Man United 2-0 Tottenham: Michael Carrick’s buoyant side cruise to fourth win in a row as Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes punish Spurs after Cristian Romero’s reckless red card

An open-air service took place on the Old Trafford forecourt before kick-off to remember those who died in the Munich Air Disaster 68 years ago this week. Thousands stood beneath the Munich Clock and leaden skies and observed a minute’s silence.

A couple of lines from the Book of Ecclesiastes were read out to a few thousand supporters who had gathered there. ‘A time to weep and a time to laugh,’ the words read, ‘a time to mourn and a time to dance.’

The words were beautifully read and beautifully observed. And some did weep as the names of the Busby Babes who perished were read out, and all mourned. And then the fans poured into a stadium where they have learned, in the past few weeks, how to laugh and to dance again.

On this squally Saturday, they watched delightedly as their caretaker manager, Michael Carrick, led United to their fourth straight Premier League victory since he took charge in the wake of the sacking of Ruben Amorim.

As they racked up a 2-0 victory over the 10 men of Tottenham, a man down since the sending off of Cristian Romero for a rash first-half tackle on Casemiro, United once again were a team transformed from the hesitant, confused, demoralised rabble they often appeared under Amorim.

Their first goal came from a beautifully worked corner, their second from an improvised finish from their best player, Bruno Fernandes, but it is the mood that is most strikingly different.

Cristian Romero was shown a straight red card in the first half for a reckless tackle on Casemiro

There is an air of celebration about this stadium and this crowd again now. Old Trafford feels like a venue to be enjoyed again, not an instrument of slow torture. Fernandes attempted one cross with a Rabona. When Casemiro was substituted a few minutes from the end, the atmosphere was like a carnival. The Brazilian bowed to each corner of the ground as he left the pitch.

The win consolidated United’s grip on a place in the top four and quickened the momentum building behind the desire to appoint Carrick as the manager full-time. His impact on United has been startling. He deserves only praise for the change he has wrought.

It has got to the point already where it would be foolhardy to interrupt what is happening here with any uncertainty. United have happened upon something good. They have found someone who knows how to get the best out of these players. If it ain’t broke, why worry about trying to fix it?

Romero certainly gave Carrick a helping hand. Spurs were playing well in the first half until the Spurs captain lunged into the tackle on Romero and caught him, studs-up, on the ankle. He could have no complaints about his immediate dismissal.

It was an act of stupidity. Earlier in the week, Romero had taken to social media to criticise the Spurs board for its ineffectuality in recruitment and the paucity of the playing staff. It seemed, then, particularly ill-judged for him to add to Spurs’ availability crisis by earning a red card that will rule him out of Spurs’ next four matches, including the North London Derby.

You can’t set yourself up as the voice of the resistance if you are going to disappear when the bullets start flying. Romero has now been sent off six times for Spurs. He is a fine, inspirational defender but you can’t be inspirational when you are banned for four games. Spurs are now level with Leeds near the bottom of the table and looking over their shoulders again.

‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,’ the United fans sang at Thomas Frank near the end and the reality is that Frank’s job is under pressure after the brief respite of the second half escape against Manchester City last week. He, too, will be looking over his shoulder.

United did not waste any time trying to build on their recent impressive form. Bruno Fernandes led a blistering counter attack and laid the ball into the path of Bryan Mbeumo, as he sprinted beyond him. Mbeumo hit his shot sweetly enough but it flew just wide.

Soon after, Mbeumo fired the hosts ahead at Old Trafford after a well-worked corner routine

Manchester United have enjoyed a remarkable rise under interim manager Carrick 

Casemiro brought a decent save out of Vicario with a piledriver from 25 yards as United dominated play but there was a reminder of their vulnerability, too, when Xavi Simons drifted a clever ball into the home box for Conor Gallagher. Gallagher only made faint contact with it. A better touch and he would have scored.

United drifted. Then, midway through the half, they exploded into life. Diogo Dalot burst forward down the right and played a clever pass inside to Matheus Cunha. Cunha is a special talent and he took the ball early and hit a first-time shot that curled inches wide.

Spurs still did not concede but just before the half-hour, they were dealt a serious blow. Romero tried to bring the ball out of defence but ran into trouble and overstretched as Casemiro whipped the ball away from him.

Romero ploughed on and caught Casemiro on the ankle with a studs-up challenge. Casemiro writhed on the floor in pain and almost before he had hit the turf, referee Michael Oliver reached into his pocket and showed Romero a straight red card.

Some thought the sanction harsh but it was a clear red. The tackle was not malicious but it was late, it was dangerous and Romero did not make contact with the ball. The Spurs captain walked slowly across the pitch and straight down the tunnel.

It only took eight minutes for United to make their numerical advantage pay. There has been much talk this season of the tyranny of set-pieces and the ugly feast of jostling and wrestling that corners bring but United turned this corner into a piece of performance-art.

Fernandes took it and played it along the ground to the near post, where Kobbie Mainoo had appeared after darting out of the melee in the six-yard box. Mainoo played the ball round the corner to Mbeumo, who was waiting near the penalty spot. Mbeumo took aim deliberately with his left foot and steered the ball into the corner of the net.

Suddenly, Spurs were struggling to stay in the game. Vicario produced an acrobatic save to claw a Casemiro header out from under the bar and it was only when Luke Shaw played a careless ball straight to Simons and he curled a shot just wide that Spurs found any relief from United pressure.

Bruno Fernandes capped off an excellent afternoon for United with a second goal late on

It piles more pressure on Tottenham manager Thomas Frank after another disappointing result

Nor were Spurs’ disciplinary woes over. Joao Palhinha reacted angrily to being shown a yellow card for a foul on Mainoo and Thomas Frank, who was also incensed, was also cautioned by Michael Oliver.

Ten minutes from time, United put Spurs out of their misery. Mbeumo escaped down the right and laid the ball back to Dalot. His cross was just too high for substitute Benjamin Sesko but Fernandes was flying in on the blindside and anticipated the ball’s bounce brilliantly.

He let it collide with his shin and changed its direction so that it wrong-footed Vicario and squeezed inside the post. He and Mainoo had been the game’s outstanding players. That has been the script for much of the last four games. Together, they were too good for a Spurs team that can’t even keep its own best player on the pitch.