There can be objectives such as developing young talent or abstract achievements like changing the atmosphere within but when all is said and done a managerial reign at a club like Manchester United can't be classed as a success without trophies.
Even if championships and tournaments are won it isn't a guarantee that things won't go up in flames and end disastrously. But as Mauricio Pochettino discovered during his excellent spell at Tottenham, there will always be a black mark against your brilliant work at the top level if you don't have a medal to show for it.
Erik ten Hag knows this full well and from his first day at United, he made it clear that winning silverware is his primary target. Now his actions are reflecting his words. The Dutchman has made a great start to life at Old Trafford. For his work off the pitch as well as on it.
Read next: Why Amad will be back at United next week
Away from the action he has shown a good eye for recruitment, brought discipline back to an unruly dressing room and secured his authority with a deft handling of Cristiano Ronaldo's infantile outbursts to the extent that he has remained while the club legend has departed. On the field, United are clearly now a cohesive unit which actually has a tactical plan, the midfield and defence have been transformed, out-of-form players have improved dramatically and slow but steady progress is being made on results and performances.
To have achieved so much before 2022 has even come to an end certainly bodes well for the future but it will all count for nothing if Ten Hag doesn't end United's five-year-long trophy drought. "First, we have to win all the games. For now, it's to get into a position that we can win trophies at the end of the season. That means that when we are coming to the middle of March, to April, we have to be in a position where we can win," he said last month.
"It can be a lot (what is a successful season) and it's difficult to say. Of course, when I say I want to win all the games, then you are champion – it's clear. But we are playing in a lot of cups and I want to win trophies."
There is a chance to win a trophy well before the end of the season and Ten Hag looks to be doing all he can to do so. United returned to competitive action against Burnley on Wednesday just three days removed from the remarkable conclusion to the World Cup. No one would have batted an eyelid had the Dutchman named a weakened team littered with youngsters against the Clarets but that was far from the case.
Instead, it was as strong a team as possible with Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes starting despite only returning to training the day before and fellow World Cup competitors Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Fred, Antony and Luke Shaw all being involved as well.
Naming such a strong side against lower-league opposition would be eyebrow-raising enough but to do so in such a unique predicament has certainly seen Ten Hag nail his colours to the mast. He wants to win trophies and the League Cup is not one to be sniffed at.
Jose Mourinho was in a similar mindset during his first season in charge. United's successful march to triumph in the competition in 2017 saw them defeat Northampton Town, Manchester City, West Ham and Hull City on the way to overcoming Southampton in the final. Even against League One newcomers Northampton a strong team containing Wane Rooney, Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind, with Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming on, was named.
Mourinho's modus operandi has always been winning trophies above all else and he ensured his time at United was glitter stamped by one at the earliest opportunity. They then went on to lift the Europa League in the same season and Rashford explained after the Burnley game how winning the Carabao Cup helped spur them on to do so.
"It's massively important for us because when we last won it, it just pushed us," he told MUTV. "We were chasing that feeling again, it does a whole lot for your confidence and the desire to keep winning. It will be massive for us to try and win that and all the players and staff are giving everything to do that."
Mourinho's reign ended in tears and is not fondly remembered by many. It cannot be classified as a total success but he is still the last United manager to win a tournament and that counts for something. Ten Hag is already on course to better him and by February 26, 2023, he could emulate Mourinho by ensuring his stint in the hot seat is always remembered no matter what follows.
Related stories
