There would have been butterflies in the stomach of the Manchester United squad on the morning of May 25. The FA Cup final at Wembley was do-or-die territory when it came to how this season would be remembered.
But among the watching executives, especially Sir Jim Ratcliffe, there would have been a similar feeling of nervousness and queasiness ahead of the showdown with Manchester City. Ratcliffe would have been desperate to savour that winning feeling as a part-owner of his boyhood club, but the 71-year-old businessman would have also been aware of how just valuable this match was going to be.
He had become the chief decision-maker at the club at a time of peril. Results had nosedived, the manager was under pressure and the financial situation was starting to look a little dire. An early exit from Europe had compounded matters and if they failed to win the FA Cup final, United would have gone into next season without being in any continental competition.