Erik ten Hag may be celebrating tonight – but this could be a velvet glove on the outside of an iron fist as far as Manchester United is concerned.
The Dutchman stands on the threshold of lifting his first trophy for the Old Trafford club after a barren spell of…ahem…literally a few years. That would be viewed as six campaigns too long since 2017 when Jose Mourinho returned from Stockholm with the Europa League pot sat proudly next to him on the plane home.
Fast forward to today and the change Manchester United’s fans have demanded – on-pitch investment AND silverware in the cabinet – looks like being delivered. In fact, as commentators everywhere rightly pointed out, the two-legged victory over a highly-capable Barcelona side may be the first concrete sign that the aura created by Sir Alex Ferguson is being replicated.
