Erik ten Hag and his Manchester United players stood to watch the FA Cup trophy lift after falling to defeat against rivals Manchester City.
The Red Devils suffered a 2-1 loss to their neighbours in the first-ever Manchester derby Cup final.
Whilst the defeat is obviously a tough pill to swallow for all Reds, many have found silver linings in the fact that United went toe-to-toe with the Blues despite the early goal (13 seconds) and a fairly depleted squad.
It’s also crucial to remember that this is the work of just one season under Ten Hag, so reaching two finals, lifting a trophy and finishing third place in the Premier League is ultimately a resounding success.
Ten Hag made United watch trophy lift
These kinds of results will certainly be used as fuel to bounce back stronger next term, hence why, according to The Athletic, Ten Hag and the squad watched on as City lifted the trophy in the royal box, in a bid for his players to show respect to their opponents and use the scenes as motivation.
Afterwards, the Dutchman said: “Show respect, always. But of course, it’s a motivation. You have to feel it in your stomach. It hurts. It has to be fuel. Our team, my players, deserved it, but you have to grab it and that is the next step we have to make.”
More must-reads: