Gary Neville has lauded Erik ten Hag's ability to influence games with his substitutions and tactical changes as he paid tribute to the Dutchman's first trophy as Manchester United manager.
The Reds secured a 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday afternoon thanks to goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford. It was United's first trophy since 2017, but they still have the opportunity to win three more honours this term.
Ten Hag has received widespread praise for the impact he has had at Old Trafford since joining the club last summer, and former United defender Neville believes the Dutch coach is at the heart of United's success so far this season.
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The Sky Sports pundit admitted that he was surprised by the instant impact of Marcel Sabitzer and Scott McTominay on Sunday, with the pair coming off the bench in an attempt to nullify Newcastle's efforts to get back into the final. Neville did not expect the two midfielders to be sent on for United.
"There are times when Jose was at Chelsea and he would make substitutions, Sir Alex would do the same and you'd think 'what's he doing?' and it would work," Neville said on The Overlap. "Ten Hag's done that five or six times now in the past few months.
"Even on Sunday, I was absolutely certain that only one midfielder would come on. I didn't think both Marcel Sabitzer and Scott McTominay would come on. I thought he'd bring on a wide player like Alejandro Garnacho or Jadon Sancho plus a midfield player on. So that surprised me.
"Newcastle were having their best period around that time and it just got Manchester United back in control. Every time he makes a change or a substitution, it has a massive impact. I think he's done it in the last six or seven matches and actually it makes the team better. It's hard to do that."
Both players had a positive impact after coming off the bench, with United reasonably comfortable in the latter stages of the clash with Newcastle. While Sabitzer has made five appearances for the Reds since joining on loan from Bayern Munich in January, Ten Hag has admitted it is too early to decide if the club will attempt to sign the player permanently.
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