Maybe there was something in Erik ten Hag’s claim that Manchester United were not receiving any luck in the final weeks as his tenure came to a stumbling end. Where VAR went against his team at West Ham, it was absent to prevent against Leicester, while the woodwork and deflections were working in their favour. Fortune favoured United on Wednesday but the team is in flux and requires clarity on what comes next.
It had been clear for far too long that change was required to lift the mood and United have experience of having a legend come in to revitalise a club stumbling and desperate to avoid hitting the canvas. The crowd had known for a long time things were not working out for Ten Hag; even when victories were found, it felt like a placebo rather than a cure to the ailments but at least Leicester eased the pain.
With Ruud van Nistelrooy in the dugout, there was greater energy on the sidelines and in the stands. The former United striker walked out of the tunnel before kick-off, punching the air and demanding noise, which the fans duly obliged. Whatever happens over the coming days, he is unlikely to follow the Ole Gunnar Solskjær route of getting the role on a long-term basis. Van Nistelrooy is the popular supply teacher, who gets out the guitar but did his best to follow the curriculum left behind by Ten Hag.
It would be generous to say anyone inside Old Trafford arrived with optimism because the malaise has lasted for far too long but the prospect of something better is in the air once more. The idea of a young coach coming in to reverse years of failings is promising but false dawns have been United’s stock in trade since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. While waiting to learn if Rúben Amorim will take the job and become the latest man to test himself in one of the most scrutinised jobs in world football, there was a match to win.
The key for the tunicked Van Nistelrooy was to offer a sense of fun for supporters who have witnessed bilge in recent times. This was a free hit for United and their interim manager against a Leicester second string. The football was enjoyable, if a somewhat distant relative of perfection, helping them reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. While Ten Hag often blustered about winning two major trophies in as many seasons, this competition seems like United’s best option of getting silverware, a concept that feels like an annual necessity.
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Carabao Cup quarter-final draw
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Tottenham v Manchester United
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Newcastle v Brentford
Southampton v Liverpool
Ties are scheduled to be played in the week commencing 16 December
Casemiro thrashed one in off the bar from 30 yards, Alejandro Garnacho netted after Diogo Dalot was given the benefit of the doubt by the assistant referee when arguably offside, Bruno Fernandes’s free-kick wrong-footed Danny Ward after James Justin’s header, Casemiro pounced after his original header hit both posts and came back to him, while Fernandes’s fifth came when he latched on to a woeful Leicester back-pass. Ten Hag had been waiting for that level of luck.
It had the feeling of a mid-season friendly; Leicester gave minutes to their benchwarmers, while United are in a holding pattern, waiting to find out if they will soon be playing 3-4-3 under a new manager. As Van Nistelrooy tweaked rather than overhauled, this lineup was not radically different from what his predecessor had picked and failed with for the past couple of months.
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The key difference for United players was they looked more relaxed, there was greater ambition with passes, movement was quicker and they finally finished enough chances to get out of sight. The two goals conceded came from crosses they were unable to deal with: something that needs to be dealt with by the next manager because it is a consistent weakness for United but at least they made up for their defence failings in the opposition box for once.
The victory was, naturally, welcomed and there were chants of “Ruuuuuuuuud” at the full-time whistle but overall the atmosphere was muted as supporters wonder what comes next. Sunday’s visit of Chelsea will be a far more difficult task than seeing off the reserves of a team set for a relegation battle. The performance will have to improve for Sunday because Cole Palmer and friends will put a lot more pressure on United and not be as liberal at the back.
As talks continue to navigate Amorim’s notice period, this result will encourage the United hierarchy to pay up to ensure he flies in as soon as possible to help leave the past behind and instigate a new epoch. Van Nistelrooy might have brought some light relief by offering his players more freedom and cheered the supporters with five goals but it is clear United need a long-term change of direction and someone to bring an identity that the supporters can align with and get behind.
