As it happened:  No final swansong for Rooney as United sweep aside Cocu's much-changed Derby  

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Job done as we head into the #EmiratesFACup quarter-finals! 💪#MUFC — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 5, 2020

FT: Manchester United secure a comprehensive victory to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, where Norwich City await.

Derby had their moments, but never seemed capable of halting the fruitful exploits of the visitors, who have now scored 10, and conceded zero in their three cup matches.

Wayne Rooney's name echoed around the stands, predominantly via the visiting fans, who sang loud and proud throughout. 

But, unfortunately for Rooney, he would not get a final say, labouring helplessly in a much-changed side.

 

91: Rooney's pinpoint free-kick is again denied by the nimble Romero.

89: Ighalo spurns a golden opportunity to secure a historic hat-trick, wildly miskicking a half-volley into row Z from close range.

84: Pereira's low drive glides just past the inside of Roos' left post.

80: Brandon Williams replaces Luke Shaw, while Derby bring off Sibley for Graeme Shinnie.

77: Derby almost claw one back after Marriot's angled effort is diverted by the fingertips of Romero.

It's 3-0, and it's IGHALOOOOOOOOO!#MUFC pic.twitter.com/dWvjjuLHVz — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 5, 2020

70: Ighalo secures his brace after his initial effort was blocked off the goal line following a neat bit of United interplay. The Nigerian was then quickest to react, smashing home into the roof of the net to surely book United's place in the quarter-finals.

67: Bruno Fernandes is replaced by Andreas Pereira in a like-for-like switch, while for Derby, Jack Marriot comes on for Martyn Waghorn up front.

65: United wreaking havoc on the counter-attack with Derby pushing for a route back into the match.

61: Tensions are rising between Sibley and McTominay, with the latter seemingly unwilling to forget Sibley's petulant kick.

56: Shaw tiptoes into a threatening position inside the penalty area, but can only manage a feeble effort down the throat of Roos.

52: McTominay in uproar after Sibley's flailing leg seemed to brush his face.

50: Waghorn glances Bogle's rasping cross from the right whiskers wide of the far post.

45: We're back underway at Pride Park.

HT: Derby County have been left with a mountain to climb in the second half after Luke Shaw and Odion Ighalo inflicted a 2-0 deficit upon the home side in a mature first-half performance.

After weathering an early Derby storm, United seemed to take to the occasion well, exercising their superior quality to widen the increasingly prevalent gulf in class.

Tom Lawrence's injury will also come as a devastating blow to Cocu.

The Rams are behind at the interval.

🐏 0-2 🔴 #DCFCvMUFC pic.twitter.com/Dsdd4RKO67 — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) March 5, 2020

YOU LOVE TO SEE IT 😍#MUFC pic.twitter.com/nuXLfFJm7E — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 5, 2020

41: Ighalo doubles United's lead. Shaw picked out the Nigerian in the penalty area, who wriggled past a number of Derby defenders and poked past Roos for United's second and a goal that the whole of Nigeria will no doubt have enjoyed. A mountain to climb for the Rams now.

👏 @LukeShaw23 👏

The left-back's effort loops over Roos into the back of the Derby net - GET IN! #MUFC https://t.co/5vmsuYNjvB — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 5, 2020

34: Luke Shaw's bouncing volley loops into the top corner to break the deadlock. The visitors had begun to pick up steam, and now have something substantial to show for their efforts after Forsyth had rebounded Fernandes' effort into the path of the United left-back, who fortuitously evaded Roos with a scuffed volley.

32: Roos stays tall to thwart Ighalo as he slips in behind the Derby defence.

25: United settling. Seem to have weathered the early storm.

18: Rooney's free-kick seems destined for the bottom corner, until a desperate Romero manages to claw at the bending effort.

17: Luke Shaw is cautioned for a cynical foul after Sibley raced clear on the counter-attack.

11: Cocu may have rang the changes, but this Derby side are certainly putting up a fight with a number of overly-zealous challenges flying in during the opening stages. 

9: Sibley dances towards the edge of the box and fires a low, curling shot narrowly wide.

It's been a closely-contested opening five minutes.

Come on you Rams! 🖤

🐏 0-0 🔴 #DCFCvMUFC pic.twitter.com/IlZ73gxrFZ — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) March 5, 2020

Rooney offers his final words of advice with kick-off imminent.

A sell-out Pride Park is bubbling with anticipation as kick-off nears.

The boss has made 6️⃣ changes from Sunday's game at Goodison Park 👇#MUFC — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 5, 2020

🏆 TEAM NEWS 🏆

🔙 Roos, Evans, Lowe, Sibley. #DCFCvMUFC #FACup pic.twitter.com/gX2ATX7WtH — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) March 5, 2020

"It depends how much you put into the job and how much you want it because it takes over your life," Solskjaer, who took over at United in December 2018, said.

"It's the second best after playing. I am sure there are many ex-players & managers who would like to have my job."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been asked about Rooney a lot since this draw was made. He believes the club’s top goalscorer could manage United one day.

"There was obviously the time when I nearly left the club, which I regret. There were lows but they were certainly outweighed by the highs."

Wayne Rooney has been talking about his time at Manchester United as the club’s former-captain comes up against them for the first time since returning from MLS.

