Manchester: The ‘Einstein’ in the Manchester United dug-out got the right combination on the pitch here Saturday. Jose Mourinho finally worked out a theory that involved dropping Wayne Rooney and when he put it into practice for the visit of the champions of England at old Trafford, it worked like a dream.
United purred without Rooney. In fact, they played so well it is difficult to see their captain forcing his way back into the side any time soon. Rooney cheered and applauded the glut of United goals as enthusiastically as anybody as he sat on the bench but he may yet look back on this match as the beginning of the end of his time at Old Trafford.
Goals from Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba were all on target for the Red Devils as they took a commanding 4-0 lead at half time against Leicester City. The defending champions looked shell-shocked as attack after attack invaded their goal. It could very well have been 6-0 had not Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pogba missed gilt-edged chances.
The Foxes got a consolation in the second half through a lovely curling header by Demarai Gray, but it was a goal that hardly bothered United players as they kept the ball to themselves to run out comfortable winners.
Till this game Pogba had struggled to live up to his £89mn price tag since his arrival from Juventus, as most players would, but he was magnificent against Claudio Ranieri’s side and thoroughly deserved his first goal for the club amidst the rout. Ander Herrera was superb, too. Rashford, Ibrahimovic and Jesse Lingard linked well in attack.
This, though, was about United and a return to form after the shock of successive defeats against Manchester City and Watford. It was also a welcome relief for Mourinho, who has been under siege and who mocked the suggestions of ‘the Einsteins’ who had started to suggest his own career was in decline. This emphatic 4-1 victory was a trenchant response.
Agencies
