10 November 2024
Man Utd 3 Leicester 0
Ruud van Nistelrooy took his Man Utd team into his final game of his interim stint as manager. Leicester City were the visitors to Old Trafford, missing the influential Vardy up front. Much of the talk was whether the former Red Devils’ striker would still be part of the coaching staff when Ruben Amorim takes over as manager next week.
To be fair to van Nistelrooy, he deflected those questions well and said it would be something that would be discussed at a later date. However, it was announced yesterday that the Dutchman would be leaving the club. It was expected, most managers nowadays come in with their own entourage of coaches and tend to come as a team.
The hosts were putting the pressure on The Foxes from the off. All that was lacking in their play was that killer pass in the final third. As they forced a throw in, it was backheeled into the path of Fernandes by Diallo brilliantly. The Portuguese midfielder shifted it onto his right foot and bent one into the far corner to mark his 250th appearance for the club.
Even at this early stage of the game, you feared for the visitors. Without Vardy, it is hard to see where the goals are going to come from for The Foxes. That may be something they need to address in the transfer window if they are to have any hope of retaining their Premier League status. It will be interesting to see if the owners are willing to spend to ensure that.
Man Utd have got a bad habit of conceding soon after scoring. It should have continued here as a ball was clipped over the top of the defence to Ndidi. He was one on one with Onana, his attempted finish was nothing short of woeful. It allowed the Red Devils’ keeper to make an easy block and gather the ball at the second attempt.
The visitors were making United look like everything they hope Amorim will transform them into. They were attacking at will and opening up the Leicester defence with ease. As a cross was swung in by Mazraoui, Fernandes had an easy header in the middle of the box. He missed it completely and it struck his thigh before deflecting off Kristiansen into the back of the net.
Despite the Portuguese midfielder’s celebrations, it was immediately put down as an own goal. Just before the interval, Diallo went on a mazy run before finding himself with just Hermansen to beat. His drilled shot was saved by the legs of the keeper to deny the youngster another goal to add to his brace in midweek against PAOK.
The second half became quite a drab affair. Leicester were pushing forward more, trying to find a way into the game. All too often they were winning free kicks and corners but their delivery was nothing short of terrible. So many times they wasted attacking opportunities and having sent defenders forward, were leaving themselves short at the back when the moves broke down.
On the hour mark, van Nistelrooy decided it was time for Rashford to come off. He had been largely invisible in this game to be fair. Garnacho came on to replace him, with a point to prove after being dropped to the bench. Eriksen also joined the game and added a little something that their midfield had been missing.
The Foxes rarely pressed in the middle of the park, so Eriksen’s vision and passing range started to make a difference. He played a sublime ball to Fernandes, who threaded it into the path of Garnacho. He used his pace to run clean through on goal but as the covering defender came over, the Argentine kicked the ball onto his own heel and it went out harmlessly for a goal kick.
Moments later, the same two combined in the middle of the park. Once again the Man Utd skipper fed the ball to Garnacho, this time on the left. He checked inside onto his right foot and struck a superb shot past Hermansen and into the top corner of the goal. Old Trafford erupted as it sealed the victory for van Nistelrooy’s last game in charge.
Apart from an Ayew effort which was something out of nothing and struck the outside of the post, The Foxes had not really tested Onana at all in the Man Utd goal. The result left Steve Cooper with lots to think about as to how he is going to keep his side in the top-flight. The international break has probably come at a good time for Leicester City.
Bruno Fernandes put in a man of the match performance for Man Utd and led by example against quite a poor Leicester City. Ruben Amorim will be in charge for the Red Devils’ next game against Ipswich Town. There is still plenty of work to do at Old Trafford as they remain in thirteenth place in the Premier League table.
Many fans are expecting to see the good times immediately return once their new manager takes over. That is not going to be the case, he is not Harry Potter. It will take time to get this team challenging for trophies once again, they are long way off their rivals still. The one thing they need to do is stick with their team through thick and thin, all too often this season the atmosphere at Old Trafford has been incredibly toxic.
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