Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag era couldn’t be going any better, with the club winning the EFL Cup 2-0 over Newcastle on Sunday, their first trophy under the Dutchman and their first trophy as a club since 2017. Still in the FA Cup and the Europa League, this may not be the Red Devils’ final trophy of the season, but it does signal that United is back, sooner than expected, and that ten Hag’s style is working.
Newcastle United put pressure on United early on, but David De Gea made the saves needed until the game began, with the team earning a free kick before Luke Shaw found Casemiro for the opening goal. The Red Devils would double their lead only six minutes later when Marcus Rashford forced Sven Botman into an own goal, but Casemiro’s goal was the game’s turning point.
CASEMIRO OPENS UP THE SCORING IN THE CARABAO CUP FINAL! pic.twitter.com/w0uagZsVjx
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 26, 2023
Casemiro, hand-picked by ten Hag, has filled a void in United’s midfield that has existed for years, and he joins a cast of winners that includes Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. Three Champions League medalists in the middle of things make it much easier for ten Hag to instill his ideals, and he has taken control to bring the team to their highest levels in years, fueled by organization, intensity, and belief.
Navigating the Cristiano Ronaldo saga expertly by seeing the disgruntled star leave midseason kicked the team into high gear after the World Cup, ensuring that the midfield didn’t miss a beat after Christian Eriksen was injured, and improving every player around the squad. Ten Hag has accomplished everything. There was a lot for ten Hag to do to bring success back to Old Trafford, and even on a short rest after defeating Barcelona on Thursday, he’s done it, with the team improving week by week and sitting comfortably in third place in the Premier League.
With Ajax’s performance deteriorating without ten Hag, the impact he has on clubs is clear, and perhaps earlier than expected. It is quite impressive how quickly he has transformed Manchester United from a club in crisis, having lost their opening Premier League matches to Brighton and Brentford, to controlling their Champions League destiny, winning a trophy, and contending for two other trophies.
The team will have to maintain these performances, but with ten Hag’s subs on the roster and a summer to bolster the squad (possibly under new ownership), there’s no reason to expect this rise to stop. United is building a winning culture piece by piece, and with Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Martinez, and others on the roster, there are young players who can be a part of ten Hag’s core for a long time.
This could be the first of many trophies for the club, which could soon be competing on a level playing field with noisy neighbors Manchester City. If ten Hag’s progress continues at this rate, passing City to become the top club in Manchester is still a distinct possibility.
