Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle: Erik ten Hag is the transformative manager the Red Devils have craved

1 year ago 73

As the elephantine Wembley scoreboard clicked implicit to 90 minutes, thousands of Manchester United scarves were raised to the skies successful triumph arsenic an aged acquainted feeling was yet experienced erstwhile again.

And lasting motionless successful his method country was the antheral who is shaping a caller epoch distant from the wastelands Manchester United person been occupying since their past occurrence successful the 2017 Europa League Final.

The EFL Cup was won. The closing minutes were simply a formality, arsenic so was this last aft Manchester United struck doubly wrong six first-half minutes - a pb they protected successful comparative comfortableness contempt a spirited second-half effort from a desperately shot-shy Newcastle United.

Erik 10 Hag has the consciousness of a transformative manager, with his aerial of authorization and tactical acumen, and present has a trophy to beryllium it. It is simply a occurrence Manchester United person been craving for astir six years.

It is excessively aboriginal to marque definitive judgements lone months into the occupation but Ten Hag has won the archetypal trophy helium could , rounding disconnected a week erstwhile Barcelona were besides sent packing connected a thunderous nighttime astatine Old Trafford successful the Europa League.

There is, however, a alteration successful temper astatine the nine and the enactment of Ten Hag has been cardinal to the switch.

The opening play nonaccomplishment astatine location to Brighton seems an property distant and the embarrassing 4-0 thrashing astatine Brentford successful United's 2nd league crippled looks progressively similar a pivotal moment.

Ten Hag cancelled his players' time disconnected aft that loss, successful which United shipped 4 first-half goals, to bid them connected a 13.8km tally - the region by which Brentford had out-run his broadside the erstwhile day.

The 53-year-old joined his players connected the run, sending a wide connection that, portion the failings astatine Brentford would not beryllium tolerated, this would besides beryllium a managerial reign successful which work would beryllium corporate and the squad ethic would beryllium key. Everyone was successful it together, an instant correction to the flaws that had been allowed to turn earlier his arrival.

Ten Hag's squad won their adjacent crippled against arch-rivals Liverpool - who had secured a humiliating 9-0 aggregate scoreline successful their 2 Premier League wins against United past play - and person hardly looked backmost since.

The Dutchman besides took a leafage from the playbook of 1 of his Old Trafford predecessors Jose Mourinho, the manager liable for those past successes, by making the League Cup a superior precedence successful an effort to get the archetypal trophy successful the furniture arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

United and their supporters present progressively judge Ten Hag is the antheral to instrumentality them guardant and backmost into the elite from which they person been mislaid for overmuch of caller years.

The EFL Cup triumph volition lone fortify his presumption and estimation further.

United seemed a nine retired of power astatine times implicit caller times but determination is nary uncertainty who is successful complaint now, arsenic proved by the decisive enactment implicit Cristiano Ronaldo's nationalist insurrection, the punishment handed to Marcus Rashford aft helium overslept and missed a squad meeting, and the marginalisation of nine skipper Harry Maguire from Ten Hag's first-choice squad aft a lengthy tally of mediocre form.

Ten Hag had meal with Sir Alex Ferguson successful the build-up to this last and present they volition person Manchester United arsenic trophy winners erstwhile much adjacent clip they meet.

After years of mediocre absorption and indifferent signings, 2 caller arrivals this play person lone strengthened the conception that United are backmost connected track.

Casemiro whitethorn person arrived from Real Madrid successful August for a interest that could emergence to £70m - a hefty terms tag for a past 30-year-old - but the midfielder besides brought with him the class, thoroughfare contented and acquisition forged by winning the Champions League 5 times.

The Brazilian knows what it takes to triumph and it was nary astonishment erstwhile helium was named antheral of the lucifer here. He not lone headed the captious opening extremity but dispersed his power each implicit Wembley with his positioning, scope of passing and his priceless quality to beryllium successful the close spot astatine the close time.

He adjacent acted arsenic orchestrator of United's fans successful the 2nd fractional arsenic helium fist-pumped towards them aft winning a situation successful the punishment area.

And successful Lisandro Martinez, United person a fierce antiaircraft rival who gives them an borderline of steel. The Argentine is already a cult leader among United fans, a fiery fig who adapted swiftly to the demands of the Premier League aft a shaky commencement successful which his deficiency of tallness became a talking point. It does not look overmuch of a occupation now.

With the archetypal trophy nether his belt, Ten Hag tin crook backmost to United's pursuit for a instrumentality to the Champions League arsenic they beryllium securely successful the apical four, portion the Europa League and the FA Cup volition besides beryllium close connected his radar.

Ten Hag was rapidly made alert of what was required astatine Old Trafford and is ticking each the boxes, the biggest of which is to triumph trophies, a craving helium has started to fulfill with this Wembley win.

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