THERE has been plenty that Manchester United fans have not stood for under Sir Jim Ratcliffe but this time it was the billionaire’s turn to rise to his feet.
United’s players earned a standing ovation from their co-owner in the Old Trafford directors’ box after this six-goal thriller.
It seems Ratcliffe timed his international-break backing of Ruben Amorim – with a vow that he’ll get two more years – to perfection.
Matheus Cunha’s first United goal, Casemiro’s deflected strike and Bryan Mbeumo’s double – either side of Brighton goals that caused a late fright – ensured the Red Devils recorded three successive wins for the first time since February 2024.
One of the Glazer siblings, Bryan, went unnoticed in last Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.
Ratcliffe will never have that luxury but his approval ratings will have quietly crept up over the past few weeks.
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Brighton had won six of their previous seven Premier League fixtures against United and it was after their 3-1 stroll in January that Amorim dubbed his team as “maybe the worst in the history of the club”.
But this is a different United side now, enhanced by two top recruits in Cunha and Mbeumo, while keeper Senne Lammens is enjoying a blissful honeymoon period.
This was as much of a statement victory as their triumph at Anfield – in spite of United almost throwing it away towards the end.
United started with the air of confidence you’d expect from a side fresh from a victory at the champions – and don’t forget, no midweek European action.
Cunha, the £62.5m summer signing from Wolves, has been compared to Eric Cantona and his debut goal was a finish the Frenchman would be proud of.
Casemiro fed Cunha the ball just outside the Brighton area and he took one touch to shift the ball and another to curl it around Jan Paul van Hecke and into the bottom right-hand corner.
Old Trafford erupted and it eased the growing anger at ref Anthony Taylor.
Taylor dismissed two penalty appeals for United. The first on Amad, appeared obvious yet the VAR Michael Oliver also dismissed it.
But as Amorim approaches his first anniversary, he will not rue any penalty palaver.
Cunha’s classy first goal for United defused a simmering atmosphere after Taylor waved away appeals by Mbeumo.
The Cameroonian questioned the linesman as he returned to the halfway line after congratulating Cunha.
Taylor, born in Greater Manchester, was repeatedly dubbed a “Scouse b*****d” by tens of thousands of United fans.
Cunha saved his best United performance at Anfield but swiftly trumped it here. His bullish body language and intensity were faultless from the off.
With Cunha and the elegant Mbeumo in this form, nobody is bemoaning Fernandes’ relocation to central midfield alongside Casemiro.
It was the Brazilian veteran who doubled United’s lead on 34 minutes – albeit with a huge deflection off Yasin Ayari’s back which totally wrong-footed Verbruggen.
Ratcliffe was on his feet to applaud Casemiro. It was only seven months ago that he named Casemiro among five players that United had “inherited”.
The other four – Jadon Sancho, Antony, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund – have all been discarded by Amorim.
By his own admission, the United manager had to fathom how to use Casemiro.
At the age of 33, Casemiro has become a mainstay amid Manuel Ugarte’s struggles and the lighter workload for United this term is kind on Casemiro.
Given the rousing reception Casemiro received when he was substituted in the second half, the club could be in danger of being guilt-tripped into triggering that extension.
Casemiro comfortably upstaged Carlos Baleba, who is top of Amorim’s hitlist in the hunt for a new central midfielder.
Mbeumo put United three ahead when he latched on to fellow new signing Benjamin Sesko’s throughball and slotted comfortably home from just inside the area.
So far, so good.
Yet Amorim’s ruinous double substitution of Patrick Dorgu and Kobbie Mainoo in the 70th minute transformed the match into a contest.
United were markedly worse after Dorgu was introduced at Liverpool and he immediately played them into trouble here, with his foul on Yankuba Minteh punished by Danny Welbeck’s whipped free-kick in the 74th minute.
It suddenly got nervy inside Old Trafford.
And when the board went up showing seven added minutes they soon conceded to Charalampos Kostoulas’s header from James Milner’s corner.
It was now squeaky bum time for the United fans who were fearing the worst after witnessing years of dross.
But it was Mbeumo who ensured they could enjoy their post-match pints with a 96th-minuter clincher.
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Ayden Heaven’s heavy ball from the back was smartly left by Fernandes on his 300th United appearance and lurking was Mbeumo, who powered home for the points.
The players were celebrated in front of the frenzied Stretford End and, up in the posh seats, Ratcliffe signalled his approval.
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