Manchester United and Ruud van Nistelrooy are happy campers right now after the brilliant 5-2 win to kick off the new era emphasised how necessary a clean break was.
Players might have still been playing for Erik ten Hag, but they clearly weren’t doing so well enough and the first game after his departure confirmed that.
Ten Hag’s selection calls were becoming increasingly questionable and in the long term, it was starting to have an adverse effect on the club.
Of course, Noussair Mazraoui as the No 10 vs Fenerbahce will be the decision his end will be remembered by but the Leicester game showed that United avoided the embarrassment of losing a potentially world-class player by sacking Ten Hag.
Amad looked like a changed player
Amad didn’t start under Ruud van Nistelrooy either but it was clear to see at just a glance that the camp was in a much better mood despite that decision.
The Ivorian was all smiles when he was called upon at the hour-mark in place of Marcus Rashford and his performance after coming on was a big statement of intent.
Amad almost scored with his first touch, which was an audacious bicycle kick, and remained a thorn in Leicester’s side throughout after that too.
His forays down the right wing and his two-footedness made him a nightmare to defend against and he could have easily finished the game with multiple goals and assists if the final pass found its target.
It was a huge contrast from just a week ago in Fenerbahce when not only did he remain on the bench, but Antony came on ahead of him.
Amad wasn’t trying to hide his despair at that selection call when he was eventually called upon after Antony’s injury and coincidentally, it was Van Nistelrooy who trying to cheer him up.
With the Dutchman now the main man, the difference in dynamic was stark and as a result, Amad looked like a changed man vs Leicester.
Man Utd avoided potential embarrassment
Ten Hag had always been reticent about giving Amad a consistent run in the team for whatever reason despite the player always impressing in his cameos.
The first consistent run he received was at the start of the season when Garnacho was getting up to speed after his summer exploits with Argentina.
As soon as Garnacho was back, Ten Hag made it clear with his team selections that Amad was just keeping the seat warm for him, despite not doing anything to warrant getting dropped.
Their relationship always seemed icy and it seemed like a case of two people who had no choice but to work together instead of wanting to work together.
The non-selection vs Fenerbahce seemed like the straw that broke the camel’s back and had Ten Hag still been around, it was quickly becoming a realistic scenario where Amad’s future would be away from Old Trafford.
Sacking the manager probably ensures United have avoided the embarrassment of a player destined for stardom reaching those levels away from Old Trafford.
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