Sir Alex Ferguson could not hold back his true feelings after Manchester United took a page from his playbook and scored in ‘Fergie Time’ in their FA Cup win.
Manchester United hosted Leicester City at Old Trafford for their fourth-round tie on Friday evening and the Red Devils came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory.
Ruben Amorim’s men were left chasing the match in the second half after Bobby De Cordova-Reid stunned United before half-time by scoring for Leicester City.
However, the Red Devils rallied back and Joshua Zirkzee climbed off the bench and scored the all-important equaliser for United at Old Trafford.
United ensured that extra time and penalties were not needed after Harry Maguire scored a controversial winner deep in stoppage time in the FA Cup match.
Bruno Fernandes expertly picked out Harry Maguire at the far post and the United and England defender fired a powerful close-range header into the back of the net.
However, replays showed that Maguire was in an offside position, but the winner stood for United due to VAR not being in operation for the fourth-round clash.
Ferguson reacts to Man Utd win
Manchester United will continue their FA Cup title defence after their progression to the fifth round of the competition.
Ruben Amorim’s side kicked off their FA Cup campaign last month and 10-man United knocked Arsenal out of the competition with a penalty shootout win.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is the head coach of Leicester City, returned to Old Trafford for the first time since he stepped down as United interim manager.
The 48-year-old Leicester boss had been United assistant manager under former United manager Erik ten Hag for the 2024-25 campaign.
Sir Alex Ferguson was in attendance for the FA Cup match on Friday evening and the legendary former United manager was delighted by the Red Devils’ win.
‘Fergie Time’ became a key theme of Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford and he was all too familiar with his former sides snatching a result in the dying stages.
The FA Cup’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared a clip of a smiling Ferguson clapping after Harry Maguire’s Fergie Time winner for United.
Van Nistelrooy’s reaction to Fergie Time moment
Speaking after Leicester’s FA Cup exit, United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy insisted that his side were beaten in “offside time” rather than Fergie Time.
“We are not defeated in Fergie Time, we are defeated in ‘Offside Time,’” he told ITV, as per BBC Sport.
Van Nistelrooy added: “We are gutted. When you prepare for the whole week for this game and reacting after the Everton loss and put in a performance like that but it is decided on a clear and obvious mistake; that is unacceptable and unthinkable at this level.
“We have nothing else to do but pick ourselves up. It is not what the team deserved.”
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
