JOSE SO QUICK OFF THE MARK
Late arrivals waste no time getting started
MANCHESTER UNITED turned up late at Old Trafford last night but took less than three minutes to get their Premier League season up and running.
Jose Mourinho’s men got to the ground just an hour before kick-off after their team coach got stuck in traffic while making the three-mile journey from their hotel.
But they were not held up on the pitch as Paul Pogba put away an early penalty – who else would it be after the week he has had? – before Luke Shaw was the unlikely scorer of the second.
Finally, Mourinho could smile after a summer of frowning.
This will at least put on hold talk that the grumpy manager is heading for another third-season meltdown to replicate his Chelsea days.
The United boss spent pre-season playing down his team’s Premier League title chances, criticising players and complaining about their transfer activity.
He predicted his side would face a “difficult” campaign if they failed to add a new central defender and right winger before the transfer deadline passed. They did fail to deliver his demands, but did get off to a winning start against Leicester at least.
Mourinho even moaned about having to play first on a Friday night in his pre-match programme notes – citing less preparation time than their rivals.
But finally the Old Trafford boss had something to be cheerful about after a summer of fearing the worst as they got the first three points of the season on the board.
After United’s pre-match preparations were rushed, it took just 77 seconds for them to get on the front foot.
Alexis Sanchez’s shot hit Daniel Amartey’s arm and referee Andre Marriner pointed to the spot.
It felt as if it was written that Pogba would step up and, after a discussion with Sanchez over who should take it, he curled home the penalty. The World Cup winning Frenchman began the week looking to head out of the club but ended it with a goal wearing the captain’s armband.
Mourinho said in the summer that Antonio Valencia would be the skipper this season but in his absence the armband was handed to the Frenchman.
Maybe it was a move to keep the midfelder happy and convince him that staying at United is better than heading to Barcelona.
Pogba was not showing any signs that he was distracted though as he starred in midfield alongside the impressive Andreas Pereira, who got a deserved start after a fine pre-season.
Fred – the £52m signing from Shakhtar Donetsk – also showed he could be a useful addition, but Leicester were as much in this game with Kelechi Iheanacho going close early on.
United keeper David De Gea may have had a nightmare World Cup with Spain but he was back on form here to pull off a stunning 33rd-minute save to deny James Maddison. Mourinho wanted a new central defender but Eric Bailly gave him a few reminders that he already has a top one, most notably with a last-ditch tackle on Iheanacho after the break.
Substitute Jamie Vardy brushed Shaw off in the corner with 15 minutes to go and crossed for Demarai Gray but De Gea pulled off another good stop from the header.
Romelu Lukaku came off the bench and should have sealed the win late on after being teed up by Sanchez but Kasper Schmeichel saved his tame shot.
It would not matter though as Shaw, a player who has been on the wrong side of Mourinho so many times, toe-poked the ball home from close range for his first senior goal.
Vardy headed home a consolation in stoppage time after Ricardo’s cross rebounded to him off the post, but it didn’t cause United any late pain.
“We should start the Premier League with a win and we did,” said Pogba. “We played OK.”
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-3): De Gea; Darmian, Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Fred (McTominay 76), Pereira, Pogba (Fellaini 84); Mata, Rashford (Lukaku 67), Sanchez. Subs: Grant, Young, Smalling, Martial,
LEICESTER (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel; Amartey (Ghezzal 62), Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell; Ndidi, Silva (Iborra 80); Ricardo, Maddison (Vardy 62), Gray; Iheanacho. Subs: Ward, Evans, Fuchs, Albrighton.
REFEREE: Andre Marriner