Internet Desk: Three defeats in the last four games, three long years of mediocrity that have seeped into this season, the fans were looking for a sign at Old Trafford that life could be different to the Theatre of Dreams and by half-time Jose Mourinho’s team had given them four.
The redemptive Red Devils thumped defending champions and in-form Leicester City by four goals in a spell of twenty minutes while skipper Wayne Rooney watched from the substitutes’ bench, inevitably dropped, the outcome which he would have seen coming after starting Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie. Two defeats in succession and Mourinho was prepared to play any tune necessary to get the show back on the road to protect the pride of his tag “The special one”.
The last time United were four goals up at half-time was back in 2012. This time, against Claudio Ranieri’s champions, it felt like an afternoon that Old Trafford could dominate, although there have been too many false dawns in the last few seasons.
The were a lot of news prints wasted on the quality and price tag of Paul Pogba, but the Prodigal son’s first goal for the club came right when it mattered the most. He won the Man of the Match as well. The other goals came from Chris Smalling, Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford.
On the other hand, for Leicester, they were so dilapidated in the first half that Ranieri replaced Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez at half-time to save their legs for the Champions League game against Porto on Tuesday.
The defending champions had a moment of delight in the second half when an excellent strike from the 20-year-old Englishman Demarai Gray which was witnessed first hand by the new England manager Sam Allardyce who was in the stands. But otherwise this was about a United team without Rooney cutting loose in the first half in particular.
Rooney came on in the 83rd minute as a replacement for Rashford shortly after Michael Carrick had come on, his first minutes in the Premier League this season.
Today, the performance of Mourinho’s men would certainly put the future of Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rojo in doubts. Especially, Juan Mata and Daley Blind were exceptional with the roles they were given by Mourinho. Herrera too played a pivotal role in the midfield, continueing his EFL form this week.
United will play their next Premier League game on next Sunday against Stoke.