The Dutch supervisor, Erik ten Hag, has been entrusted to carry a resurgence of grandeur to Manchester United, and in an astonishing 9 months in cost, the Red Devils are actually only one recreation away from ending their six-year trophy drought and securing a momentous victory.
A 2-0 win towards Nottingham Forest on Wednesday sealed a 5-0 combination victory within the League Cup semifinals.
United will face Newcastle within the closing at Wembley Stadium on Feb. 26 for the English season’s first piece of main silverware.
“It is good to reach the final of course, but it is not about reaching the final, it is about winning it,” ten Hag stated. “It has to provide big motivation to us and we need to carry that cup (again).”
Substitute Anthony Martial opened the scoring within the 73rd minute and Fred added a second within the 76th, with each targets arrange by Marcus Rashford. United received the primary leg 3-0 on the City Ground final week.
“When you get this far you want to go one further. The damage was really done last week, “Forest supervisor Steve Cooper stated.
Ten Hag has not made United followers wait lengthy for a primary cup closing underneath him.
The Dutchman took cost final April and was given the duty of turning the membership’s fortunes round after too lengthy within the shadows of fierce rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
The League Cup was the earliest attainable closing he may attain and victory within the showpiece event later this month would additional gasoline perception that he’s constructing a group able to competing for the most important prizes in membership soccer once more.
United has not received a trophy since 2017 when former supervisor Jose Mourinho triumphed within the League Cup and Europa League in his first season in cost.
While Ten Hag can emulate the Portuguese coach by additionally successful a trophy in his debut marketing campaign with United, his final problem is to ship Premier League and Champions League titles.
Those have been requirements set by managerial nice Alex Ferguson and ones United has not come near assembly since his retirement in 2013.
Ten Hag is the fifth everlasting managerial appointment since then and took over a group that completed sixth final season, 35 factors under champion City.
A title bid was at all times unlikely this yr, however United is in a powerful place to qualify for the Champions League, at present fourth within the desk and nonetheless competing within the FA Cup and Europa League.
“We have a good squad so we have to demand and control the high standards. You have to bring that every game. We are Manchester United. When you are a United player you have to match the standards,” ten Hag stated.
For a membership that has received an English file 20 league titles, a League Cup closing is a great distance in need of its best achievements. Old Trafford, nevertheless, was in social gathering temper in anticipation of a visit to Wembley.
Supporters anticipated United to comfortably full the job after taking such a commanding lead into the second leg.
Yet Forest got here near opening the scoring within the first half, just for Emmanuel Dennis’ close-range shot to be blocked by teammate Sam Surridge when the ball seemed destined to search out the again of the web.
United striker Wout Weghorst then noticed a header come again off the publish.
Ten Hag made modifications, bringing on Rashford, Martial and Jadon Sancho shortly previous the hour mark.
It had the specified impact with Rashford organising targets for Martial and Fred.
United can count on a harder problem from a Newcastle group aiming to win its first main trophy because the FA Cup in 1955.
The Saudi-backed membership has been one of many greatest surprises of the season, sitting third within the Premier League, one place above United.
The match will likely be a repeat of the 1999 FA Cup closing, which United received 2-0.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
