Amorim arrives at a buoyant United, what now for RVN?
Manchester United's interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy acknowledges fans at the end of the win over Leicester. Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images.
RUBEN Amorim today takes over a Manchester United side in buoyant form although his predecessor Erik ten Hag would be forgiven for looking at his former team with a sense of bewilderment.
Bruno Fernandes was the key performer against Leicester, involved in two first half goals before laying on a late assist for Alejandro Garnacho, as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim reign ended on a high: three wins and a draw in four games.
The United captain made a point of revealing he apologised personally to ten Hag after the Dutchman was sacked late last month following a poor start to the season.
Fernandes took his goals tally to four in four games under the caretaker, after failing to find the net in ten Hag’s final 17 games as manager, which begs the question whether the United captain might have been better placed scoring goals for the former manager, rather than issuing apologies.
For van Nistelrooy, today should bring an instant answer to his own fate as he insists he wants to remain as an assistant at the club.
“I appreciated the clear communication of the club, it was an interim spell for a short term, it could have been one or two games,” he said.
“They kept me in the loop, and it was four. For me, it was important to have that clarity, I appreciate that. And in the end, for me the most important thing is the football club and I am here to support that in my role. As I said, I want to continue doing that in the future.
“Now, also the communication was that after the block of four games, there will be communication to you and your colleagues, who are in an uncertain situation. So, I expect to hear today or tomorrow from them.”
Fernandes struck twice in the first half, although his second effort was eventually ruled an own goal by Leicester defender Victor Kristiansen.
There was no doubting the validity of the opener on 17 minutes as the Portuguese playmaker took Noussair Mazraoui’s throw-in and cut in from the wing.
He played a neat one-two with Amad Diallo, the ball returned by the youngster via a clever back heel, and continued his journey into the Leicester area.
Then, just inside the visitors’ box, Fernandes sent a superb low strike into the bottom corner of Mads Hermansen’s goal although the Leicester keeper might have been disappointed at not stopping the effort.
Better was to follow thanks, again, to Fernandes. Mazraoui’s left-wing cross found his team mate six yards out, arriving ahead of Kristiansen and stopping to make contact with an attempted header. The ball bounced awkwardly off Fernandes’ thigh and took a deflection off the defender on its way into the goal.
The scruffy manner of that goal did not matter to the home crowd who have responded to United’s improvements under van Nisterlooy. In the first nine league games of the season, under ten Hag, United led in games for a total of 86 minutes. In van Nistelrooy’s two in charge, they have been in front for 73.
It is that kind of improvement that Amorim is stepping into although there are still obvious frailties. Wilfred Ndidi should have equalised on 27 minutes but Andre Onana rushed out to block as the midfielder raced onto Facundo Buonanotte’s pass.
Leicester’s last four away games had all ended with 90th-minute goals that altered the result but there never looked likely to be any such drama here and, on 82 minutes, Fernandes found substitute Garnacho on a counter and the young winger curled in an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area.
Onana 7; Dalot 6 (Evans 57, 6), de Ligt 7, Martinez 7, Mazraoui 7; Casemiro 7 (Eriksen 78, 5), Ugarte 7; Diallo 7, Fernandes 8, Rashford 5 (Garnacho 57, 7); Hojlund 5 (Zirkzee 75, 5).
Bayindir, Heaton, Mount, Lindelof, Antony.
Hermansen 5; Justin 5 (McAteer 83), Faes 5, Vestergaard 5, Kristiansen 5; Winks 7; Buonanotte 6, Soumare 6, Ndidi 7 (El Khannouss 70, 5), Fatawu 5; Ayew 7 (Edouard 87).
Coady, Choudhury, Mavididi, Okoli, Skipp, Ward.
P Bankes 7
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
