Ronaldo faith repaid
If he was allowed to return to training, then Cristiano Ronaldo was always going to be allowed to play as well. With such a striker shortage it was hardly a surprise to see the Portuguese start on Thursday night, but the pressure was on him to deliver.
Erik ten Hag handled the situation superbly, reintegrating him into the first-team frame and putting the pressure back onto Ronaldo to perform. It's been made clear that he will continue to have a place in the squad as long as he is performing well, and against FC Sheriff he did just that.
There were still clear signs of rustiness from the 37-year-old and on another night he might well have had a hat-trick given just how many chances he had, but what was promising was his commitment to the way United played.
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Ronaldo was at least getting into more dangerous areas in the forward line, something he has struggled to do this season, though there is still concern about his profligacy, a stark realisation that the greatest scorer in the men's game now doesn't guarantee goals.
When he did finally find the back of the net, the Old Trafford crowd made clear its continued love for one of their greatest ever players. It is still down to him to repay them and Ten Hag.
Garnacho takes his chance
If there is one valid criticism of Ten Hag this season, it is his reluctance to rotate his side in the Europa League, though that is also understandable after they lost their opening group game.
United have made no secret of their desire to win Group E and, as a result, they've named a strong side where possible. It would have been quite easy to select Marcus Rashford or Jadon Sancho on the left wing, but instead they went for teenager Alejandro Garnacho.
The youngster had already made a few cameo appearances this season, but his first competitive start under Ten Hag demonstrated how well he has done to stay in the first-team rather than being relegated to the U21s.
Garnacho repaid the faith with an exciting display. He adopted a direct approach whenever in possession, always looking to beat his opposing man, and mostly doing so too.
It was a display that reminded us just how raw a player he is, but also how much potential he does have if nurtured properly. Ten Hag has done the right by slowly easing him into action this season and after an encouraging display he is deserving of more.
Eriksen inevitable
It is almost not even worth mentioning anymore; Christian Eriksen is at the heart of everything United do well in an attacking manner under Erik ten Hag.
The Denmark international pulled the strings in midfield once again, the perfect antidote for Sheriff's stubborn defensive line, picking passes nobody else would see from deep and opening up pockets of space in a rigid back-five.
On a night when United dominated but struggled to make it count, it felt inevitable too that the opening goal would come courtesy of Eriksen, this time via a well-placed corner that met the head of Diogo Dalot in the box.
New superlatives will need to be invented to do justice to how joyful it is to watch Eriksen in full flow, though once again United were reminded of their regular reliance on the 30-year-old and a need to manage his minutes carefully.
Keeping his place
It's cliché to say a player is the first name on the team sheet. In the case of David de Gea, it couldn't be more true. The Spaniard has started every match this season and it is hard to see when he might be dropped.
In the past the club have utilised a cup 'keeper or at least given back-up options a chance in these competitions. United have done that yet and as the season progresses it seems the only chance of seeing Tom Heaton or Martin Dubravka feature will be in the League Cup or an early round of the FA Cup.
It is understandable why United want a strong pool of goalkeepers for their training sessions but less obvious why they won't then use them in the games.
Rashford's new role
When the fourth-officials board displayed the No.10 at half-time it seemed inevitable Marcus Rashford would be coming on to replace Antony on the right wing. He did, to a degree.
Indeed it was the Brazilian forward who made way for Rashford, but instead of occupying the wide role he went central with Bruno Fernandes moving onto the wing.
It was an experiment that had mixed results. Sheriff defenders struggled to keep track of his movement but so did his teammates, with Rashford rarely appearing as an obvious outlet.
But it is credit to the England international that he persevered. He continued to try and get on the ball whenever he could and got his reward with a perfectly timed run into the box and a smart header to finish.
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