Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak says 2016 could be the year of the underdog, ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester United. The Australian international says his team can take inspiration from Leicester City ahead of the match at Wembley on 21 May.
Leicester City won the Premier League title after being 5,000-1 at the start of the season, and 1,000-1 at Christmas even though they were top. In the end they won the title easily, finishing 10 points ahead of Arsenal. Midfielder Jedinak said: Were going to go in as underdogs, someones going to be favourite, someones going to be an underdog so well take that.
Weve all seen whats happened this season regarding an underdog winning the league and things like that so it may just very well be the year of the underdog.
The 135th FA Cup final is a repeat of the famous 1990 final, which is widely regarded as one of best matches in the history of the competition. United walked away with the trophy that year, after it was taken to a replay by a spirited Palace side after a 3-3 draw.
Current Palace manager Alan Pardew was part of that team, and he wants his players to go one step better. He said: It made this club, to a degree, that cup final, and although we didnt win it, it was the friendships that carried through. I prefer those friendships carry through as winners and that is the message that I will give to my players.
Manchester United go into the tie as favourites to win, but the pressure is on under-fire manager Louis van Gaal to deliver after finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on Champions League football. Palace also enjoyed an indifferent campaign, ending up just five points clear of the relegation zone.
