Five things Ten Hag got right as Man Utd ease past Newcastle to win League Cup

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    Manchester United have ended six years of hurt by breaking Newcastle hearts to land their first piece of silverware in the Erik ten Hag era.

    Predictably, it was their two stand out performers this season who were the difference-makers, with Casemiro opening the scoring with a glancing header before Sven Botman's own goal, forced by a Marcus Rashford shot, sealed a 2-0 victory.

    Eddie Howe's side didn't exactly have the rub of the green, but looked comfortably second best all afternoon, particularly after going behind.

    Here, Daily Star Sport runs through the things we feel Ten Hag got right out there.

    READ MORE: Loris Karius 'must be cursed' as deflected own goal costs Newcastle big time

    Solidity in midfield

    Few could've blamed Ten Hag for being overly-assertive in an attempt to take the game to Newcastle given their impressive recent form, but the Dutchman wisely resisted the urge.

    He picked Fred alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in midfield, leaving January loan signing Marcel Sabitzer on the bench, despite the Austrian being in tip-top condition having sat out United's Europa League win over Barcelona in mid-week.

    The decision paid off, with Fred snuffing out spaces between the lines and having the legs to bomb forward and join the attack when needed as well.

    How many trophies will Man United win under Erik ten Hag? Let us know in the comments section below.

    Starting Rashford

    Given the form he's in, not starting Rashford would've been social media suicide, but after the England man picked up a knock in mid-week, starting him was always going to be a risk.

    But whether the injury was minimal or that Rashford is simply superhuman, it was impossible to tell that he wasn't 100% fit.

    The 25-year-old was at his punishing best, running at defenders and causing havoc in the box, and was rewarded after his left-footed strike deflected in off Sven Botman's toe to put United two to the good.

    Unsettling Karius

    All eyes were on Loris Karius, who had fluked his way into a redemption narrative after replacing the suspended Nick Pope in Newcastle's goal.

    The former Liverpool man was making his first appearance on English soil since his Champions League final disasterclass in 2018 – and Ten Hag was determined to ensure his players remembered it.

    From the get-go, United's stars were hounding Karius at corners and popping off shots from ambitious distances and angles in the hope that he might crumble again.

    Whether it worked or not is up for debate, but the German was easily beaten for United's first, and let a rather saveable, though admittedly deflected, shot float over him for their second.

    Half-time switch

    Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot have been more-or-less sharing the right back spot over the past few weeks, and with the Englishman starting against Barcelona on Thursday it made sense that Dalot got the nod today.

    But the Portugal international struggled to find rhythm and was being consistently pinned back and terrorised by Allan Saint-Maximin – something that didn't go unnoticed by Ten Hag, who hooked him at half time.

    Making a tactical defensive change when you're leading in a cup final takes some balls, but it was the right decision. Wan-Bissaka oozed confidence on and off the ball (something Ten Hag should also take a lot of credit for) and provided the back-line with an added layer of security just when they needed it.

    Wise game-management

    With nothing to lose, Newcastle came storming back into the contest in the second half and with half-an-hour to go they were completely dominating possession.

    Ten Hag recognised that a change was needed, and brought off striker Wout Weghorst for defensively-minded Scott McTominay, while also bringing Marcel Sabitzer on for Fred and moving Rashford up top.

    It was a simple, and probably quite predictable tactical switch, but one that helped United shut up and shop and grind out the win.

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    • Manchester United FC
    • Erik ten Hag
    • League Cup
    • Newcastle United FC

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