Erik Ten Hag didn’t require much thought or time to realise that, in order to end Manchester United’s six-year trophy drought, he needed to win a trophy in his first season.
The Red Devils’ first trophy since the 2017 UEFA Europa League they won under Jose Mourinho was the 2023 Carabao Cup, which the Dutch manager led them to by defeating Newcastle United 2-0 in the finals.
The victory has brought relief to the supporters who think the former Ajax manager can move the team forward after showcasing his abilities in a short period of time.
Usain Bolt, a three-time world champion in athletics and a lifelong supporter of Manchester United, shared the same opinion after speaking with the manager and attending the 3-1 FA Cup victory over Fulham.
What Bolt told Ten Hag
The Jamaican athlete met Ten Hag after the chaotic victory that ensured the club’s progression to the FA Cup semifinals and has now opened up on the conversation in an interview with PA via Independent.
“I actually asked him about who we’re going to bring in the summer and he was like ‘do you have any ideas?’.
It was a nice, simple but fun conversation,” he said. “The first thing I said to him was ‘thank you’. That’s the first thing I said and he was like ‘thanks for what?’ I was like ‘for bringing the glory days back’.
The former FC Twente boss has been consistent in laying down his principles of hard work and consistently reminding the players that they are fighting for a purpose which is trophies.
This philosophy is already visible to fans. “It feels good to watch Manchester now. The team is together, they’re as one. They’re working together, they’re working hard and you can see the purpose now, you can see the determination in the way they play,” Bolt added.
“I was very happy with his progress and I can tell that he’s going to do a lot more. We have a lot more trophies in our future so I’m excited.”
Bolt enjoyed the match as it went the way he had wanted, and the scoreline was what he had correctly predicted, as revealed by Manchester United’s official website.