"I loved it there,” Rooney told the Guardian.

“Some huge highs and some lows. When you’ve been somewhere so long, and you look back on it, your old teammates & staff, it was the main part of my career. It was enjoyable and something I’ll look back on with great memories." 

Solskjaer on Ighalo: "He's come in as a breath of fresh air. He had chances in his five minutes against Chelsea, he scored against Bruges, he had chances against Watford, he had a very good save [from a shot] against Everton — he doesn't miss the target very often."

Solskjaer said that Ighalo living the dream "doesn't hurt, but he's here on merit; he's here because he is a goalscorer and a different type of striker for us. We might get to the summer and think we want to extend this, who knows?

Odion Ighalo could be in line for another Manchester United start after scoring his first goal for the club last Thursday against Club Brugge.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised the Nigerian, the first player from his country to play for United, as a 'breath of fresh air'.

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Applying the finishing touches to our preparations for Derby away 👊#MUFC #FACup pic.twitter.com/bCQyLmyGyz — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 4, 2020

Rooney told the Derby County media: "Manchester United weren't in the greatest run of form when the draw was made in January, but they have picked up in recent weeks."

"It's always strange if you play against a former team, especially as I was at Manchester United for such a long time, but it's football."

He added: "I love Manchester United and I want the team to do well and win, but for these 90 or 120 minutes, I want them to lose and for us to go through to the next round."

It takes some storyline to relegate Manchester United's quest for a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup to the backseat, but Wayne Rooney's reunion with his former club - for whom he is the most prolific goalscorer of all time - is just that.

It is not the first time he has pitted his wits against United, but his last matches against the Red Devils have all ended in defeat, and - as Solskjaer coined it - "he wants to prove there's still fight in the old dog."

Penalty shoot-out joy last time out against @ManUtd! 🤩

🔜 #DCFCvMUFC pic.twitter.com/WOadCnLwvY — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) March 4, 2020

Autumn 2018 will forever be remembered by United fans as the infamous period in which Jose Mourinho's volatile reign at Old Trafford plunged into turmoil.

Among the humiliations across that spell - of which there were many - was a penalty shootout defeat in the Carabao Cup to Frank Lampard's Derby, a side operating in the Sky Bet Championship. 

To add insult to injury, it was the Liverpool loanee, Harry Wilson, who stole the headlines that day with a sumptuous long range free-kick, and celebrated with his five fingers raised (for five Champions League trophies at the time) at the home fans, to emphasise his parent club's superior European success

Since then, however, the two clubs have spiralled in opposite trajectories.

While major shortcomings remain prevalent at United, Solskjaer has at least managed to restore some semblance of harmony and ambition within the dressing room, while Bruno Fernandes' arrival has brought renewed impetus to the table as of late.

Derby, however, have regressed under Phillip Cocu this season, currently operating around the mid-table mark with a potential points deduction looming ahead. But - much like Fernandes' influence - the Rooney-inspired rejuvenation at Pride Park can not be overlooked.

They head into Thursday's fixture brimming with confidence after a 3-1 win away at Sheffield Wednesday, but face a side who will no doubt be determined to exact revenge.

 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leads his Manchester United side to Pride Park tomorrow, where they are set to encounter somewhat of a familiar face in their pursuit of a spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Here's what the United boss had to say on the reunion with Wayne Rooney in his pre-match press conference.

"He [Rooney] has been a fantastic player for Man United and he played here for so long, he's the club's top scorer, he's won so many trophies," Solskjaer told Talksport in his pre-match press conference.

"But any goal he scores against us will be chalked off his goals tally. He's a threat in and around the box and with set plays, and this game Wayne will show what he can do.  He wants to prove there is still fight in the old dog. We've got to be on our toes and don't give him any space, or in midfield he's got that Scholesy like passing range."

He continued, explaining the injury situation: "[Dan James] will probably miss out on this one as well. Marcus and Paul are still out and I think Aaron might be struggling. He's got a test today but he struggled in our last game against Everton with his back, so he might be out."

On the possibility of rotating David De Gea for Sergio Romero, he added: "It's not a given of course, but Sergio has done well in the games he's played. But I have no qualms about playing David in every game, to be fair."

The key moments from our #PL clash against Everton 🎥#MUFC pic.twitter.com/qAQzksIIYT — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 1, 2020

Both Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are highly unlikely to feature for United tomorrow, with the latter sustaining a knock at Goodison Park on Sunday. Marcus Rashford (back) and Paul Pogba (ankle) are the only other notable absentees.

The midfield trio of Duane Holmes (ankle), Krystian Bielik (knee), and Tom Huddlestone (hamstring) remain sidelined for the hosts, however George Evans is said to be available for selection following a calf problem.

A fine trip to Hillsborough on Saturday 🙌

Matchday Moments from the victorious away day! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/89k0cSEk8m — Derby County (@dcfcofficial) March 2, 2020

Derby vs Man Utd will take place at Pride Park in Derby, England. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:45 GMT.

Welcome to VAVEL.com’s LIVE coverage of the 2020 Emirates FA Cup match between Derby County and Manchester United. My name is Toby Bowles and I’ll be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-match analysis, team updates, and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.