Manchester United are currently suffering their worst trophy drought in 40 years. With perennial domestic cup champions Manchester City out of the EFL Cup after suffering a 2-0 loss to relegation-threatened Southampton, a first trophy since 2017 looks a genuine possibility for Ten Hag’s side.
Defeating Charlton Athletic 3-0 with Marcus Rashford getting on the scoresheet for the 8th home game in a row, means a semi-final with relegation candidates Nottingham Forest, a favourable draw for us which could see us in our first major final since we lost on penalties to Villareal.
With our last trophy coming in 2017, we are on our worst trophy drought since we went six years in 77-83. A club that had such prolonged success under Sir Alex Ferguson has had to cope with winning only three pieces of silverware in a decade and high-profile signings haven’t led to the success that fans would have hoped for.
A trophyless run maybe seen as the norm at some clubs but a club and institution the size of United, it is nothing short of catastrophic. The arrivals of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and the return of Cristiano Ronaldo had us dreaming once again only for it to fall flat with one of the worst seasons in recent memory.
Erik Ten Hag has been tasked with returning Manchester United to the top after a turbulent period post Sir Alex. Evidently, he is showing signs that he is the long-term solution, and his first piece of silverware could be the EFL Cup. Although arguably not one of the top honours, this trophy could be the springboard to top honours for the red side of Manchester.
With a trip to Wembley on the cards, something heavily missed by the fans, winning the EFL Cup has become something of huge importance to the club. It could kick-start further domestic success and give some players who haven’t tasted success at the club a hunger for more.
In 1990, the FA Cup was the first of 38 trophies for Sir Alex and it gave players and the club confidence that they could challenge for the top honours. Something they did for the next two decades.
I certainly, as well as every other red, hope that if he lifts this trophy on February 26th, it will lead to further success and a long tenure. In his first season, he has turned a depleted and unhappy squad into a strong, cohesive unit with a winning mentality. Something severely lacking last season.
After the first two results against Brighton and Brentford, the worry was another abysmal season was on the cards. However, since then, a run of one defeat in 18, sitting comfortably in the top 4 and in every competition, it certainly feels like a new United. The United of old. A United that we believe can win trophies again.
At the start of the season, the realistic target was top 4 and a trophy. By playing attractive football and with the fans onside, he certainly is on target for that this season. Winning the EFL Cup could be paramount to his future success.