Top-four must not be Man Utd's ceiling - Erik ten Hag has to start challenging for the Premier League title

Manchester United are back in the Champions League but they are not yet back where they belong. Finishing in the top four in the Premier League is a solid start for Erik ten Hag, especially given the mess he had inherited from interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

The coach has also won the Carabao Cup and could yet add the FA Cup to round off a stellar debut campaign, although there is the small matter of facing Pep Guardiola's formidable Manchester City side in the final.

But under Sir Alex Ferguson, a top-four finish and a domestic cup would not be classed as a great season. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus would not see it that way either.

Too often in the last decade, United have let a top-four finish go to waste and have gone backwards instead of forwards the following campaign. They cannot afford to make the same mistake again this time.