Gary Neville has sent a warning to Arsenal about the future of Manchester United after their Carabao Cup triumph on Sunday.
The Red Devils won their first major trophy since 2017 with the win at Wembley, beating Newcastle United 2-0 as Erik ten Hag continues his rebuild of the club. United still have the possibility of completing a quadruple this season, though they are very much on the periphery of the title race.
Arsenal and Manchester City are the two clear front runners to lift the Premier League title in May, with United six adrift of their local rivals and eight adrift of the Gunners. Speaking on Sky Sports after the win at Wembley, Neville claimed that while United still have some ground to make up on the top two, their first trophy under ten Hag could well be the first of many.
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Via Metro, he said: "At the end of last season, some of those players were part of a team labelled a disgrace by me and other Man Utd fans. It was horrible to watch. They were divided. The turnaround is transformational. It’s unbelievable what Erik ten Hag has done.
"From 2003 and 2006, we didn’t win a trophy and you feel like you’re never going to win a league again, or you’re not going to be up there again. This trophy was the catalyst for feeling confident and putting belief into the squad.
"This squad will be dangerous with a medal around their neck because you like to think Erik ten Hag is going to improve them again in the next 12 to 18 months. They’re not close to Arsenal or Man City, that’s clear, but where they are and what they’re doing is something I never would have imagined six months ago."
Another Man United legend Roy Keane echoed the statements made by Neville, praising the job ten Hag has done in such a short space of time and expects them to use it as a 'springboard' for bigger and better. "Erik ten Hag was brought in to try and rebuild the club, get them to compete a bit more," he said.
"What’s gone on in the last few years, I’ve been really critical, I disliked what they stood for. They weren’t a team, they weren’t together, issues on and off the pitch, but what the manager’s done in a short space of time is fantastic.
"They’ve recruited well, they’ve got a spirit. They weren’t at their best today but they won a football match and the fans appreciate that.
"There’s a lot of hard work ahead, the players have got to use this as a springboard to get more trophies over the next few years, that’s what it’s about playing for Man Utd."
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