Ruud van Nistelrooy shows Ruben Amorim the way forward with three decisions in Manchester United win

Sir Jim Ratcliffe presented Bruno Fernandes with a framed shirt to mark his 250th appearance before kick-off. Ratcliffe may hang a snapshot of the Manchester United captain's goal on the wall of one of his mansions.

Co-owner Ratcliffe was finally present for a United Premier League victory on the eighth occasion. This was also a win to savour for the man in the dugout, too.

Ruud van Nistelrooy emerged to the usual shrill of "Ruuuud" from the Stretford End. This was never going to be a raucous atmosphere and it was apposite the playlist from the terraces started and ended with long and uninterrupted odes to Van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy's chants to Brown Girl in the Ring and Karma Chameleon were also dusted off.

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He will not know whether he will still be in the United dugout in two weeks. Van Nistelrooy should be informed in the forthcoming week, with Ruben Amorim due to land in Manchester in the coming days.

Amorim was busy preparing for his final match in charge of Sporting on Saturday evening, so will not have been among the worldwide viewers. Van Nistelrooy has done his utmost to ensure Amorim inherits a more upbeat squad after three downbeat months under his compatriot. Erik ten Hag, seeking escapism, took in Twente versus Ajax in his homeland.

Under Ten Hag, there were five 0-3 home humblings inside a year. Van Nistelrooy oversaw a reverse with United's first three-goal haul in the league at Old Trafford since May.

Van Nistelrooy exhibited traits Amorim will need. He decided to hook the underperforming pair of Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford within five minutes of the restart, with Jonny Evans and Alejandro Garnacho's introductions only delayed by the ball staying in play for longer than usual. Rasmus Hojlund, with two goals in 12 games, was later hooked.

If Van Nistelrooy strategically spared them of a half-time removal with United 2-0 up, it was another demonstration of his tactful man-management. Rashford is without a goal in eight matches and Van Nistelrooy was often on Dalot's case when he was within earshot in the first half. Garnacho whipped in a majestic third goal, his first in three weeks.

Garnacho remains United's highest scorer this season despite a few lean weeks that contributed to Ten Hag's downfall. Ten Hag had form for eliciting the desired reaction from a teenage Garnacho in his first season before he became more dependent on him last term.

United had to win by any means necessary and did so methodically against relegation fodder. Leicester fans, yet to warm to their former Nottingham Forest manager, demanded, "Cooper, Cooper, sort it out".

The standard was so comical at times that Abdul Fatawu attempted a shot from the halfway line that Andre Onana cushioned with his chest. Leicester captain Harry Winks berated his teammate. The Stretford End greeted Joshua Zirkzee with an impromptu chorus of "If Zirkzee scores, we're on the pitch".

This is the first time United have entered the November internationals in the bottom half of the table during the Premier League era yet by full-time United were a mere four points off fourth place.

Van Nistelrooy was visibly dissatisfied with Dalot's positioning inside the first five minutes.. The Portuguese, still permitted to drift into midfield, acknowledged Van Nistelrooy's gripe.

Amad was ushered back for a more conservative starting point. He soon embarked on a captivating charge past Victor Kristiansen and Dalot struggled to catch up, prompting one Mancunian to holler, "Help him!" Amad creditably earned a free kick by the corner flag.

The winger was making things happen from the right and then made a goal from the left. Amad's duel with Kristiansen got United up the pitch and he remained in the left-hand channel to backheel the ball for Fernandes to lash past Mads Hermansen.

It marked another landmark strike for Fernandes, who registered on his 100th and 200th appearances. A United debutant in February 2020, he is now 25 appearances shy of Luke Shaw, who debuted in September 2014. Shaw has conveniently regained fitness now Amorim is bound for Manchester.

Fernandes celebrated United's second goal so convincingly the assumption was it was his second. He barely grazed the ball from Noussair Mazraoui's cross before the careworn Kristiansen bundled it into his own net.

Onana was busier a minute after Fatawu impudence when Wilfred Ndidi ran onto Facundo Buonanotte's clipped pass. Again, Dalot's positioning was awry as he was caught a few yards deeper than the other members of United's back four in front of the Stretford End.

At full-time, that same end could celebrate a rare routine win with a rousing rendition of Van Nistelrooy's name.