"Don’t celebrate it like you’ve won the Champions League" - Former Manchester United coach slams stars for over-celebrating Carabao Cup victory
Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has lambasted the Red Devils for their extravagant celebrations after winning the Carabao Cup this season.
Erik ten Hag's side lifted the trophy after beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the final, thanks to first-half goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford.
Meulensteen, while acknowledging Manchester United's achievement, criticized his former club for over-celebrating. The Dutchman, who worked as an assistant under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, insists that the club must set their sights higher.
He said on Manchester United's official Scandinavian supporters' club (as quoted by Metro):
"That was to me a little bit [of an issue after the Carabao Cup victory]. Fantastic that United won the Carabao Cup because that’s what every manager wants, it solidifies, it helps get the message across and you have to be happy and you have to celebrate it. But I would have not celebrated over the top."
Meulensteen added:
"I would have just said, 'Great, very happy with it, pleased for the players but we’ve got a long way to go'. Don’t celebrate it like you’ve won the Champions League. And that, I think, was a little bit the case, you know what I mean?"
He further stated:
"And United cannot be happy just winning the Carabao Cup. So we’ve got one big chance to go against Manchester City, which will be a fantastic game to look forward to, but those are the games where you really see the measure of where we are."
Manchester United are currently fourth in the Premier League table, one point above fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.
Rene Meulensteen criticizes Manchester United for 'getting carried away' this season
Meulensteen also laid into his former club for supposedly getting carried away after important victories this season.
The Red Devils, despite finding themselves in the Champions League spots, have somewhat struggled to find stability in their form this campaign. Talks of a historic quadruple that sprouted earlier this season have now come down to a top-four race against Liverpool.
Meulensteen compared Manchester United's current form to that of the side that he worked with.
"The biggest challenge for all the players that come to Manchester United is that you cannot just turn up one game – yep, brilliant, you get all the plaudits – and don’t turn up the next. That was, I felt, the strongest aspect of the team we worked with, that stability, that continuity, the consistency to constantly hit those high levels."
He added:
"So we didn’t get carried away with a win against Arsenal or Liverpool – fine, three points, next! No problem, next! And the same thing with the Champions League, because of the travelling and how we dealt with that and the way we managed that and managed the group. There was just this constant focus, not getting carried away."