Cristiano Ronaldo has gone; the Glazers are going, and the wins keep coming. Could a trophy be next?

This is Manchester United we are talking about so caution is advised.

But there are more reasons for the Devils to be smiling than for an awful long time.

They’re in the top four of the EPL and handily placed in both domestic cups.

In fact, they’re favourites in the Carabao Cup and have an excellent draw (at home to Reading) in the FA Cup.

But, best of all, when they host City on Saturday, they’ll fancy themselves in what will be the 187th Manchester derby.

The champions will go to the Theatre of Dreams badly needing to get their act together.

Five points behind Arsenal and dumped out of the Carabao Cup by bottom-of-the-table Southampton is not where Pep Guardiola’s boys expected to be in mid-January.

It would still be a stretch to say the noisy neighbours are there for the taking, but United will see it as a great chance to shut them up.

The loss to Saints is a stunner as they’d come to regard the Carabao Cup as their private property – much as the league title.

But the first half saw one of their worst performances under Pep Guardiola.

And by the time he brought on the cavalry, Saints had a grip on the game,

Worryingly for the Blues, Guardiola does not seem to know his best XI and even Haaland’s goals are drying up.

But City’s woes – real or imagined – are not the main reason for Devil’s optimism: it’s the way United have become a team again.

Marcus Rashford looks a new player – perhaps about to blossom into an even better one than expected.

After going a year without playing for England and just five goals last season, none other than Casemiro says he could become one of the world’s best.

The ex-Real Madrid man is a top candidate for signing of the season. He’s taken to the EPL like to the manor born and fully justified his £65 million fee.

Not only is he a huge improvement on “McFred” in midfield, the Brazilian is relishing the greater physicality and even popping in the odd goal.

Bruno Fernandes seems happier than anyone that his compatriot has left the building.

And he’s forming a more effective creative partnership with Christian Eriksen.

Elsewhere there are welcome signs of improvement. Luke Shaw has regained his mojo while even Harry Maguire is being rehabilitated.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has emerged from the wilderness; Jadon Sancho is undergoing intense training. No one has been forgotten.

Not all but much of this is down to a cloud being lifted from the dressing room.

It’s as clear as day that Ronaldo was an inhibiting presence – both on and off the field.

But the hero of United’s resurgence is their manager, Erik ten Hag.

Not everyone’s choice – Spurs thought him “a bit weird” when they interviewed him to succeed Nuno Espiritu Santo – he was given a hospital pass on arrival.

Besides the Ronaldo shenanigans, there was doom and gloom in the camp, exacerbated by those shocking defeats by Brighton and Brentford.

The talk was whether the Dutchman would last till Christmas. Had Spurs been right to leave him alone?

No top-flight manager has had a tougher beginning, but, to his immense credit, he stayed strong and won his battle with Ronaldo.

You could say that being so difficult, the Portuguese made it easier for the manager.

All but his Instagram sycophants could see what was happening and Ten Hag won out: game, set and match.

His authority was established and tactically he’s shown he’s no slouch either.

The success he enjoyed at Ajax was no fluke and he also encourages youngsters. Whisper it softly, but do United finally appear to have got the right man in charge?

“Weird” in London but wonderful in Manchester.

The scattergun has been put aside and players are no longer sought because of their social media followings.

Ed Woodward is also a distant nightmare.

Take the next arrival which now looks imminent: a 30-year-old Burnley reject, they don’t come less Instagrammable than Wout Weghorst.

He scored only twice in the league for Burnley last season and, considered “a bit of a lump”, was loaned to Besiktas.

But with six goals in 16 games in Turkey and a brace in the World Cup against Argentina, he’s shown that he’s much more than a Dutch Chris Wood.

Scorer of an absolute bullet and then THAT free-kick in the epic quarter-final, at 1.98m (6’6”), he offers United a whole new option for a modest loan fee.

What United have now is momentum – something City surprisingly lack.

Of course, the shock loss to Saints may spark a reaction that could be curtains for the home side and send them on a storming run.

But Pep was already in danger of his dreaded over-thinking and this may cause more.

Unlike his Dutch opposite number who believes in simplicity.

No matter how you look at it, he’s given United their mojo back.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.