It was at Selhurst Park, roughly 16 miles south of Wembley, where Erik ten Hag, for the very first time, got up close and personal with Manchester United.
Flanked by assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren, as well as football director John Murtough, Ten Hag, fresh from flying into England from the Netherlands, watched United bring the curtain down on a wretched and forgettable campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace from the stands. Ten Hag, at that point, must have been wondering what he was letting himself in for.
Fast forward nine months, however, and Ten Hag has completely transformed the club's fortunes, so much so that he has ended their six-year wait for a trophy in next to no time. Sunday's 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley marked the club's first trophy win since Wayne Rooney held the Europa League crown aloft back in May 2017.
