This might be the greatest week I’ve had as a United fan since they won the league title. Man United have taken another step in their incredible turnaround this season as they beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final to break their 6-year long trophy drought.
Erik ten Hag is a genius. Plain and simple.
He has walked into a side that finished 6th in the Premier League last season with a club record-low of 59 PTS, was knocked out of the Champions League in the Round of 16, lost to Championship-club Middlesborough in the FA Cup 4th round, lost 1-0 in the Carabao Cup 3rd round to West Ham, sacked two managers (Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick), had a disgruntled Cristiano Ronaldo, and had 9 senior players leave the club on free transfer or loan move and was able to turn them into quadrupole contenders in 6 months.
It’s truly remarkable how every decision ten Hag has made, such as releasing Ronaldo, benching club captain Harry Maguire, bringing in his Ajax/Dutch/transfer players (ex: Lisandro Martinez, Antony, Christian Eriksen, Wout Weghorst, Marcel Sabitzer, Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia), and trusting out-of-form players (ex: Marcus Rashford, Fred, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, etc.), has panned out for him.
He has turned a club that was becoming known for nepotism and mediocrity due to a decade-long mismanagement into one of the premier forces in English and European football in less than half a year. That’s incredible!
In the span of a week, ten Hag manufactured two of United’s most incredible and impactful wins in the last decade as knocked out Barcelona in the Europe (something United has not done since the 2008 season) and won the Carabao Cup, United’s first trophy in 6 years, against a very good Newcastle United team.
Sure, the Europa League and the Carabao Cup aren’t competitions that a club of United’s stature should measure its self-up against, but they are winnable, important trophies, nonetheless. And this win has finally broken the “United can’t win important game” monicker that has plagued this group of players since Jose Mourinho’s departure in 2018.
Now, instead of this United team being one that is mocked and derided as toothless and pretenders, all of these players can hold their heads up high knowing they brought honor and glory back to the club. Again, yes, this accomplishment is not a Premier League, FA Cup, or Champions League win, but this is only just the beginning.
As for the game itself, it was a pretty boring.
Newcastle had some good chances in the first half (especially that Allan Saint-Maximin one where he sent Diogo Dalot back to Milan), but they weren’t clinical and allowed Manchester United to grow into the game. And, as United have done all season long, they found a way to break through as Casemiro headed home the first goal from a free kick, and Rashford had his shot deflect off Sven Botman and over Loris Karius’ head in the 39′ to seal the game at 2-0 for United.
The game was certainly no World Cup 2022 Final, but I really don’t care as a United fan. THE CLUB HAS FINALLY WON A TROPHY AGAIN!!!!!!
I don’t know if United will be able to win anymore trophies this season as the games are coming thick and fast at them, but if ten Hag can continue to foster a culture of excellence and perseverance, then this club has a serious chance of competing for the major trophies next season.
Nonetheless, I would just like to say congratulations to this group of Manchester United players as you have all (well, 95% of you) proven yourselves to be worthy of the shirt, which was not something I could say only six months ago.
Get ready, Europe and the Premier League, as Manchester United are coming back with a vengeance.
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