Ruud van Nistelrooy’s red and white army had Manchester United fans on their feet as their applauded a comfortable 5-2 win over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
It was a reminder of how United should play attacking football, with Van Nistelrooy reverting to a 4-4-2 formation with Bruno Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee up front.
On Wednesday night, Van Nistelrooy initially emerged from the tunnel by turning back to flash a fist at the Stretford End. This gave us a glimpse of the days when United was all about fight and style.
The interim boss punched the air when Casemiro opened the scoring with a world-class strike but did not budge from the touchline throughout – arms usually folded.
The Dutchman made another gesture towards the fans after the game. On top of that, the players also showed a lap of appreciation for the Old Trafford faithful after what had been a hectic week for the club.
Van Nistelrooy has a different aura about him than Ten Hag. Dare we say more aggressive than the former Ajax manager, but last night was a good start and I don’t think there was a Red in the stadium who didn’t enjoy themselves.
Manchester United correspondent Simon Peach has shared material of Van Nistelrooy taking time with the fans at Old Trafford after the match.
Will Tottenham face Van Nistelrooy or Amorim in the Carabao Cup?
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesThere is no getting away from the fact this is the biggest tie from last night’s draw.
Liverpool and Arsenal avoided each other and we’ve got Tottenham, who knocked out Pep Guardiola’s Man City with a 2-1 win last night.
Ange Postecoglou is desperate to get his hands on a trophy as Tottenham manager because he knows how much it would mean to their fans, who have been starved of success for most of their lives.
We expect that Ruben Amorim will be in charge by the time United travel to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.