Manchester United secured their place in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday with a 4-2 win over League Two outfit Newport County.
Two quickfire goals from Bruno Fernades and Kobbie Mainoo had put them 2-0 up within 13 minutes in Wales. However, Newport showed great spirit and found themselves level after Bryn Morris and Will Evans scored.
United recovered well and made sure there was no cup exit thanks to Antony and Rasmus Hojlund’s goals. They will face either Bristol City or Nottingham Forest away from home in the next round.
Here are three talking points away from the action on the pitch.
The Man United impact
United may not be performing at their best and producing the levels of previous eras but the desire to see United in action remains high for football fans across the globe.
Rodney Parade was a sell out on Sunday as Newport fans packed into the stadium to see Ten Hag’s side in action. But many would have failed to get tickets and were forced to watch the game either at home or in a pub. But not for this small group.
A woman called Hayley, who lives opposite the ground, allowed a group of supporters to put scaffolding on her house so they could watch the game for free. It’s imaginative and they got to see some of United’s star players in the most creative way we know of.
Ten Hag’s gift to Newport
Ten Hag seemed a muted character on the touchline throughout the cup contest. Didn’t really show much emotion when Antony restored United’s lead and hardly celebrated the win at full-time. The talk of Rashford’s absence had also sparked a very coy reply from the Dutchman, a clear manner of frustration.
However, once the cup tie had finished and Ten Hag had a chance to relax, he showed a moment of class with Newport County boss Graham Coughlan. Just after he finished part of his media duties, the Irishman was greeted with a bottle of red wine by Ten Hag.
Despite declaring he doesn’t drink the alcoholic beverage, Ten Hag urged Coughlan to give it a test before seeming to praise Newport and their performance. A nice moment by Ten Hag.
Brailsford showing his support
INEOS’ involvement at United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment and 25 per cent minority takeover has been clear for all to see. After Ratcliffe watched the 2-2 draw with Tottenham alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Dave Brailsford was spotted in attendance at Rodney Parade to watch Ten Hag’s side.
The 59-year-old was seen watching the FA Cup win alone in Newport. It’s the first time the 59-year-old has been seen since stepping away from cycling to focus on United after he was removed from the staff section on Ineos Grenadiers’ website on Friday night.
Brailsford has been a heavily visible presence around United over the last few weeks and his attendance in Wales on Sunday points towards him being more involved going forward.