CHEERS AS REDS BEAT BREWERS
YOUNG ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL’S LETHAL FINISHING ADDS WEIGHT TO HIS DESIRE TO BE SEEN AS AN OUT-AND-OUT FRONTMAN
UNITED may be back to the days when they have bigger fish to fry, but Jose Mourinho was as good as his word as he said he won’t let go of the League Cup easily.
Seven of the starters against Championship side Burton Albion began in the XI against Ajax in the Europa League final last May, and two more came on as subs in Stockholm.
The show of strength was too much for Nigel Clough’s side as United cruised into the last 16, where they’ll face an away trip to Swansea.
Time was when a United teenager scoring in a League Cup tie led to questions in Parliament.
MPs got in on the act 23 years ago when then plain old Alex Ferguson sparked ructions and nationwide condemnation by selecting a bunch of kids in a tie at Vale Park against Port Vale.
The then 19-yearold Paul Scholes scored twice in the Potteries but the fall out saw Fergie hauled over the coals for disrespecting the competition. Now a 19-year-old scoring in a League Cup tie is the norm and that teenager is a full England international. Marcus Rashford maybe a fullyfledged Three Lions player and senior at Old Trafford, but he’s still trying to prove he’s an out-and-out striker of the future. And he went a long way towards his ultimate ambition having been gifted a chance in the role by Mourinho while Romelu Lukaku was handed a rest on the bench. It took the Mancunian only 18 minutes to remind everyone that a wide berth on the left long term wouldn’t do him full justice. He finished coolly after five minutes from short range and then hit a long-range thunderbolt. The previews had been full of the day in 2006 when the then Conference Burton embarrassed Cristiano Ronaldo and Co at the Pirelli Stadium in a 0-0 stalemate. But this was more like the replay when Fergie’s side trounced Clough’s team 5-0. It was never a contest. After a little early flurry from Burton, Rashford’s double killed it and it was all about the entertainment after that. Mourinho may have complained about showboating in the second half against Basel in the Champions League last week, but turning up for a Carabao Cup tie, the crowd deserved to see some fancy stuff.
After United went 3-0 up through a deflected Jesse Lingard goal after 36 minutes it was inevitable the tricks repertoire might come out.
Martial was the chief entertainer and neatly placed United’s fourth. A comedy of errors in the last seconds gave Burton the consolation their travelling fans deserved as Lloyd Dyer slammed home to become the first opponent to score at Old Trafford this season.
Rashford went a long way towards his ultimate ambition of being an out-and-out striker