In the Old Trafford directors’ box, one of the faces of Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS investment team sat and watched this remarkable match unfold.
Sir Dave Brailsford, who will be a United director once INEOS’s £1.3bn investment in the club is ratified, was granted a good look at just how bad things can be at England’s biggest football club but, just as importantly, what this fabulous old stadium can feel like when things start to turn the other way.
Two goals down to Aston Villa after 27 minutes – John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker the scorers – Erik ten Hag’s United looked every inch yesterday’s football team. Tired, slow, weak and full of errors. United were, once again, utterly shambolic and, sitting at home, Ratcliffe could have been forgiven for fumbling in his pocket looking for a receipt.
But Ten Hag’s team are not quite dead, not just yet. It will be a surprise if United’s Dutch coach survives the changing of things at Old Trafford. Nights like this have been desperately rare this season.
Here, though, his team finally woke up to find a way back from the brink of yet another humiliation on the back of some football more reminiscent of what people used to witness here on a regular basis.
Rasmus Hojlund struck late on to complete Man United’s 3-2 comeback against Aston Villa
Alejandro Garnacho scored a brace in the second-half to get United back on level terms
Hojlund put an end to his wait for a Premier League goal after netting late on for United
INEOS group sporting Director Sir Dave Brailsford (centre) was in attendance at Old Trafford.
Unai Emery’s Villa were complicit, for sure. The high defensive line the visiting team used invited a United team for whom wide players Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho excelled to slip balls over the top and create openings. Even in the first half, it was a tactic that United were able to use on repeat.
Even so, United were terrific for the final hour. Garnacho had a goal disallowed but scored two for real before young Rasmus Hojlund slung a super volley in to the net for his first Premier League goal with nine minutes remaining.
Hojlund’s celebrations felt like they may go on for ever and no wonder. The Dane has had a dreadful time since he arrived and must have been wondering just what kind of football club he had joined.
Finally, though, the 20-year-old has been allowed a look behind the curtain. There is still a football club here somewhere.
As for Brailsford, he witnessed plenty of drama as the brains behind British Cycling. Rarely, though, will he have seen a sporting performance that veered so wildly from one direction to another as he did here.
Villa are a success story this season, of course. A win here would have taken them joint top. United have been moving in the opposite direction for weeks so it was not a surprise to see Emery’s team ahead. The first goal was freakish but also summed up everything that has recently been wrong with United.
The free-kick by the far touchline was conceded needlessly by Bruno Fernandes and was followed by a complaint to referee Craig Pawson from the Portuguese player.
Then, as McGinn’s free-kick arrived, one United central defender, Jonny Evans, was too busy grappling with an opponent to try and head the ball clear. The other one, World Cup winner Rafael Varane, was simply marking nobody while goalkeeper Andre Onana seemed rooted to the spot. So the ball bypassed everybody and flew in. Then Fernandes moaned to the referee again.
At the end of it all, Villa were ahead and five minutes later they doubled the lead. Again the danger came from a set piece – a corner – and again United failed to exhibit defensive competence as a delivery to the far post found Clement Lenglet unmarked and when he headed the ball across goal, Dendoncker was similarly unattended to flick the ball in from six yards.
John McGinn (R) had given Aston Villa the lead after his free-kick found it’s way into the net
Leander Dendoncker (R) then doubled the visitors’ advantage with a neat flick
Garnacho smashed the ball into the back of the net before wheeling away in celebration
With only a quarter of the game gone, United seemed done for. Brailsford was expressionless while on the touchline, Ten Hag looked paler – more drawn and washed out – than ever. On the Stretford End, they booed their team.
But the feel of the game didn’t take long to change and that was a surprise. United stirred, perhaps realising there was joy to be found with quick ball over the top, and when they did their supporters responded.
The created chances before half-time but didn’t take them. Fernandes, playing like a leader here, dragged a shot wide when clear while Rashford drew two saves from Emiliano Martinez in the Villa goal.
Then, immediately after the break, young Garnacho rounded Martinez to score but the VAR officials deemed him to have been offside when collecting Rashford’s pass.
Hojlund had only scored in the Champions League for United, prior to the win against Villa.
That disappointment could have sucked the life from United but it didn’t. Credit to them. On the hour Villa’s Diego Carlos gave the ball away in his own half and that allowed Rashford to spin down the left and this time his low cross was legally turned in by Garnacho at the far post.
Onana immediately had to save well from Leon Bailey but the home team’s momentum was established by now and when Garnacho played Fernandes away down the right in the 71st minute Villa were in trouble again. Fernandes crossed low into the box and when the ball was half cleared Garnacho was there to smash it in via a deflection from the luckless Carlos.
United’s comeback was hard earned and deserved. McGinn could have given Villa the lead again almost immediately but Evans blocked his shot. Then in the 81st minute, after all those weeks of waiting and worrying and wondering, the ball dropped to Hojlund off McGinn’s thigh and he hooked it truly and beautifully across his own body and in to the goal off Martinez’s right hand post.
On United’s in-house TV channel they called this an historic night. Steady on. United are sixth. It was a win, though. And one that carried some echoes of glories past. Ratcliffe and INEOS know what it is they have sunk their money in to. Here were three of the reasons why they’ve done it.