Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BACK IN THE OLD ROOTINE
United look like their once-great selves as Ighalo double KOS Rams
HIS signing was held up as a symbol of just how far the club had slipped since the sort of glory days enjoyed by Wayne Rooney in a Manchester United shirt.
When Old Trafford managing director Richard Arnold boasted about the zillion tweets generated by the January signing of Odion Ighalo, he had to be reminded that 90 per cent of the posts were taking the mickey.
This is what United had come to post-rooney in his pomp, reduced to making a desperate stopgap signing from the Chinese not-so Super League.
A club whose strategy seemed so flawed, they had to borrow a 30-year-old former Watford striker from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.
Well, it did not look too flawed as Rooney got an up-close view of the Ighalo attributes that were mocked by those social media hordes but recognised as valuable by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United’s recruitment team.
Ighalo’s double in this FA Cup cruise means he has scored three goals in two United starts. Even if he only shines in knockout competition – and United still have two to contend – then his loan will have worked to good effect.
True, a changed
Derby team put up some fairly feeble resistance but Ighalo
(right) showed a pure goal-scoring knack and a style that will unsettle defences better than this one.
He certainly took the spotlight away from Rooney, whose first act was to reintroduce himself to Scott Mctominay with a throwback sliding tackle.
But there was more cultured stuff to come, such as a volleyed 50yard pass that allowed Louie Sibley to draw a booking and a foul from Luke Shaw.
From the free-kick, Rooney dipped one towards the bottom corner but a scrambling Sergio Romero scrunched up the script.
Unsurprisingly, Rooney was accomplished in possession but, more often than not, that possession was in areas where he could not influence the contest unduly.
Despite that, this was an even if not overly-inspiring contest until Shaw’s bounce of fortune just after the half-hour mark.
Both Bruno Fernandes and Jesse Lingard had shots blocked before Shaw’s volley smacked into the turf and, after appearing to brush Lingard’s back, looped almost apologetically over the head of Kelle Roos. This was a slightly fortunate finish and most definitely a rare one. It was only the second goal of Shaw’s professional career.
For good measure, he celebrated with an assist, although Ighalo still had work to do before doubling United’s lead before half-time.
It was not a thing of beauty but it was a thing of striking instinct, taking advantage of a kind ricochet before prodding home. And talking of striking instinct, his second and United’s third was an even better example.
When his initial effort was blocked close to the goal-line by Derby defender Jayden Bogle, Ighalo returned the clearance with left-footed venom into the roof of the net.
It was a finish Rooney would have been proud of.
Alas, when United’s record scorer thought he might get a sentimental consolation in added time, Romero again kept out his sweetly-struck free-kick.
Still, the United following celebrated their old idol, which was nice.
But this night belonged to one of their club’s more unlikely signings.
This night belonged to Odion Ighalo.