The Aston Villa fans referred to Bruno Fernandes by a word beginning with 'w'. He ended the day as a winner.
Fernandes has never endeared himself to the Villans, still stewing over a dubious penalty he gained against them. They revelled in Fernandes's tantrum after he appeared to be felled by Alexandre Moreno. Moreno would soon be left face down on the turf.
Moreno's attempt to block Fernandes's rebound bounced the ball over Emiliano Martinez. Happily for Fernandes, he scored with the away-dayers a couple of dozen of strides away to his right. He stared them down from the corner flag. The fleeting review by the Video Assistant Referee did not reprieve Villa.
Read more: United player ratings vs Villa
Fernandes, captaining United again with Harry Maguire back in the squad, was emboldened by the responsibility, barking instructions as he waited to hand the ball for Diogo Dalot to take a throw-in. Erik ten Hag, an unashamed control freak, has a kindred spirit in Fernandes, destined to be appointed his captain officially.
As full-time loomed, Fernandes demanded more backing from the usually mild-mannered denizens in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand. They responded.
Once the referee blew for full-time, Casemiro confronted Fernandes over a perceived error, as he did after the League Cup final. Fernandes disputed Casemiro's grievance and they ended the debrief with a hug.
Fernandes returned to the right flank, having started there to great influence in the League Cup win against Villa in November when he scored one goal and created another. Whenever Fernandes is relocated, he has a profound impact on United's performance.
Constantine Hatzidakis, the linesman whom Andy Robertson felt the sharp end of, might have been sharpening his elbows again with Fernandes in his ear. Hatzidakis correctly kept his flag down when Marcus Rashford was sprung and Fernandes scrappily converted on the rebound.
Fernandes will not have been one of the players Ten Hag accused of operating at 90 per cent against Tottenham. This was an inarguable improvement from United against a renascent Villa, unbeaten in 10 prior to arriving in M16, and a more positive character assessment than in Seville and London.
United bucked a couple of troubling trends; not conceding in the first 15 minutes of the second half and Ten Hag did not succumb to hasty substitutions. This was their 15th clean sheet in the Premier League this term.
David de Gea is now two clear in the table for the Golden Glove, protected by an unlikely axis in Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw. For a centre half viewed as aerially suspect, Lindelof's headed interventions were the highlights of his personal package and he was high-fived repeatedly by teammates at the contest's conclusion. Bertrand Traore also clasped hands in appreciation. What has been an unfulfilling season for the Swede is ending on a fulfilling note.
Shaw completed his reinvention as a centre half by incurring a boot to the head. Maguire, sent on to counter Villa's aerial bombardment, received sardonic cheers from the Villa fans who chanted his name. Maguire, professional whilst peripheral, cleared convincingly with his first two touches.
Even Tyrell Malacia enjoyed his best half in months, enhanced by two full-blooded tackles on John McGinn and Ashley Young. Young was granted a standing ovation by United supporters when he was withdrawn in the 65th minute.
This was at times familiar fare from United, profligate in front of goal, bar Fernandes's fortuitous decider. Christian Eriksen was so frustrated with his wastefulness he shook his head and Rashford, rightly preferred to Anthony Martial at the apex of the attack, lacked the skill set required for United's direct approach. Martial, a late substitute, was barracked for failing to press intensely enough.
As positionally disciplined as Villa were, United found chinks in their armour through aerial passes, sensing openings with a more confident Jadon Sancho starting again. Rashford and Sabitzer had shooting chances yet too often United's attacks carelessly collapsed through obvious offsides the linesman needn't have waited to flag.
Emiliano Martinez had spent portions of the first half killing time and his feeble handling of Rashford's shot practically assisted Fernandes. The Argentine's misery will have been savoured by the United supporters 18 months after Martinez had goaded the Stretford End following Fernandes's penalty miss in added time. What goes around comes around. Martinez was more sporting than on his past visits and exchanged pleasantries with Ten Hag with the game over.
Hazy green smoke rose across the stadium to signal the rebellion from United supporters who had marched from Deansgate. On a day when the protesters intended not to be seen for the first 18 minutes - to mark 18 years of the Glazer family's occupation - their presence was still visible. Any Papal parallel to announce a change of ownership will ultimately be at the behest of the Glazers, absent once more.
A 'Love United Hate Glazer' banner was unfurled and a bedsheet that read 'Full sale Glazers out' was affixed to a railing. "There's only one Joel Glazer," taunted the Villa followers, the only time the absentee landlord has had a good word aired about him inside Old Trafford.
The vacant seats were not glaringly obvious. There was the other side to late arrivals. One man, sporting a half-and-half scarf, staggered up the turnstiles, oblivious to where he was sat long.
He made it for Fernandes's winner.
READ MORE:
