Following Erik ten Hag's departure, Manchester United secured a 5-2 victory over Leicester, advancing to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals under Ruud van Nistelrooy's direction.Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes both scored two goals, and United's exciting display revived the spirits at Old Trafford.
In his first game as Manchester United's temporary manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy played up to his reputation for scoring goals at Old Trafford.
United kicked off the post-Erik ten Hag era with a bang, the big guns firing and the shackles free.
Pre-match, the mood was established. Perhaps aiming to follow in the footsteps of another former striker who became an interim, Van Nistelrooy pledged United would "get the crowd going" and did his best to assist from the sidelines, energizing the stadium when he emerged from the tunnel.
United easily defeated Leicester to advance to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals, scoring five goals, a feat they only accomplished once under Ten Hag, just like in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game as manager. It felt as though a burden had been removed. At least for the time being.
During the Ten Hag era, goals had frequently been difficult to come by. A statistic that showed United's startling goal differential under the Dutchman went viral when he was fired on Monday. Liverpool had +85, Manchester City had +134, and United was far behind at +11.
This felt different, but it wasn't the emancipation that followed Jose Mourinho. There was no pressure.
The more seasoned players were the ones that stepped out, especially against Leicester. The night's highlights came from two goals at Old Trafford from Casemiro, who was frequently disregarded by the previous management, and captain Bruno Fernandes, who had been goalless all season.
If it weren't for Casemiro's spectacular long-range goal, United might have reverted to their careless ways from the previous several months. After a somber beginning to the proceedings, it was the kick in the ass that they all needed to wake up and come alive.
Fernandes appeared to find his rhythm again after United started rolling. He had returned to the center of the action, searching for a goal, generating opportunities, and generally being a bother. what he does well.
The captain registered more passes into the final third than any other player on the field (25), and he was second in terms of touches (78) and chances created (4). Fernandes won the ball back three more times out of possession in the last third than all of United's starting combined.
There was a sense of independence even if the system on paper was essentially a continuation of what we witnessed under Ten Hag. Fernandes seems to like that.
If his free-kick hadn't bounced off James Justin for his first goal, the story would have been different. Danny Ward, the goalkeeper for Leicester, appeared to have easily stopped Fernandes' attempt otherwise. He needed the good fortune.
This simply seemed to be United's night. After bouncing from both posts, Casemiro's second goal fell to him wonderfully. Garnacho's strike was deemed offside by Leicester. Additionally, it just so happened that VAR was not being used this time.
Ten Hag is most likely wondering from a distance, "Where was this good fortune before?"
This was also acknowledged by Van Nistelrooy following the game. "We scored several fantastic goals; Casemiro's first was a stunning strike. However, I must admit that we also had some luck.
"We have five goals, but we also generated a lot more larger chances against Brentford, Fenerbahce, and West Ham. It was a wonderful day since we suddenly had some luck on our side.
Though unavoidable, the reaction to Ten Hag's dismissal begs the crucial question: is this what it takes to get these players on the field?
Since Sir Alex Ferguson's resignation, a pattern of underperforming players suddenly delivering when they feel like they are battling for their careers has been established.
Five permanent managers had been waiting for this kind of response, but they are already thrown to the wolves as the next man enters the room.
The only way to stop United's terrible start to the season seemed to be to sacrifice Ten Hag. After nine games, 14th place in the Premier League standings is obviously insufficient. However, it doesn't solve all of their issues.
Leicester's thrashing is the outcome of a team reacting to a shock. Not much more. Ten Hag's replacement, Ruben Amorim, still has a lot of work ahead of him. This work is impossible.