5 Reasons Why Man United Can Win A Quadruple

5 Reasons Why Man United Can Win A Quadruple

The revitalized Red Devils have already won one trophy, and they are in a great position to capture three more this year.

The four-decade long trophy drought for Manchester United is now over.

READ ALSO: Race To Golden Boot 2022-2023: European Football’s Top Scorers

Erik ten Hag brought the League Cup back to Old Trafford to end six years of anguish, mediocrity, and division, capping an outstanding start to his tenure as manager.

Similar top-four contenders At Wembley, United defeated Newcastle with relative ease, barely needing to shift out of second gear on the way to a clean 2-0 triumph.

The two legs of Ten Hag‘s team’s Europa League quarterfinal play-off match against Barcelona were much more spectacular as they put up a feast of free-flowing attacking football, but Sunday’s League Cup victory showed that they can also grind out a win when the stakes are highest.

On Wednesday, a match against West Ham in the FA Cup’s fifth round will be played. Four days later, a trip to Anfield in the Premier League will be made.

If they win both of those contests, speculation about a trophy sweep will pick up before their Europa League matchup against Real Betis in the round of 16.

THEEagle is on hand to discuss the main factors why the quadruple is a realistic objective for Ten Hag’s unrelenting Red Devils in the final months of the season, when United has the chance to make history.

Here are the five reasons below:

Lethal Weapon Rashford

The Press Association confirmed on Monday that Marcus Rashford scored United’s second goal in the Carabao Cup final, giving him 25 goals for the team in all competitions.

The 25-year-deflected old’s attempt was first ruled an own goal by Sven Botman, but he has benefited from a little bit of luck in hindsight to add to his goals total in what has already been his best-ever personal campaign in a Manchester United jersey.

Phil Jones, a long-term injury absentee and Rashford teammate since 2016, was glowing in his coverage of the championship game on Sky Sports.

“He’s been brilliant and, on current form, he’s probably the best player in the world,” he said. “You can see his body shape, he’s strengthened in the gym and worked really hard on himself. The club have worked with him really well. People don’t see the work he puts in after training. I’m delighted for him, he deserves it.”

Rashford deserves the most praise for Jones’ assertion because it doesn’t seem overly brash. United now looks to the England international to make the difference in the final third. He frequently provides the spark required to breach defenses and convert draws into victories.

Rashford has assumed the role of United’s primary goal scorer in the absence of a natural No.9, with Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst playing more of a target man-type role. Rashford has proven himself against the toughest competition.

He is United’s main weapon, an unstoppable, constant, and clinical force of nature. When Rashford is on the field, they simply cannot be written off.

Casemiro: The Ultimate Winning Machine

“Tell them I’ll fix this.”

The alleged message Casemiro sent to his agent following United’s 4-0 defeat at Brentford at the start of the season may one day be inscribed on his statue outside Old Trafford.

Little over a week later, Real Madrid paid £70 million ($82 million) to bring the Brazilian to the club, and that sum has since shown to be a steal, even for a player who turned 31 on February 23.

Casemiro, who won five Champions League crowns in addition to a plethora of other awards at Santiago Bernabeu, won his eighth consecutive major final with United’s Carabao Cup victory.

His brilliantly executed header set United on their way against Newcastle and supporters are already used to the midfielder lifting the team in the biggest matches.

“It’s one more trophy for me and I always welcome it, regardless of the competition,” he told TNT Sports after the final. “My history has always been about winning since I was a kid, so here it isn’t any different. I’m here to help my team-mates and Manchester United.”

That winning mentality has rubbed off on the rest of the squad and with Casemiro in the starting XI, United cannot be considered underdogs in any contest – he just needs to avoid any further suspensions!

Arsenal’s Lack Of Depth

The Premier League appears to be the most out of reach for United of the three titles remaining up for grabs in 2022–2023, but only on paper.

They presently trail league leaders Arsenal by eight points after the Gunners defeated Ten Hag’s team 3-2 in a dramatic top-of-the-table match on January 22 at the Emirates Stadium.

United’s title aspirations appeared to be over after that victory, but the Gunners later experienced a worrying hiccup after being eliminated by Manchester City in the FA Cup.

After losing at Everton and drawing with Brentford at home, Mikel Arteta’s team was defeated once more by City in the Premier League, allowing United to gain some ground.

Arsenal has recovered by defeating Aston Villa and Leicester in their previous two games, but there is a nagging feeling that they are just one or two injuries away from another damaging streak. In fact, Partey’s absence hurt them in their 3-1 loss to City, and Gabriel Jesus has still not recovered from a chronic ligament problem.

The schedule is expected to get busier for Arteta and his team as they get ready for the Europa League’s latter rounds, thus a first league crown since 2003–04 is far from assured. United appears to be in a prime position to capitalize on any future errors.

Ten Hag’s Tactical Nouse

Ten Hag is rightfully receiving the majority of the credit for United’s stunning comeback.

The former Ajax manager is obviously a master of motivation, having been able to bring out the best in players like Marcus Rashford, David De Gea, and Fred, but his in-game leadership has also been essential to United’s quick turnaround.

He isn’t hesitant to make early substitutions, as shown by his decision to substitute Aaron Wan-Bissaka for Diogo Dalot during the halftime at Wembley after observing Allan Saint-Maximin enjoying far too much success on the left wing.

While everything was going on, Rashford moved into a central position in place of Weghorst in United’s Europa League match against Barcelona when Antony was introduced at halftime with the team behind 3-2 on aggregate. In the final third, the hosts outpaced their Spanish opponents due to their speed, and Antony ultimately scored the game-winning goal himself with a masterfully executed volley.

Ten Hag’s favoured formation this season has been 4-2-3-1, but he has also experimented with a 3-4-3 set-up and has switched to a more traditional 4-3-3 system during games.

United are never out of a game because to his tactical adaptability, and his players, who have all fully embraced his philosophy, pick up on his decision-making confidence.

The fact that Ten Hag has made sure to utilize the depth of his squad to the fullest has helped to maintain morale high.

Like Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, the 53-year-old is a revolutionary manager. United are fortunate to have him, and as long as he is in charge, the quadruple cannot be written off as an unrealistic pipe dream.

Man City’s Champions League Pressure

Before the opening leg of City’s round-of-16 Champions League match against RB Leipzig, Pep Guardiola said, “People say [City should win it], but I always get the impression it’s so tough to do it.” “Every season, it gets harder and harder. We want to play our best and advance to the quarterfinals, but things will go as they are going to go. Our future is already predetermined, at the end of the day.

“We’ve been close at times, but not always. I’ve failed at everything I’ve attempted on my own in the past and will continue to fail. Nothing will be sufficient.

These are the comments of a man under pressure to eventually bring City its first European championship. They are considered favorites to win this season’s competition after six unsuccessful campaigns. Following a 1-1 draw in Germany, they are anticipated to defeat Leipzig at home and advance to the round of eight.

Even though they have played one more game, Guardiola’s team is only two points behind Arsenal in the race for the title. However, the Spaniard won’t be assessed on whether he leads the team to its fifth Premier League championship since 2016.

Despite the scoring prowess of summer signing Erling Haaland, they haven’t been as steady at home as they usually are, and it’s possible that Guardiola is willing to give up the championship in order to win his fourth Champions League as a manager.

This internal conflict only helps United, who appear to have an easier final stretch than their local rivals and may soon establish themselves as the front-runners to surpass Arsenal at the top.