Erik ten Hag has done an ‘outstanding’ job at Man Utd but winning trophies is par for the club, says Paul Merson

Paul Merson says Erik ten Hag has done an “outstanding” job at Manchester United but warns that winning trophies should be the standard for the “biggest club in the world”.

United ended their six-year trophy drought at Wembley on Sunday by beating Newcastle 2-0 as their revival continued with the club still in the FA Cup and Europa League, and sitting comfortably inside the top four.

Ten Hag oversaw difficult defeats to Brighton and Brentford at the start of the season, but the mood around the club has completely transformed since.

In his latest column, Sky Sports’ Merson hails the importance of Ten Hag securing his first trophy at the club while also discussing Chelsea’s woes under Graham Potter, Arsenal’s important fixture against Everton on Wednesday and the relegation battle.

‘Man Utd should be doing what they’re doing – winning trophies’

My old Arsenal manager George Graham used to say, as a new manager, ‘The quicker you win a trophy the better it is’. It’s hard to get the first one over the line.

So it’s a massive win for United to get them going, it’s been six years since their last trophy which is ridiculous. It’s always important to win trophies, there are only four to win and the Europa League and Premier League are a big ask.

Erik ten Hag has done an outstanding job but he does manage Manchester United, the biggest club in the world. I’m not being horrible but they should be doing what they’re doing.

They’ve been able to bring in the likes of Casemiro, it’s not like they’re working on a shoestring budget. Brighton, Fulham and Brentford would love to sign a player like him.

Ninety per cent of the games Man Utd play in the Premier League they’re expected to win. It would be a shock if clubs like Brighton, Fulham and Brentford are expected to win 50 per cent of their matches.

But Ten Hag has got people believing now, not just the players but the fans which is the big thing. You’ve got to take your chances and win your trophies when you can. They’re hard to win because there are too many good teams about nowadays.

Man United were getting rinsed by Brentford and Brighton at the start of the season, now they’ve lifted the first available trophy.

‘I could have played for Chelsea vs Spurs – it was so slow!’

It’s the worst I’ve seen at Chelsea in over 20 years. The fans are fuming now. I was at the game against Tottenham on Sunday and that’s the most hostile I’ve ever heard it among the Chelsea support.

I think Graham Potter will get the next two games, Leeds and Dortmund in the Champions League. It doesn’t actually matter what happens in the Leeds match, it all comes down to the Dortmund game.

It’s the only competition Chelsea can win, they’re out of the FA Cup and won’t get in the top four, and there’s no way they can go into a Champions League game without a manager, it’s pointless. People may say it won’t be any worse, but it won’t be any better. It’s a massive week.

At Tottenham, they didn’t look like scoring a goal in a year of Sundays. Mykhailo Mudryk is an £88m signing sitting on the bench, it tells you he’s not Potter’s player. If he was his player and he’d have gone to the board and said he needed him, and would have to play him.

When Chelsea lost 1-0 at Dortmund, I thought they’d definitely beat them in the second leg. Since then, I don’t see how they will score two goals in a match.

They never looked like scoring at Spurs. I could have played for Chelsea on Sunday when they had the ball because it was so slow – and I’m 54! I can’t run around anymore but I can pass the ball, and I could have played in the team. It was slow, sideways, backwards, I can play like that at my age.

Chelsea’s biggest game is Tottenham and it was lacklustre. They could still be playing now and they wouldn’t have scored. I can’t remember getting excited once in the game by them.

Chelsea beat Tottenham four out of four times last season, twice in the cups, twice in the league and that was when they had Heung-min Son playing on fire. Now he’s coming off the bench and they still can’t get a result.

I like Potter, they should give him a chance, but one goal in six games, one win in 11, two wins in 16. That is absolutely a no-go. It’s extraordinary.

‘Arsenal must make game in hand count’

When you’re top of the league, off the back of a good result at Aston Villa, and you’ve got to go to a very difficult place like Leicester, who have dangerous players, you must start well – and in the first half Arsenal were outstanding.

Arsenal dominated, they scored the goal early in the second half but after that it was sloppy. They didn’t keep possession for long enough and Leicester put them under pressure although without ever looking like scoring. It was a proper away-day performance when you’re going for the title.

I wasn’t sure about Leandro Trossard playing up front, I didn’t think it worked. I’d have brought Eddie Nketiah on at half-time because for all the play Arsenal had they didn’t look like scoring in the first half. The VAR decision to disallow Trossard’s goal was a brilliant spot.

Trossard playing in that position did mean they could keep possession because he was coming short for the ball. It was like Man City from last season playing a false nine.

That said, it was a good decision to give Nketiah a rest and I’d be shocked if he didn’t play against Everton on Wednesday. So it’s a masterstroke really to get him out of the firing line to recharge.

Arsenal have got to win on Wednesday against Everton, which is their game in hand and can move them five points clear. You’ve got to make that game in hand count, that’s the name of the game. They should beat Bournemouth on Saturday and then you’re at least five points clear with 12 games to go – it’s in your hands.

‘Relegation fight will go to the wire’

Clinton Morrison was sat next to me on Soccer Saturday watching Leeds vs Southampton and he must have said to me five times, ‘These two are getting relegated’. I worry for them. Southampton had a great result against Chelsea but you have to follow that up by not getting beat by Leeds. That’s why they’re at the bottom of the league.

Everton have had a reality check, the fans were booing after the defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. They aren’t going to blow anyone away whoever they play. They have a certain style, hard to beat, tight and it’s alright playing that way if you win matches. It’s a hard job Sean Dyche has there. But there’s a lot of games to go and it can quickly change.

As long as James Maddison is fit then Leicester have no chance of going down. They’re a different team when he plays, a hundred times better. He gets on the ball and then everyone else does. It’s a different game.

I don’t think there are teams good enough at the bottom to start winning three or four games on the trot. They’re going to be so inconsistent throughout the season and it’ll go to the wire. It’s too tight and there’s too many teams involved for it not to go the distance

It’s also about the wow-factor results when you come back into the dressing room and see someone else has won when you didn’t give them a chance. They’re the ones you don’t want to see when you’re at the bottom.