Manchester United vs Leicester City. Premier League.
Old TraffordAttendance73,829.
Report and free match highlights as goals from Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho sandwiched between a Victor Kristiansen own goal saw Manchester United beat Leicester 3-0 at Old Trafford as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s brief reign ended with a win
Monday 11 November 2024 06:07, UK
Ruud van Nistelrooy signed off with a win as Manchester United powered to a 3-0 win over Leicester City at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes' fine finish from outside the box opened the scoring on the occasion of his 250th appearance for the club and the captain helped double the advantage when his effort was deflected into the net for an own goal by Victor Kristiansen before the break.
There was time for another spectacular goal from distance in the second half when Alejandro Garnacho emerged from the bench to curl the ball into the top corner with Fernandes the architect once more. The goals are finally flowing again for United.
Leicester had the odd moment, Andre Onana saving from Wilfred Ndidi, but the result makes it three wins and a draw from Van Nistelrooy's four games before he hands over to Ruben Amorim. United are 13th in the table. The Foxes stay down in 15th.
Manchester United interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy in the press conference:
"I can only describe that moment, how I felt and as a closure of this block of four games, it felt like a closure and the future is open. That is the way I felt it. It was a beautiful moment to be able to share that with the supporters, it was special.
"What is important for me is that when I started as an interim at the beginning of this four-game period, it was to stabilise and continue playing what the players are used to 85 per cent and put in little tweaks or changing players and resting players.
"And that is where you start to get your own bit of identity in, try to get the confidence back. You could see the quality of the players, still not in a consistent way because there is a lot to improve, but there is a foundation in the last four games of strong unity, good spirit, players who were at it and looking for results and we got four.
Asked if it was goodbye, he added: "No, I felt like closing this period down and it was a moment, here and now and that was the beauty of the moment and where circumstances came together and it was a beautiful moment. Gratitude from my side to them and the reception I was able to receive was unbelievable."
Regarding his future at the club, asked if he would like to have been given the opportunity to show what he could have done in the role in the manner of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before him, he said: "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, they kept me in the loop. It was four. For me, it was important to have that clarity.
"For me the most important thing is the football club and I am here to support that and I want to continue that. Also the communication was after the block of four, there will be communication. Expect to hear today or tomorrow on that."
The Stretford End roared his name as he left the pitch, Van Nistelrooy receiving another rousing ovation in the stadium where he was once such a hero as a player. This cameo as a caretaker manager has been significant in its own way, already lifting the gloom.
Three wins from four, the goals flowing once again, one can only wonder what Erik ten Hag makes of all this, no doubt telling himself that his team were on the cusp of this regardless, but the mood has changed. The handover to Amorim now comes with hope.
These United fans know a thing or two about false dawns in recent years, even the dangers of believing the appointment of a former favourite in front of goal can change everything - but in that sense perhaps the club have finally got this one right.
Rather than giving Van Nistelrooy a long-term contract as manager, he has performed his functioning in cleansing the spirit at Old Trafford, allowing everyone to look forward with optimism. Whatever happens next, this was a special day for him and the fans.
A defeat at Old Trafford even with Manchester United so diminished would not ordinarily be enough to cause such fan frustration but Steve Cooper was on the receiving end of chants from the away end of 'Cooper, sort it out' during the second half of the game.
The former Nottingham Forest boss has the Foxes outside of the relegation zone on their return to the Premier League but performances have not been fluent and a series of odd decisions at set plays seemed to infuriate the visiting supporters in Manchester.
Leicester could have leapfrogged United with victory in this game so clearly the margins are tight but they are now only three points from safety following Ipswich's surprise win at Tottenham. Sticking together is key but that looks difficult. The grumbles are growing.
