THESE sunny final afternoons at Old Trafford used to involve giving out silverware and spraying champagne.
The last time that happened here was a decade ago as Sir Alex Ferguson bid farewell with Manchester United back on their perch.
But United matched a club record 27 home wins in a single season after beating Fulham 2-1, and there was a golden glove to be had.
Awarded to David De Gea with a table-topping 17 clean sheets in the Premier League this season.
While he could not add to that on this occasion he earned an incredible roar for his 26th-minute penalty save diving low to his left to deny Aleksandar Mitrovic.
It was only his sixth penalty save from 36 taken against him in the Premier League and his first at Old Trafford since 2014.
The Stretford End showed their appreciation as he held his arms aloft towards them after the fine stop.
But was it also a farewell gesture?
After 12 years and 544 appearances for the club this could be his last at Old Trafford with the FA Cup Final still to come.
His new contract remains unsigned, his current one runs out in the summer.
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Despite his longevity and heroics that have earned him the fans and players player of the year four times at the club, doubts remain after some high profile clangers.
There are also question marks about the 32-year-old’s distribution but his reactions and shot stopping cannot be questioned.
As the man himself said earlier this season is that and clean sheets not what it’s all about.
That pen would have put Fulham two-nil up after Kenny Tete had met Willian’s near post corner with a thumping header to give the visitors a 19th-minute lead.
United responded and after the thrilling Alejandro Garnacho hit the underside of the bar Jadon Sancho struck.
It was the 39th minute and Bruno Fernandes little turn gave him room to feed Fred.
A challenge the Brazilian by Tete brought brief calls for a penalty but as the ball broke for Sancho and he poked it over the line they quickly turned to cheers.
The winner in the 55th minute came when a terrific slide rule ball from Fred found fantastic Fernades who clipped a shot past the advancing Bernd Leno.
Victory equalled a club record 27 wins at home in all competitions, set in 2002-03.
Old Trafford is a fortress again, Ten Hag just needs to sort out storming the ramparts of their enemies.
So where are United at?
There was a telling line in the match day programme as the season was assessed.
“For all the strides taken this season, Ten Hag’s United are still closer to the start of the journey than the end.”
Indeed in the last decade there have been pointers towards a bright future not least when Jose Mourinho guided the club to second place a season after winning two trophies.
Ole Solskjaer also got them to runners-up spot.
Louis van Gaal thought winning the FA Cup would make him a hero, and then he was booed as he appeared on the big screen climbing the steps at Wembley.
The bar has been set incredibly high here and the fact that those runners-up spot and this season’s third placed finish never really hinted at a title challenge tells the real tale of where the club is still at.
But, but, there is real optimism.
The Carabao Cup has been won, the FA Cup final is to come and Champions League football will return.
The fans have heroes again.
Marcus Rashford in the form of his life with a career’s best 30 goals.
Casemiro has been a contrast to other big-name stars towards the end of their careers who came for a pay day.
He has been inspirational.
After watching from Spain as United went down 4-0 to Brentford in the second game of the season he sent the message “Tell them I’ll sort it” and what an impact he has had.
With Raphael Varane the two multiple Champions League winners from Real Madrid bring a calm assurance.
Then what about Lisandro Martinez. Too small to be a Premier League centre-back we were told. Well he was walking tall before an injury sadly curtailed his season.
Elsewhere Christian Eriksen has shown his class once more while players already here have been improved.
Garnacho at 18-years-old gave us another glimpse in this game of what will surely be a spectacular career going forward.
So yes, plenty of reasons to be cheerful but now it is about taking it on to the next step.
An FA Cup final win next weekend and denying neighbours Manchester City the treble would send them flying into the summer.
That is some task.
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With that in mind Ten Hag shuffled his pack against Fulham and also revealed that the absent Antony’s ankle injury is not as bad as first feared and he could yet make that Wembley date.
A date that will remind United how far they still have to go, or increase the hope that the future is indeed bright under Ten Hag.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
