Nothing is ever simple for Erik ten Hag. The Manchester United manager, these days a perpetual firefighter, has been at pains to say he has the respect of his squad despite Marcus Rashford’s latest misdemeanour and, in fairness, nobody can argue his players are not with him after Kobbie Mainoo snatched victory in style with 96 minutes and 26 seconds on the clock.
Just as it seemed United, 2-0 up inside 22 minutes but pegged back to 3-3 after 95, had gone up in flames, they exploded into life and many of the substitutes on to the pitch after Mainoo, the 18-year-old from Stockport, displayed a handy fearlessness, swivelling clear of João Gomes, nutmegging Max Kilman, driving into the box and then caressing an effortless, right-foot strike low into the bottom corner.
