Ighalo notches a brace as Red Devils cruise into the FA Cup quarter-finals on Wayne Rooney’s big day
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was right about Wayne Rooney. There is still fight in the old dog. The problem for Rooney is that Manchester United have a bit of bite themselves at the moment and it was enough to see them through to the FA Cup quarter-finals at Pride Park.
Two goals from Odion Ighalo and a rare Luke Shaw effort set up a visit to Norwich for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side who are now unbeaten in their last nine games, winning six of them.
Rooney did his best to stop his old club on a night when he was lauded by both sets of supporters, and there were more than a few flashes of the old brilliance.
But it was asking too much as United reached the quarters for the sixth year in a row.
Whatever happened here, it was always destined to centre around Rooney as the Derby player-coach faced United for only the seventh time in his career.
‘You’ve only come to see United,’ sang the away fans midway through the first half.
‘You’ve only come to see Wayne Rooney,’ countered the Derby supporters, and they had a point.
He has become a magnet for this Derby team since returning to English football in January, and there was even more attention on him last night.
At the age of 34, he looks every inch the senior figure with a thick beard and even thicker physique than when he left United in 2017. But the touch is still there. The passing, the vision and the tenacity, as Solskjaer pointed out in the build-up to this game.
Rooney started the first half by clattering Scott McTominay and ended it with a booking for chopping down Fred.
In between, he prompted and cajoled Derby and pinged a sumptuous 50-yard pass onto the toes of Jayden Bogle. But his big moment arrived in the 18th minute after Luke Shaw was cautioned for a bringing down Louie Sibley in full flight.
Rooney stood over the ball as expectation built around Pride Park. He curled his free kick over the United wall and for a moment it looked like it would creep inside the post. But Sergio Romero was equal to it, lunging to his right to claw the ball away.
Derby had certainly started brightly with Sibley flashing a shot wide of the other post after a good run. But could Phillip Cocu have been bolder with his team selection with Derby stuck in mid-table in the Championship? Probably.
The Dutchman made less changes than usual in the cup competitions this season but there were still four teenagers in his squad – Bogle, Sibley, Jason Knight and Max Bird – and just one of the back-four remaining from last weekend’s win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Derby knocked United out of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford last season and you sensed there was an even better chance of an upset here.
More so because United were without their captain Harry Maguire who rolled his ankle in training on Wednesday and may now be a doubt for Sunday’s Manchester derby.
As it was, United settled after that slightly nervous start and were two goals ahead by halftime.
There was an element of good fortune about their first in the 33rd minute, moments after Derby’s No.2 keeper Kelle Roos had been forced into his first genuine save from Odion Ighalo.
Shaw broke down the left and slipped the ball inside for Jesse Lingard. His shot was blocked by Craig Forsyth and so was the follow-up effort from Bruno Fernandes.
Shaw made it third time lucky, though, as his shot into the turf reared up and appeared to brush Lingard’s back as it looped over Roos into the top corner.
It was the defender’s first goal in 19 months and he also helped set up United’s second four minutes before half-time after their penalty appeal for handball against George Evans had been turned down.
This time Shaw cut infield and guided a pass into the box for Ighalo. The Nigerian was up against Forsyth and Max Lowe but got the better of them both, breaking the tackles before beating Roos from close range.
Another fantastic Rooney pass to Bogle early in the second half gave the youngster a chance to cross into the box and he delivered. Martyn Wahorn met it on the penalty spot but glanced his header agonisingly wide of the far post.
Still, United were comfortable enough to take off Fernandes ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester City and they sealed victory with a third goal in the 66th minute.
A slick move ended with Juan Mata squaring the ball to Ighalo whose first effort was blocked by Bogle but the Nigerian hammered home at the second attempt for his third goal in three games.
ENGLAND