Rashford and Rooney benched but Mourinho still won – Man United’s last League Cup winners

Thanks to Erik ten Hag, Manchester United appear to have fixed their long-running leadership issue and proof could come in the shape of silverware.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, the club have been wandering around, searching for direction, but now that’s all changed.

Their new Dutch manager seems to have finally stabilised things, thanks to a few key transfers, and could be about to take his first trophy as manager six months into the job.

United face Newcastle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final this afternoon, where a win for either side could kick-start a new era.

It could be the Manchester club’s first trophy in six years, a gargantuan wait for a giant of the sporting world, but back in 2017, they had their last great leader.

Yes, Jose Mourinho was in the dugout, and claimed credit for what he called a treble, even though it contained a Community Shield, but on the pitch was where the real show was taking place.

In that curtain-raiser, the game was won by a very recognisable ponytailed Swede, and the League Cup was no different, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning to Wembley to take over.

Ibrahimovic had just moved to Old Trafford after the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain where he secured legendary status.

It’s hard to find a club during the self-styled deities iconic career where he wasn’t an icon, but at United he did it in record time.

In just one season he won as much as anyone since, and was integral in a final for an almost unrecognisable United team.

David de Gea is the only starting regular from the 3-2 win over Southampton, while huge names in Marcus Rashford and Michael Carrick came off the bench.

An even bigger name than both didn’t even make it either, with Mourinho making the bold call to leave Wayne Rooney out of the match.

He was proved right, too, with Zlatan taking over, starting the scoring early on with a rocket of a free kick from distance flying past a helpless Fraser Forster.

The lofty striker had an odd sparring partner for the game, with Manolo Gabbiadini almost stealing the show with a double, and nearly a hat-trick if it wasn’t for a questionable offside.

Instead though, Jesse Lingard’s goal cancelled out his two efforts, before Zlatan nodded home with just minutes to spare in normal time.

The Swede was again crucial in United’s winning Europa League run with 28 goals in all competitions for the season, although that would be their last trophy for far too long.

He eventually left halfway through the following season, and United turned to mediocrity without his inspiration.

That could all change on Sunday against Newcastle, though, and there’s plenty of candidates to replicate Ibrahimovic’s heroics, and maybe this time herald the start of a new era.