On Sunday, Manchester United defeated Newcastle ruthlessly 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley to win their first major trophy in six years.
Casemiro’s header and an own goal by Sven Botman helped Erik ten Hag’s team take control at the half and held firm despite Newcastle’s pressure in the second half.
Just a reward for a mature performance that highlighted the impressive work done by Dutchman Ten Hag since he arrived from Ajax last year was United’s first silverware since 2017, when they won the Carabao Cup and the Europa League under Jose Mourinho.
Based on the evidence of Ten Hag’s transformative first season, the celebrations that accompanied United’s sixth Carabao Cup victory could be the first of many trophy parades.
Ten Hag stated, “You have to win the first one, and that is what we did today.”
We can gain a greater sense of self-assurance and a lot of inspiration from this.
“We are still at the beginning of restoring Manchester United to where we belong, which is winning trophies,” the coach stated.
Third in the Premier League, United faces West Ham in Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth round matchup and Real Betis in March’s Europa League last 16 matchup as three additional challenges.
United are finally emerging from one of the darkest periods in the club’s illustrious history, ten years after Alex Ferguson retired after leading them to their last Premier League title in 2013.
Ten Hag has swiftly orchestrated United’s return to relevance after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season. It was fitting that Ten Hag won his first trophy with United after meeting Ferguson for dinner and with Ferguson watching from the Wembley stands.
Although ending United’s longest trophy drought in 40 years does not guarantee future success, the tenacious Ten Hag appears capable of flourishing in the relentless spotlight at Old Trafford.
After witnessing what could be the beginning of a golden era, United co-chairman Avram Glazer, who is attending his first game since the announcement in November that his family is considering offers for the club, might think twice about selling up.
Even though Newcastle hasn’t won a major trophy since the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, they should be in more big events soon.
