Man Utd vs Leicester LIVE: Carabao Cup result and reaction as hosts net five against Foxes
Man Utd 5-2 Leicester: Ruud van Nistelrooy kicks off his tenure with a blistering win at Old Trafford
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Manchester United began life after Erik ten Hag in superb fashion with a four-goal flurry at Old Trafford in the first half of their Carabao Cup tie against Leicester City.
The hosts started shakily especially with the Foxes happy to press up the pitch. They controlled possession but were unable to play out from the back and made a few positional errors with Lisandro Martinez filling in at left-back.
Things settled down when Casemiro scored the first of six goals thanks to a rocket strike from range which left Danny Ward perplexed. Alejandro Garnacho quickly added a second with a finish to rival interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy before Bilal El Khannouss pulled one back for the visitors.
The goal fest didn’t stop there as Bruno Fernandes’ free kick took a big deflection to give United a third goal before Casemiro netted a second from a corner. With set pieces yielding goals, Conor Coady kept Leicester in the contest just before the break, turning in a loose ball after a free kick lifted it into the United area.
There was a final goal for Fernandes after the break as United hit five on Van Nistelrooy’s debut and advanced to the quarter-finals of the league cup.
Relive the updates from Man United vs Leicester in the live blog below:
Van Nistelrooy on taking over at Man Utd
Ruud van Nistelrooy is the new interim manager of Manchester United though he may not be in the role for very long depending on negotiations with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim.
While he is in charge Van Nistelrooy took the opportunity to address the fans in tonight’s match programme.
He wrote: “As I am sure everyone can imagine, I am writing these notes with a huge amount of mixed emotions. Erik ten Hag brought me back to Manchester United in the summer and, while I have only been part of the coaching staff here for a few months, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity, and I am saddened to see him leave.
“Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so. I can promise that I will continue to give my all, in whatever capacity, to try to turn around our fortunes.”
Man Utd line-up
Man Utd XI: Bayindir; Dalot, Lindelof, De Ligt, Martinez; Ugarte, Casemiro; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee
Bruno Fernandes on Ruben Amorim’s potential as a manager
Bruno Fernandes spoke glowingly last year about Ruben Amorim and his potential as a manager.
The Sporting boss has been tipped to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United and the Portuguese midfielder’s remarks from last year suggest he will be pleased with the potential appointment.
“I think all the qualities are there to be able to succeed in English, French, or Spanish football,” Fernandes told SportTV last year.
“Obviously, we know that the Premier League is probably the most desired. The qualities [to succeed in England] are there and he has everything to take the next step, in my opinion.”
Manchester United in talks to make Ruben Amorim new manager to replace Erik ten Hag
Manchester United are in talks to try and appoint Ruben Amorim, with the Sporting head coach understood to be considering the opportunity to replace Erik ten Hag.
The Old Trafford hierarchy have put the 39-year-old top of their list, having not considered him during the summer. They are also willing to negotiate with the Portuguese club about a release fee that is within the region of €10m (£8.3m).
United are seeking to impress on Amorim the opportunity that the job presents and there has been considerable progress on talks, to the point that Amorim’s coaching staff has been discussed.
Manchester United in talks to make Ruben Amorim new manager to replace Erik ten Hag
The Portuguese coach was thought to not want to switch mid-season but there has been considerable progress in discussions
Foxes in form
Leicester are in good form.
They’ve only lost two of their last seven matches across all competitions though one of those defeats came against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Jamie Vardy has scored in his last two outings and will be keen to perform at Old Trafford.
A close affair
Despite coming up from the Championship this season, Leicester are only two points behind Man Utd in the Premier League table. They have won twice and drawn three times in the top flight so will be confident of taking on the Red Devils tonight.
United, in contrast, have three wins and two draws but will hope the change in manager can turn around their fortunes and send them into the next round.
Cooper on Manchester United
Steve Cooper is also expecting Manchester United’s quality to be on display at Old Trafford but hopes his gameplan will be enough to help his players get the win.
Cooper added: “Manchester United have got brilliant players who can make a difference in every area of the pitch, both with and without the ball and we have to be ready for that. We also know that we have players who can have good moments as well and impacts on the game. We’ve got to make sure that we take that opportunity.
“We believe that if we get our game right, it can have a positive influence on any game we play. Of course, you have to understand the opponents and dangerous players and everything else which forms a game plan, but the biggest part of our game plan is that our game becomes a dominant factor in every match that we play.
“There’s always context to a game and this one is the change from league to cup and the change in manager with an interim going in. That can add to the atmosphere and we’re very aware of that, but it hasn’t changed our objective and what we want to do in the game and that’s the bit we can influence. We’re focused on ourselves and how we get us right for the game.”
Steve Cooper on preparing Leicester
With all the noise surrounding Manchester United it is easy to lose sight of Leicester City’s position. They are preparing to face a team without a manager and boss Steve Cooper is focusing on his own players instead of the opposition.
He told reporters at the pre-match press conference: “What we’re doing now is preparing for a cup game and a chance to get to the quarter-finals and a game that we really want to bring a good performance to get us through to the next round.
“I’m sure the atmosphere will be really good tomorrow and we’ve got to try and thrive in that moment. That’s what we’ve been talking about in the past day or so. We’re looking forward to getting down there.
“When you come up against a change in manager, it’s a really good challenge to show how good your own work is as a team, in terms of your ideas of play, both with and without the ball, because really, if you get it right, you should be able to adapt to anything that you face and that will be no different tomorrow.”
How Erik ten Hag lost his way and dragged Manchester United into even deeper chaos
Erik ten Hag has a brand of defiance that sometimes made him sound a man apart.
An unexpected taste of glory empowered him. “If they don’t want me, I go somewhere else to win trophies,” he said after defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Manchester United initially decided – albeit after speaking to a host of other managers – that they still did want him. Now, four months on, comes the decision they do not.
How Erik ten Hag lost his way and dragged Manchester United into even deeper chaos
Ten Hag walked into a mess at Old Trafford – now he leaves one, too
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