Manchester United are back in the trophy-winning business after picking up the Carabao Cup earlier this season but the Reds are still in the running for two more prizes.
Erik ten Hag has guided his side into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Brighton and potentially set up a mouthwatering final against Manchester City.
Additionally, they are in the Europa League quarter-finals where a two-legged tie against Sevilla awaits the Reds, with the first meeting at Old Trafford scheduled for next week.
The closing six weeks of the season are going to be intense and United have endured a troublesome run of form but that was put to an end earlier this week when Brentford were defeated at the Theatre of Dreams.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s game against Everton in the Premier League, Ten Hag delved into the practice of mentality and what United need to do to consistently compete for silverware.
“It’s about demands,” Ten Hag is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.
“We have to make standards, always, it’s about culture, you have to do it always.
“When you are not in top, they can do it once, but for a player who is at the top, competing for trophies, the Premier League, you have to do it always and be consistent. It’s our job to bring that mentality.
“You have to do it every game. The has to be the standard, you have to do it and that’s the responsibility you have to deliver when playing for Manchester United. You have to be accountable.”
SN’s verdict…
It’s easy to get caught up in the new standards Ten Hag has set at United and reactions to a drop in performance levels may be exaggerated. It must not be forgotten what state United were in when he took over less than a year ago.
Since then, he has overseen a sizeable turnover of squad personnel and instilled belief, recruited the right personalities and ensured that his players buy into a new philosophy.
That was never going to come overnight but he has, extraordinarily, been able to turn things around quicker than anyone expected.
