Gary Neville has warned the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City that ‘dangerous’ Manchester United will be coming for them in the near-future after their Carabao Cup final win.
Manchester United beat Newcastle 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday to win their first trophy since the Europa League in 2017, courtesy of a header from Casemiro and an own-goal from Sven Botman.
It is the first piece of silverware of the Erik ten Hag era with the club looking completely transformed since the Dutch manager’s arrival last summer.
The Red Devils remain in contention to win a ‘quadruple’ of trophies in Ten Hag’s debut season, with the club still in the FA Cup and Europa League, while they are currently eight points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.
‘At the end of last season, some of those players were part of a team labelled a disgrace by me and other Manchester United fans,’ club legend Neville told Sky Sports.
‘It was horrible to watch. They were divided. The turnaround is transformational. It’s unbelievable what Erik ten Hag has done.
‘From 2003 and 2006, we didn’t win a trophy and you feel like you’re never going to win a league again, or you’re not going to be up there again. This trophy was the catalyst for feeling confident and putting belief into the squad.
‘This squad will be dangerous with a medal around their neck because you like to think Erik ten Hag is going to improve them again in the next 12 to 18 months.
‘They’re not close to Arsenal or Man City, that’s clear, but where they are and what they’re doing is something I never would have imagined six months ago.’
Neville’s words were echoed by fellow United legend Roy Keane, who added: ‘Erik ten Hag was brought in to try and rebuild the club, get them to compete a bit more.
‘What’s gone on in the last few years, I’ve been really critical, I disliked what they stood for. They weren’t a team, they weren’t together, issues on and off the pitch, but what the manager’s done in a short space of time is fantastic.
‘They’ve recruited well, they’ve got a spirit. They weren’t at their best today but they won a football match and the fans appreciate that.
‘There’s a lot of hard work ahead, the players have got to use this as a springboard to get more trophies over the next few years, that’s what it’s about playing for Man Utd.’