David Moyes has skulked towards the Old Trafford tunnel winless in the Premier League more times as a visiting manager than he ever won at the stadium in the home dugout.
Moyes only faced the Stretford End victoriously 14 times in a United blazer and for the 12th time he turned towards it defeated. There are not many legacies Moyes left at United but he was the manager in the first season David de Gea placed the Sir Matt Busby statue on his mantlepiece.
De Gea developed into an undeniable world-class goalkeeper under Moyes and his goalkeeping coach Chris Wood nine seasons ago and his performance against West Ham was of that level.
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De Gea's specific denial of Kurt Zouma is worthy of inclusion in his pantheon of standout stops. The blue-shirted De Gea disappeared under a throng of red shirts and a West Ham analyst beat his desk. The West Ham 'keeper Alphonse Areola patted De Gea admiringly.
"Ah, f-----g hell. S--t," a West Ham staff member belatedly bemoaned. Like the four previous fixtures between these teams in Manchester, it ended 1-0.
Relieved United fans puffed their cheeks as they staggered down the gangways with Glory Glory Man United reverberating around the stands. Ten Hag stressed early in his premiership there were multiple ways to win matches ("“Sometimes there will be games when you will not play well but you still have to win") and this was of the ugly variety.
The absences of Antony and Victor Lindelof through injury and illness were patently disruptive and it was a jolt United procured the breakthrough prior to the pause. Throughout, Ten Hag appeared more vexed by what he was witnessing than Moyes.
Marcus Rashford's 100th United goal in the 38th minute set an obdurate tone for the second 45. For the second match running, Ten Hag's first substitution was defensive-minded as Scott McTominay replaced the harmless Anthony Elanga in the 61st minute. The second, Fred for Christian Eriksen also placed the onus on protecting the 1-0 advantage. Ironically, they combined for United's standout opportunity as Fred nodded against the upright.
The pressure Ten Hag invited at least warmed up De Gea, a spectator for much of an uneventful first-half. United Diogo Dalot, renowned primarily for his attacking, was defensively flawless. United have kept four clean sheets in their last five fixtures.
In place of Antony and Lindelof, Elanga and Harry Maguire strode out of the tunnel and onto the pitch for a Premier League duel for the first time since August and September respectively. Both have been left behind by the proactive play United have mastered in phases and will have to learn on an unforgiving job. Maguire at least thrived in the nail-biting dying embers, eliciting a euphoric roar with one sliding tackle.
United remain a point off fourth with a game in hand, an acceptable position as the World Cup looms. They have required stoppage-time, extra-time and an own goal to overcome West Ham on their own turf in the last two years and Moyes's side's placement in the bottom-half of the Premier League table is misleading.
The defenders will not entirely steal Rashford's thunder. 'Rise like Ronaldo' could be a permanent drill in the academy building at Carrington and Rashford did so for possibly his most noteworthy aerial goal. It was certainly a landmark.
At the same end Cristiano Ronaldo lashed in his 100th United goal, Rashford opted for an identical celebration to crown his ton. The Stretford End serenaded Rashford loudly and smoke drifted into the evening sky from a flare a week before Bonfire Night. Denis Law, another Herculean header of a football, was an appropriate guest to witness Rashford's feat.
Gareth Southgate, sat in the directors' box, appeared impressed and Rashford has pressed his case for a plane ticket to Qatar to be booked in his name. He has already tallied more Premier League goals this season than last.
It was 20 years ago this month Moyes first managed in M16 with Everton and West Ham's approach was as Moyesean as almost every previous occasion the Scot was a guest. Despite a purposeful start, United regressed to individualism and the Stretford Enders quickly became impatient with the lateral passing between Maguire and Lisandro Martinez. Soon Ten Hag did, too.
The game was so underwhelming for 70 minutes both sets of supporters lamented its reticence. West Ham fans disapproved of Gianluca Scamacca's withdrawal for Michail Antonio, evidently hopeful of a strike partnership rather than a lone frontman.
With half the attack changed from the Chelsea draw, United were playing a different tune and Ten Hag was quick to note the lack of synergy. Elanga ran aimlessly, affording the left-back Aaron Cresswell acres that West Ham seldom exploited, especially with Dalot roaming infield to supplement the midfield. More than once, Bruno Fernandes, as ineffective this week as he was effective last week, was agitated with more than one teammate.
Maguire failed to compensate for his rustiness with a deep starting position. United have become accustomed to proactive, line-breaking passes from their centre halves in the last two months and Maguire was risk-aversive. "Too s--t for England," chided the West Ham fans.
Eriksen was always destined to be pivotal in a low-scoring fixture in recent years and it was he who crossed the divide from middle to attacking third to cross presentably for Rashford. It was at that end later on De Gea made West Ham cross.
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