The last time a Manchester United manager brought a trophy into the Wembley press conference room, it was the end for Louis van Gaal. For Erik ten Hag, it is just the start.
Ten Hag placed the League Cup front and centre on the table in a vast room with 180 seats that resembles a lecture theatre. When the press conference ended, Ten Hag forgot the cup until alerted by journalists.
“I can leave it because the next one," he chortled. "This one is in.” Onto the next one.
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Ben Foster was startled that it was business as usual at United the day after they lifted the League Cup in 2009. Foster had parried Jamie O'Hara's penalty in the shootout and was named the man of the match in only his seventh appearance for the club.
He was the only United representative at Wembley that day who expected an open-top bus parade. It was United's second triumph of the campaign after the Club World Cup, they were at the summit of the Premier League and about to advance in the FA Cup and Champions League.
A new attraction in the Old Trafford museum and an eight-point cushion in the Champions League qualifying places effectively ensure this is all but certain to be a successful season. Only Ten Hag is not satisfied.
The United squad arrived back in Manchester at 11.20pm on Sunday night. The starters will have recovery sessions today, there will be training at lunchtime on Tuesday and then it is West Ham at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday night.
"This has to be the inspiration," Ten Hag explained. "This has to be the motivation to continue in this pathway and improve and don't be happy.
"Okay, be happy for 24 hours but not be satisfied because satisfaction leads to laziness and when you get lazy you don't win any more games and you can't win trophies."
Ten Hag is accustomed to addressing an audience in a tiered room at Carrington, where the briefing room was revamped at his behest to the tune of £200,000. In that room, Ten Hag motivates multi-millionaire footballers, some of them serial winners.
At Wembley, Ten Hag was in motivational mode again. He used the word 'inspiration' five times in his 13 answers during a 12-minute sit-down with the press, already looking ahead to the next world to conquer.
"This cup can be the inspiration to give even more, to be even more connected, to have even more togetherness and put even more effort in to be better because don't be satisfied," Ten Hag lectured.
"Every cup is big. The meaning I've seen the last couple of months and weeks in England, in Manchester United, in our club, in our staff, our players, how they have experienced battles in this cup. It is a big win, this.
"Satisfaction leads to laziness and when you are lazy you can't win trophies."
Erik ten Hag explains how #ManUtd will celebrate their cup win...
Full Video: https://t.co/wBDoKMlcez#MUFC | #ManUtd pic.twitter.com/xK0lgRd92t— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN)
"We are really happy tonight and, once again, it has to be an inspiration. It will help and it will bring even more confidence, as long as we don't go over the top in confidence, as long as we keep doing the right things, the right stuff, keep working on the bond with the fans then we can win even more."
Ten Hag credited Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Antony for restoring winning habits at United. Those names were not plucked out of a tombola.
Ten Hag has spoken glowingly about the serial winner Varane more than most United players and Casemiro, Martinez and Antony were the headline signings of the summer. The Latino rebranding of the United side has been transformational.
Casemiro was still piqued with Bruno Fernandes' wastefulness while United players were collecting celebratory scarves. The composed Varane almost combusts in celebration while Martinez, Antony and Ten Hag reenacted their dancing on the Dam from their Ajax days.
"You have to celebrate," Ten Hag emphasised. "In this moment you have to celebrate because it's not business as usual, it is not a common day. We won a trophy and this trophy means something, that's the feeling I get here in the UK.
"So we have won something, we have to celebrate that but from after that point, you have to keep going. Because Wednesday is another game, and it's a big game. From our perspective, every game is a big game. You can't win if you're not 100 per cent."
This is not the one United supporters have been waiting for and there may be more to come. It is just the start.
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