Manchester United defender Raphael Varane says his side are more disciplined and more confident under boss Erik Ten Hag compared with previous managers.
United endured a disappointing last campaign, finishing in sixth position in the Premier League while failing to win a trophy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then Ralf Rangnick, who took charge on a short-term basis following Solskjaer’s sacking.
But after a rocky start, the Reds have shown improvement under boss Erik Ten Hag this season – sitting third in the league with the opportunity to win their first trophy since 2017 if they are victorious over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
And Varane says Ten Hag has changed the mentality among the United squad since his arrival.
“I think first of all, it’s the confidence,” Varane explained.
“Secondly, I think it’s the discipline. I think tactically we are following the rules exactly and we know exactly how we want to play, how we want to manage the game.
“I think there is quality in the squad, with a little bit more experience and the mentality of competition and a winning mentality.
“We already improved a lot and that’s maybe the difference between this season and the last seasons.”
United take on Barcelona at Old Trafford tomorrow in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash.
The two sides drew 2-2 in the first leg and Varane says his side are confident of progressing in the competition.
“I think the first game against Barcelona was a very good game,” he added.
“It was a top level, with two offensive teams who wanted to press high up the pitch.
“The level was very good and it was a good result for us. In the first half we could have maybe scored more goals but in general we played with character on the pitch, which was very important.
“I think for the second game, we know exactly how we want to play. We want to play with patience, with discipline on the pitch, and we believe.
“We have a good team and we are ready for that challenge.”
