There are times when Manchester United have seemed weighed down by their past, unable to escape the burden of their history. And yet when Erik ten Hag’s team had made the club’s worst start to a season for 37 years, since Ron Atkinson entered a spiral that prompted them to turn to a certain Scottish manager, a throwback to Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign turned unlikely saviour.
It is 16 years since Jonny Evans’ United debut, 14 since he first lined up for them at Turf Moor. It was eight-and-a-half since his previous United start. His return had seemed a move so nostalgic that even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might not have contemplated it. His selection seemed a case of desperation, not inspiration.
