Manchester United seem to like new starts under interim managers.
After Ryan Giggs led Manchester United to a 3-1 win over Hull City on his first match in caretaker charge in 2014, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer followed up with a 5-1 win against Cardiff City in 2019.
In 2021, Michael Carrick helped United to a 2-0 win over Villarreal, while Ralf Rangnick’s opening match was an encouraging 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace, before results got progressively worse.
Ruud van Nistelrooy added his name to the list of successful Manchester United caretaker or interim bosses in the modern era, with a winning start against Leicester City.
Ruud’s goalscoring Reds
Manchester United’s players responded to a fresh start after Erik ten Hag’s sacking in a predictable way, by scoring for fun in the home win over Leicester.
United’s Carabao Cup victory over Leicester came easily. From the moment Casemiro fired in a rocket from outside the box, you knew this was going to be a successful night.
Leicester were very poor, despite managing to score twice. They had sent the wrong signals before the game by rotating their team, making them easy prey for a fired up Manchester United.
Manchester United scored four goals by half-time to lead 4-2, and ended up winning the game with a 5-2 scoreline.
It was the perfect response to sacking manager Erik ten Hag, who struggled to get his side to score goals, with a couple of exceptions.
When Erik ten Hag’s team scored four or more
In a total of 128 matches as Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag’s side scored four goals or more over 90 minutes just twice.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Manchester United accomplished the feat in just 45 minutes.
Whether that says anything about either man, is unclear. Perhaps this would have been one of the rare Ten Hag exceptions anyway, had he still been in charge.
Both games in which Ten Hag’s United scored four or more came in the Carabao Cup.
One was in November 2022 in a 4-2 home victory over Aston Villa, and the second was a more recent, Ten Hag’s biggest as United boss, a 7-0 win over Barnsley in September 2024.
Five goals against a Premier League team
With League One side Barnsley the notable exception, Erik ten Hag had never managed Manchester United to score five goals against a Premier League team.
Ruud van Nistelrooy did it on his first try. The legendary striker was prolific as a player, and this team’s performance was a perfect tribute to him.
Under Erik ten Hag, the goalscoring feats were rare. This season his side have managed to net just eight goals in nine Premier League games.
It was clear Manchester United were underperforming under Erik ten Hag.
Van Nistelrooy proved this in just half a game.
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