Ruud Van Nistelrooy began his interim stint in charge of Manchester United with a bang on Wednesday night, as his reinvigorated Red Devils side emphatically beat Leicester City 5-2 in EFL Cup action.
Nobody knows quite how long the Dutchman will be in temporary charge for, after being handed the reins following his fellow compatriot Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, but the United legend is already firmly in the good books as boss after he spearheaded this win.
There were many top performers from a United perspective on the night, with the likes of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes obviously standing out for their goals, among other bright sparks in the Premier League club’s ranks.
Top performers for United vs Leicester
Casemiro’s display feels like a good place to start, with the Brazilian opening the scoring on the night to set his team on their way to a convincing demolition job victory, after hammering home a fierce early effort past helpless opposition goalkeeper Danny Ward.
He would pick up his second strike in the first half too, as the United number 18 blew off any cobwebs beginning to form with a top-drawer showing, which saw the ex-Real Madrid midfielder also register three blocks and win five duels when competently completing his defensive work.
Fernandes also shone brightly for his side, after putting in some notably lacklustre displays towards the back end of Ten Hag’s bumpy tenure, with the Portuguese ace boasting his own brace alongside Casemiro.
Away from those goals helping his side cruise to a mid-week win, the impressive 30-year-old also registered four key passes as he stylishly went about his business, hunting down a potential assist away from simply converting chances that came his way.
Other standout faces during the statement victory included Alejandro Garnacho picking up a goal and an assist for his troubles down the left wing, on top of Manuel Ugarte slotting in nicely to the side next to Casemiro in the holding midfield positions, with plenty more to come from the Uruguayan gem if Ruben Amorim does walk in through the door shortly.
Ugarte’s performance in numbers
Of course, Ugarte and the rumoured successor to Ten Hag know each other well, with the 23-year-old developing into a top talent at Sporting CP under Amorim’s watchful eye, so much so that he ended up winning himself a bumper £51.1m move to Paris St. Germain subsequently.
Now, the pair could be reunited at Old Trafford imminently, which will be music to the ears of the United number 25 who conjured up one of his best performances in England to date last night.
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Ugarte’s performance in numbers |
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|---|---|
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Stat |
Ugarte |
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Goals scored |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Touches |
75 |
|
Accurate passes |
52/58 (90%) |
|
Clearances |
1 |
|
Interceptions |
2 |
|
Total tackles |
4 |
|
Total duels won |
6/8 |
|
Stats by Sofascore |
|
Whilst the likes of Casemiro would put in a far flashier display than what Ugarte would deliver, the South American was still key in United picking up their first win post-ten Hag, with the ex-PSG man calm and measured on the ball with a 90% pass accuracy in-tact come the full-time whistle.
Moreover, it was also the United number 25’s forcefulness to break up play and launch into tackles that ensured Leicester didn’t get more than the two goals they helped themselves to at the Theatre of Dreams, with six duels won on top of four tackles being registered.
Labelled as putting in an “incredible” performance after the game by football journalist Dylan McBennett, a lot more will be expected of the summer buy as he grows more and more accustomed to the challenges of playing for the Red Devils, with Amorim’s potential arrival no doubt boosting him even more.
Until there is official confirmation on Amorim being Ten Hag’s replacement, however, Van Nistelrooy will continue to be the main man in the dug-out – and based on his team’s showing against Leicester, they’re in capable hands for the meantime.