for United, not least the desire for revenge after losing last year's final – which proved the second leg of City's Treble triumph.

“We finished that game with that feeling of 'we could have won it',” said Dalot, who scored in United's 2-0 win at Brighton in their final Premier League game of the season.

“To be so close to winning it and not doing it - this season we have another opportunity. So the message from inside here is that this is our game of the season.

Manchester United fans watch from the stand during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United

“That's the way we're facing it, that's the way we want to face it as well, and the way that we should face it, I think. We're playing a great team, but finals are there to win and not to just play in, so we just want to win it.

“The fans are hungry for trophies, the club is hungry for trophies, we're hungry for trophies, so we have an opportunity.

“But if we think City, just because they won the league and everything last year, are going to take their foot off the gas, it's just being delusional.

“They're going to be at their best level. We have to expect that and we have to be at our best level if we want to win.”

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