Erik ten Hag Revolution On Course As Man United Seek Carabao Cup Glory
- Club eye Feb 26 date with history at Wembley
- Face resurgent Newcastle United in final
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – For Manchester United’s die-hard supporters and fans, the Erik ten Hag’s revolution is fast becoming a reality and the once dreaded Theatre of Dreams seems set to regain its lost glory.
And all thanks to the Club’s convincing victory in the opening semi-final leg of this year’s Carabao Cup that made Wednesday an easy night with total domination of Nottingham Forest on all fronts.
At the final whistle, Ten Hag’s men emerged victorious through late finishes by Anthony Martial and Fred, booking a Wembley date against Newcastle who, on their part, romped into the final after beating Southampton 3-1 on aggregate
Interestingly, this year’s Carabao Cup Final will not only be a replay of the FA Cup showpiece of 1999 in which United triumphed 2-0 over the Magpies, but also an opportunity for the Old Trafford Landlords to end a trophy-drought that stretches six years back.
The last time a silverware came to Old Trafford was in the 2016/2017 season, when United, led by the ‘Special One’, Coach José Mourinho, won the Europa League 2-0 against Ajax Amsterdam on 24 May 2017 at the Friends Arena in Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
Also, during the trophy-less seasons, United had two years ago in a Europa competition’s decider lost to Villarreal on penalties while the 2018 the FA Cup final also ended in disappointment with their 1–0 defeat by Chelsea who won the FA Cup for the eighth time.
In that encounter, United dominated the second half, and saw a 63rd-minute goal from Alexis Sánchez ruled out for offside after being referred to VAR for scrutiny.
So for the Old Trafford Landlords and Ten Hag’s nascent project, the hope will be that Sunday, 26 February 2023 proves a triumphant and watershed moment in their bid to become a true force again.
To ease past Nottingham Forest 5-0 on aggregate into the 2023 Carabao Cup final, United’s evening begun with the comfortable cushion of being 3-0 up at kick-off and Manager Ten Hag sending out a strong XI headed by Casemiro, whose inclusion despite Christian Eriksen’s long layoff showed they meant business.
No doubt, the Dutch tactician would be pleased with his selection as Forest, who lost for United frontman, Jesse Lingard in the warm-up, suffered long periods of ball chasing during the 90 minutes with Antony, Raphaël Varane, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Casemiro taking charge.
With this comprehensive win, the stage is now set for the epic clash against Newcastle at Wembley Stadium on Sunday February 26 with kick-off time at 4:30pm GMT.
For now, Erik ten Hag is basking in his side’s seventh straight domestic cup win as well as securing a 12th successive home victory in all competitions.
