Man Utd labour to Luton win as anti-Glazer protest amounts to nothing

Manchester United 1-0 Luton Town (Lindelof 59′)

OLD TRAFFORD — Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as Manchester United manager was terminated by a 4-1 defeat at Watford and there was just a chance their rivals from up the M1 could force Erik ten Hag to face some awkward questions about his future.

Instead, the most pointed ones he fielded were about Christian Eriksen, who was forced off with a knee injury just before the interval.

If Eriksen is ruled out for any length of time, he will be joined on the sidelines by his manager, as Ten Hag picked up his third yellow card of the season and will miss United’s game against Everton.

A thin smile played upon the Dutchman’s lips when Victor Lindelof’s shot crashed into the net beneath the Stretford End. Defeat would probably not have been terminal but Ten Hag is at the stage of his career when only results matter.

This was a sometimes laboured display, but for the first time since the opening fixture of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers, United won a league game at Old Trafford while keeping a clean sheet.

The Wolves manager Gary O’Neil would point out that his side should almost certainly have been awarded a last-minute penalty.

For over an hour, United had enjoyed overwhelming possession without managing to force the ball over the line. While Lindelof’s goal, scored after the ball broke to him from a deflection, meant United’s centre-halves have now scored three times in the Premier League, their forwards have managed just the one.

If Rasmus Hojlund’s confidence had improved with his two goals in the chaotic defeat to Copenhagen on Wednesday night, it did not obviously show. Early on, a cross from Marcus Rashford found the onrushing Dane a couple of yards from goal. The ball struck his knee and was very well saved by Thomas Kaminski in the Luton goal.

Rashford, who scored that one goal – in a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal more than two months ago – again displayed the finishing of a player not at ease with his game. Shortly after Lindelof had scored, the ball broke to him in the area, unmarked and with space to spare. He drove his shot straight at Kaminski.

Luton did everything a team with their limited resources could. They defended with grit and character, not least when Issa Kabore took the ball from Alejandro Garnacho just as the Argentine was about to take the ball round the keeper.

They knew they would have one chance and, had Carlton Morris directed his header fractionally differently, Luton would have taken the lead before half time. As it was, it required a fine one-handed save from Andre Onana to keep it out.

In the end, it was comfortable enough for Man Utd – that included the pre-match anti-Glazer demonstration, which ran to a few flags and banners.

Nevertheless, there was relief mingled in with the cheers as the final whistle went. This would once have been described as a routine victory but these days nothing at Old Trafford is routine.