Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes bagged one goal and created two more in his team’s spirited 3-0 Premier League victory over Leicester City on Sunday, a victorious send-off for Ruud van Nistelrooy in his finale as interim manager.
United, which has had three wins and a draw across all competitions since manager Erik ten Hag was fired on October 28 and replaced temporarily with Van Nistelrooy, is 13th in the league table on 15 points, four points adrift of the top three. Leicester is 15th on 10 points.
Fernandes, who went his last 17 games under Ten Hag without scoring, celebrated his 250th appearance for United with a goal in the 17th minute, latching on to a back-heel pass from Amad Diallo before unleashing a low hard shot into the far corner. It was the skipper’s fourth goal in four games for Van Nistelrooy.
“It was a long time that I wasn’t scoring and now goals are coming in the last few games,” Fernandes said. “Another clean sheet was important for us to bring back the fortress we had here. We have to keep doing that and we have to improve.”
Leicester defender Victor Kristiansen was credited with United’s goal in the 38th minute when Fernandes missed an intended header of Noussair Mazraoui’s cross but the ball pinged off his thigh before deflecting off Kristiansen and in.
Alejandro Garnacho netted United’s third in the 82nd minute when Fernandes spotted him on the left and the Argentinian sent a curling shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the top corner. The 20-year-old looked emotionless after bagging his third league goal of the season.
“Garnacho scored a banger but didn’t celebrate like he should because he thinks he has lost faith from some fans,” Fernandes said. “I told him people will always moan but lots of people like you and enjoy what you do.
“I told him to celebrate, it was something special. He is a special player, we have difference makers. They are the ones who win us games.”
Fans at Old Trafford sang Van Nistelrooy’s name throughout the game’s final few minutes.
Ten Hag’s permanent replacement Ruben Amorim arrives on Monday from Sporting, with his first game as United boss scheduled for November 24 at Ipswich Town. Van Nistelrooy’s future with United is still to be determined although the team’s former striker has said he wants to remain on staff.
“I absolutely believe this club has all the ingredients to get back to the levels I knew as a player,” Van Nistelrooy wrote in Sunday’s game programme. “From tomorrow, I will be getting behind our new head coach, Ruben Amorim, and I urge everyone who loves the club to do the same.”
Fernandes had kind words for the interim boss.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy feels the club, he loves the club, he wants to bring joy to the players,” he said. “He brought everyone with a smile to the games, he just wanted us to enjoy it. We wanted to say goodbye as a manager for him properly because he did good things for us.
“It’s a new era, a new manager means everything changes but what hasn’t changed is that this club has to get back to where it belongs.”
Sunday’s game deteriorated along with the weather in the second half, although Jordan Ayew had an excellent chance for the visitors when he smashed a shot at the near post which was tipped wide for a corner.
“It was a fairly even game in general play but in decisive moments we didn’t defend well enough,” Leicester manager Steve Cooper said. “We had good phases in the game but you have to be productive at both ends of the pitch.
“We weren’t the threat we are capable of being, we fell short.”
United has lost just two of the last 18 Premier League games against the Foxes.
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