Rashford seals it in Fergie time!

BROAD: WE’RE ALL PLAYED OUT

INTERIM maybe, but Ralf Rangnick now knows what it’s like for a Manchester United manager to endure in Fergie time.

United, watched on by Sir Alex Ferguson, had looked as if they’d miss the chance to leapfrog West Ham into the top four, mustering only one shot on target in 90 minutes of regulation time.

But three minutes later they not only scored, but the winning move involved all three of Rangnick’s attacking substitutes.

Anthony Martial fed Edinson Cavani on the left, he fired low across the penalty area and Marcus Rashford scrambled in having been usurped in the starting line-up by Anthony Elanga in recent games.

Old Trafford went crazy like times of old but there was still a modern twist to the drama with VAR undergoing a long check to see if Cavani had been offside when receiving the ball.

It looked desperately close but technology ruled in United’s favour and Rangnick was able to smile for virtually the first time on an otherwise anguished afternoon.

‘If you score in the last second of the game that is the best type of win, particularly with a clean sheet. I think in the end we deserved to win,’ said the German.

‘It takes patience to play West Ham. A few moments at the end I wished we would have passed the ball instead of shooting from wherever.

‘Bearing in mind we played a few days ago against Brentford, the team looked physically good. The way we played defensively, won balls back, I was really happy.

‘I’m very pleased the three subs scored the goal. All were involved. That makes it more important.’

United were better than in recent weeks with Cristiano Ronaldo looking interested in link-up play as well as scoring goals and skipper Harry Maguire aggressive in his challenges as he returned for Victor Lindelof, playing particularly hard against his former Hull team-mate Jarrod Bowen.

But it was still far from a vintage display with Alphonse Areola’s only save coming from Fred before Ronaldo tested him with a shot from an offside position.

Though Ronaldo had justifiable claims for a penalty at the end of the first half when Kurt Zouma barged him in the back, the home side wilted in the second period and West Ham looked the likelier scorers at the end.

David de Gea had to pull off a great reflex stop to prevent a Raphael Varane deflection from creeping over the line.

But United’s late breakthrough enabled Rangnick to celebrate consecutive wins for the first time. It won’t be enough to extend his tenure beyond the season when United will seek for a longer-term solution like Mauricio Pochettino but it was an improvement on their last home league game, a miserable 1-0 defeat against Wolves.

West Ham have been this season’s surprise Champions League contenders although they suffered a setback losing at home against Leeds last weekend.

Manager David Moyes, who was the first person to try and replace Ferguson at Old Trafford, had never won in the league as an opposition manager at the stadium but had been buoyed by knocking United out of the EFL Cup earlier this season.

Maguire, replacing Lindelof whose family had been involved in a disturbing burglary at home last week, set the tone for United with strong and well-timed early tackles on Bowen and Michail Antonio.

United’s attackers also pushed forward with purpose but too often made the wrong final decision. Ronaldo had to gesture his displeasure more than one towards young Mason Greenwood after the striker selfishly decided to shoot rather than pass — and was nowhere near scoring.

Ronaldo, showing no hangover from a neck strain picked up in training, was close to connecting with a Bruno Fernandes cross, flying horizontally at the ball. Diogo Dalot got up from right back and headed wide.

Ronaldo then waved his arms in the air appealing for a penalty when he burst goalside of Zouma and fell trying to reach a cross from Alex Telles.

The 36-year-old was convinced he’d been shoved from behind. VAR didn’t overturn the original decision from referee Jonathan Moss but replays suggested Ronaldo was unfortunate with Zouma putting both arms around the United striker and knocking into him.

Fred produced the first shot on target of the afternoon on 49 minutes with Areola leaping to his right to palm away.

Maguire was booked for another bruising challenge on Bowen and Rangnick finally showed his bold side by sending on three new attackers for the closing stages.

At first it looked as if the gamble would backfire as the home side suddenly looked more vulnerable at the back. De Gea stopped Varane from registering an own goal and then Tomas Soucek was a whisker away with a header from Bowen’s corner.

But it is in United’s DNA to keep going to the bitter end. Even when Martial fluffed his lines after 92 minutes, taking a poor touch as Fernandes found him in the area, one very final chance arrived.

Ronaldo dropped deep to receive a pass from Telles and move on to Martial. He fed Cavani outside him and Rashford converted.

It is the first time Rashford has scored in consecutive Premier League games since December 2020 and the celebrations were appropriately ebullient, both before and after VAR.