Two traits have made Erik ten Hag the most popular Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson

As the Carabao Cup made its way down the line of victorious Manchester United players in the Wembley Royal Box, there was a roar from the 33,000 travelling fans each time it was hoisted anew into the air.

But towards the end of the procession, the din rose to new levels. Every player had been greeted with a raucous cheer, but this time the decibel levels went up. It was the loudest roar of them all and it was reserved for the manager.

There are popular players in this squad. Marcus Rashford's relationship with fans has been restored this season. They love the passion of Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro and the quality of Raphael Varane.

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It is Erik ten Hag, however, who is the closest to the hearts of those United fans. They love him and it is the Dutchman they credit for the revolution taking place at Old Trafford. Judging by his comments in his post-match press conference yesterday, it is reciprocal. "I just love United," he said.

There are some world-class players in this team, but they've been knitted together by a manager who has entered that bracket this season. Ten Hag was the populist choice a year ago with United's army of online fans, but there were also plenty who knew very little about the Ajax manager, beyond his CV in Amsterdam.

On one of the early trains to the capital on Sunday morning, a group of matchgoers talked in revered tones about their manager, but also admitted they weren't sure about him when he was appointed, because they just didn't know much about him. They know enough now.

Has a United manager been this popular since Sir Alex Ferguson? Jose Mourinho was lauded at times but his football didn't win everyone over and he