Ruud van Nistelrooy has a reputation for scoring goals at Old Trafford and he did so in his first game as interim Manchester United manager.
The shackles were lifted and the big guns struck back as United began their post-Erik Ten Hag era.
The tone was set before the match. Van Nistelrooy promised United would “get the crowd going” and did his best to help out the side, energizing the stadium as he emerged from the tunnel. Perhaps he was hoping to replicate another former striker with a makeshift makeover.
As in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game in charge, United scored five goals, a feat only achieved once under ten Hag, as they beat Leicester and advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. It felt like a weight had been lifted. For now anyway.
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Manchester United interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy cheers the crowd ahead of the first match against Leicester at Old Trafford.
In the days of Ten Hag, goals were often difficult to achieve. After he was sacked on Monday, statistics showing United’s shocking goal difference under the Dutchman went viral. Manchester City tops the list with +134, Liverpool tops the list with +85, and United fall behind with +11.
This wasn’t the case since Jose Mourinho’s liberation, but it certainly felt different. The pressure is gone.
Especially in the match against Leicester, experienced players stood up. Captain Bruno Fernandes, who had been goalless all season, and Casemiro, often overlooked by the former manager, provided dramatic moments with two goals at Old Trafford.
Without Casemiro’s strike from distance, United would have risked falling back into the sloppy habits of the past few months. After the grim proceedings began, all they needed to wake them up and bring them to life was a rocket in the back.
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Casemiro gives Man Utd the lead with a superb top corner strike that would have made Van Nistelrooy proud.
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Bruno Fernandes made the most of Caleb Okoli’s sloppy backpass to give Manchester United a 5-2 win over Leicester City.
As United set off, Fernandes appeared to have his juices back. He’s back to the mix, finding the goal, creating chances and continuing to be a nuisance. What he’s good at.
The skipper ranks second in touches (78) and chances created (4) and has made more passes into the final third (25) than anyone else on the pitch. After losing possession, Fernandes recovered more of the ball in the final third than the rest of United’s starters combined.
On paper, the system inherited most of the systems seen in Ten Hag, but with freedom. It seems to suit Fernandez.
Fernandes and Casemiro took center stage at Old Trafford.
It might have been a different story if his free-kick hadn’t deflected off James Justin’s first goal. Fernandes’ effort looked like it would have otherwise been easily saved by Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward. What he needed was luck.
The feel-good factor has returned to Old Trafford.
This felt like a United night. Casemiro’s second goal bounced off both posts and fell perfectly to him. Leicester were convinced Garnacho’s strike was offside. And this time VAR was not used.
‘Where was this luck before?’ Ten Hag is probably watching from afar and asking somewhere.
Van Nistelrooy also acknowledged as much after the game. “We scored some great goals, the first one was a beautiful goal by Casemiro, but I would say we were also lucky.
“We scored five goals but against West Ham, Fenerbahce and Brentford we created a lot more chances. Suddenly we had a bit of luck on our side and it was a really good day.”
The response to Ten Hag’s firing raises inevitable but urgent questions. Is this what it takes to get players to play?
Over the past decade since Sir Alex Ferguson resigned, a cycle has been established in which underpowered players suddenly produce when they feel they are fighting for their future.
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Van Nistelrooy highlighted Casemiro’s presence after the club’s first win against Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
Five senior managers have already been thrown into the trash heap to see this reaction when the next person walks through the door.
Sacking Ten Hag felt like the only solution to United’s disastrous start to the season. 14th in the Premier League standings after nine games is clearly not good enough. But that doesn’t answer all questions.
Leicester’s defeat was the result of the team reacting to shock. Nothing more. Ruben Amorim, expected to replace Ten Hag, still has some work to do. This is impossible.
