The way Kobbie Mainoo sashayed past three defenders, in stoppage time, before slotting a sumptuous finish in the bottom corner had a club desperate for salvation purring.
Manchester United’s backroom staff admitted afterwards to being in awe at what they had just witnessed as Mainoo snatched victory from the jaws of further disappoint at Wolves last year. A star, a homegrown one at that, was born.
From that moment on, United earmarked Mainoo as the starlet to rebuild their underperforming team around. He was the first name on Erik ten Hag’s team sheet, with the faith shown in the Cheadle-born fledgling talent repaid as he helped steer United to glory in last summer’s FA Cup final.
Talk of a new lucrative contract quickly surfaced. But after Ten Hag departed, so did the furore around Mainoo as Ruben Amorim used him sparingly, with it glaringly obviously the new United boss looked upon the teenager in a less favourable light.
Concerns over his legs in midfield saw others leapfrog Mainoo in the pecking order, with even another academy graduate, Toby Collyer, becoming flavour of the month in the engine-room.
Amorim, though, for all his struggles so far in England, has to be admired for his propensity for change. Who would have thought Amad Diallo could be such a dangerous wingback? Or Bruno Fernandes be just as effective from even deeper in midfield?
Mainoo was Amorim’s next body of work. With United all-but having secured a place in the Europa League last 16 automatic qualification spots before their trip to FCSB on Thursday, the Tinkerman shuffled his pack once more, deploying Christian Eriksen and Mainoo as number 10s, in more advanced positions.
While Eriksen quickly faded, Mainoo, with a fleet of foot one can only be born with, flourished. Hinting his future under Amorim may not be in the heart of midfield after all.
“We need time to understand the players,” Amorim said. “He (Mainoo) was struggling a lot defending as a midfielder. We need time to work with the players and understand the best positions for the game.
“As a 10 he was so free playing the ball near the box.”
A goal and an assist in a comfortable away win for United in Europe – the rarest of commodities in recent times – was just the output Mainoo and his team needed.
Quite who United were facing was open to debate, with Steaua Bucharest forcibly renamed in 2017 to FCSB after a long-running legal dispute with the Ministry of Defence, who owned Steaua during Nicolae Ceausescu dictatorship.
A pre-match tifo in the impressive National Arena, celebrating the recently-departed Helmut Duckadam, the goalkeeper who saved four shootout penalties against Barcelona in the 1986 European Cup final to bring Ol’ Big Ears behind the Iron Curtain, told you that this remains Steaua in all but official name.
For all their domestic struggles, Europe has been a safer haven for United of late. Coming into their trip to the Romanian capital, United remained unbeaten in this year’s Europa League, form which has taken them back into the top four of one competition at least.
The early signs suggested Amorim’s tactical reshuffle could bear fruit, with Mainoo blazing over after a fine, flowing move.
As is often the case with modern-day United, the intensity evaporated quicker than you could say Palinka. The hosts in fact had the best opening of the first half, Mihai Popescu prodding wide on the stretch.
The introduction of Alejandro Garnacho and Diallo, however, did give United that cutting edge they had been lacking, combining with Mainoo to form an attacking unit to actually be feared.
After a defensive error, Garnacho struck the post, before Fernandes’ long-range effort came out off the crossbar.
Amad had a hand in the goal that did break the home resistance. It did appear, dare I say it, to be a pre-planned United routine, with Mainoo making his move before Amad picked out Eriksen with a throw. Mainoo then squared for Diogo Dalot at the back post to tap home.
Garnacho continued to cause problems down the left and helped United put the game to bed, Mainoo sliding home the Argentine’s cross. It was the kind of finish made to look routine, but only by a player with ability to take such moments in his stride.
If Mainoo announced himself to the world at Molineux 11 months ago, his efforts in Romania provided Amorim with a timely reminder that just because he may not be able to fulfilling the lung-busting requirements the demanding new boss asks of his central midfielders, Mainoo’s ascendancy to superstardom need not slow down.
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