Manchester United fans have had a tough few years, with the club failing to win any major silverware since 2017. However, with the arrival of new manager Erik ten Hag, things are starting to look up. In fact, the Red Devils are currently in the running to win all four competitions this season, with ten Hag eyeing a historic quadruple.
No team in England has ever managed to win all three major domestic trophies plus a European trophy, but Manchester United are on track to do just that. Rivals Manchester City achieved a quadruple of sorts in 2018/19, but that was made up of four domestic trophies, including the Community Shield. Outside of England, Bayern Munich won four trophies in 2012/13, including the Champions League and the DFL-Supercup.
Manchester United famously won the treble in 1998/99, but they were knocked out of the League Cup quarterfinals by Tottenham that season. Looking further back, Celtic’s Lisbon Lions bagged themselves five trophies in one season in 1966/67, including the European Cup, the Scottish league title, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, and the local Glasgow Cup.
The Red Devils have already secured the Carabao Cup this season, beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the final at Wembley. This victory ended a six-year trophy drought for the club, and ten Hag became the first Dutch manager to win the three-handled English trophy. Manchester United won all six matches in the Carabao Cup by two goals or more, showing their dominance in the competition.
In the Europa League, Manchester United recovered from an opening home loss to win the remaining five group stage matches. However, they couldn’t overcome Real Sociedad for first place in Group E, and the goal difference tiebreaker sent them into the Knockout Playoff round. There they were drawn against Spain’s La Liga leaders Barcelona, but they managed to claim a 2-1 victory in the decisive second leg to win 3-2 on aggregate after a pulsating 2-2 at the Camp Nou. In the Round of 16, Manchester United will face Real Betis, with the first leg set to take place on March 9th.
In the FA Cup, Manchester United have benefited from a favorable draw, with three consecutive home games including the upcoming last-16 match against West Ham. Rivals Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are the only other ‘Big Six’ clubs remaining in the competition at this stage, making the Red Devils one of the favorites to win the trophy.
In the Premier League, Manchester United face their toughest challenge yet. They have ground to make up, and two strong teams ahead of them in Arsenal and Manchester City with no direct matchups remaining against either side. If they want to win their first Premier League title in 10 years, they will have to survive tough road trips to Liverpool, Newcastle, and Tottenham, in addition to a home game against Chelsea.
Overall, Manchester United’s performances this season have been impressive. With ten Hag at the helm, they have the potential to achieve something truly historic. However, they still have a long way to go, and there are sure to be challenges along the way. Whether or not they achieve the quadruple, it’s clear that Manchester United are a team on the rise, and their fans have reason to be optimistic for the future.
