How big a win this turns out to be for Erik ten Hag, only time will tell. His Mark Robins moment? Maybe.
Whether or not this is a moment we will come back to in years to come like we did with Sir Alex Ferguson and that Robins goal is almost a sideshow to the fact that this was a massive win for Ten Hag in what is a defining week for his tenure.
Defeat to Fulham and the abject nature of it sounded alarm bells for those outside the confines of the dressing room. Players have continued to preach calm but here was Ten Hag more animated than ever.
Irked by Jamie Carragher’s ‘subjective’ analysis on Monday Night Football, the backdrop to this game was a spiky press conference where any patience and goodwill had long since evaporated. Ten Hag knows many more Fulham repeats between now and the final day trip to Brighton and Carragher will be analysing the tactics of a new United boss before too long.
It didn’t take long for Ten Hag to find fault here. He was ticked off so much at the decision to penalise Sofyan Amrabat for a foul throw that referee Chris Kavanagh ended up having to go over to lecture the Dutchman.
Erik ten Hag looked more animated and anxious on the touchline than usual against Nottingham Forest
The Manchester United boss lost his usual calm as he watched his team in the high-pressure game
Then, 20 minutes in, a break in play allowed Ten Hag to call Amrabat over for a very animated discussion. The Moroccan was getting exposed by Forest’s pace and Ten Hag looked anxious in trying to find a solution on the fly.
Ten Hag is often so stoic on the touchline; it’s a trait that he has rarely wavered from. An external air of calmness while those around him – and in the stands – often begin to panic.
Here, however, the pressure he was under, with his position under scrutiny from Ineos, and United’s FA Cup status for the season hanging in the balance, he allowed the mask to slip. He’s human after all.
Marcus Rashford found himself clattered by two Forest bodies in the penalty area but did not get the decision. Ten Hag was livid.
Regularly he found himself pointing to his temples, urging his players to think about their decisions in the final third and so when Casemiro nodded in a winner minutes from time, the feeling of relief that washed over the United bench was palpable.
Come the final whistle it was a double-fisted pump in the air from Ten Hag. An FA Cup final in his first season and, at the very least, an FA Cup quarter-final in season two.
Casemiro scored a late winner in what could turn out to be a Mark Robins moment, saving the United career of Ten Hag
What it all means in the grand scheme of things remains to be seen. Ten Hag remains under the microscope and a heavy defeat at City on Sunday will soon see him under stress again.
But in what has been dubbed a defining week in his tenure – games No 99 and No 100 in charge of United – this was a strong start. Build on it on Sunday and he may well have a Robins moment of his own to look back on.
Rooney weighs in with advice for struggling Rashford
He doesn’t help himself at times but it was hard not to feel sorry for Marcus Rashford even in light of this win.
Hammered for his attitude and his body language – Alan Shearer was the latest to stick the boot into him for his efforts here – he’s a player that looks so devoid of self-belief.
And so it was actually of great value to viewers – and no doubt to Rashford if he can grab it on catch-up – to have Wayne Rooney on hand to offer a plan to get his old team-mate back on song.
Rooney played alongside the 26-year-old for two seasons between 2015-2017 and rather than twist the knife into an already open wound – Rashford has five goals in all competitions and looks a shadow of the striker that hit 30 goals last season – he actually offered constructive criticism.
‘I do think he needs to be more ruthless, he needs to be a bit more patient and stay in the middle of the goal,’ Rooney said during the BBC’s coverage.
‘But you have to be ruthless, the chance he had with his left foot, I’m sure he’ll be disappointed with that, but you just want to see a little bit more.’
Marcus Rashford looks uncomfortable in the central role and will be relieved to see Rasmus Hojlund return
Wayne Rooney suggested Rashford needs to be more ruthless and patient in front of goal
It’s no secret when watching him that he doesn’t feel comfortable in this central role. In the defeat at Fulham he looked much more isolated and lost with service at a near non-existent level.
More often than not he likes to drift out to his favoured left side, only to leave a very obvious hole at No 9.
Rasmus Hojlund cannot come back fast enough but until then, and starting with Sunday, Rashford needs to go back to basics. He might be surprised at how quickly his luck could turn.
Amrabat a welcome prospect for City
Not that they will have needed much encouragement after Erling Haaland’s five-goal show at Luton but Manchester City will have been licking their lips watching Sofyan Amrabat here.
The Moroccan, starting for the first time for United in more than two months, again looked so uncomfortable at left back.
Granted, there is no magic fix for Ten Hag with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia long term absentees. But Amrabat was made to look ragged in a first half where Divock Origi and Taiwo Awoniyi got anything they wanted in a match-up with him.
Whether it is Phil Foden or Bernardo Silva on Sunday, United can ill-afford to double down on Amrabat the left back.
Manchester City will be licking their lips at how uneasy Sofyan Amrabat looked at left-back
In the second half he grew into the game having drifted in-field and perhaps there is better value in pairing him alongside Casemiro in the derby to give United a solid base against this stacked City side.
Victor Lindelof hardly covered himself in glory at left back in defeat to Fulham but the first 30 minutes against Forest was enough of a reminder that Amrabat cannot and should not be given that job against Manchester City.
