Manchester United cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic in a game they dominated at the DW Stadium.
Diogo Dalot gave Erik ten Hag's side a first-half lead and Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the final quarter of the game, but United created a hatful of chances and never looked likely to be the victims of an upset.
The most frustrating element for Ten Hag might be the number of good opportunities that went beginning but the win sees them book a meeting with Eastleigh or Newport County in round four and set up the possibility of another cup run under Ten Hag. It was also a night when 12 of the 21-man squad he picked had come through the club's academy.
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That included winger Omari Forson, with the 19-year-old coming on in the final minute to make his first appearance for the club.
A professional job
Given what has happened so far to Manchester United this season, they can't have been looking forward to a trip to a third-tier side in the FA Cup. Class should have won the day and it did win out, but that an upset even felt plausible was because of the mood around the club.
United had lost 14 of their 28 games this season so even a meeting with a League One side holds some element of fear. But the ease with which Ten Hag's side got through will serve as a confidence booster for the rest of the season. They avoided a banana skin with some class and the hosts were never really in this game, despite the scoreline remaining close for so long.
With a trip to Newport County or Eastleigh to come, the FA Cup is holding some promise again for United. It is their last hope of silverware this season and winning it could be significant for Ten Hag, with INEOS getting their feet under the table at Old Trafford.
Aside from the FA Cup, there are 18 Premier League games to go and United need to try and use a cup run to fuel form and confidence in their bread and butter, starting with Sunday's big game with Tottenham.
Missing chances
United haven't always created hatfuls of chances this season, but far too often they've been guilty of missing big opportunities when they arrive and that was the case against Wigan.
This was a game that Ten Hag's side dominated and they should have been out of sight by half-time, at which point they had had 17 attempts at goal. That level of control only produced one goal and yet so many of the chances were big ones. Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund were all guilty of spurning chances.
Wigan's threat was much more sporadic but United's failure to kill them off did keep the belief alive inside the DW Stadium, when it really should have been extinguished early in the contest.
In a way, United's second summed it up. Fernandes went down deliberately to win that penalty and given the chances that had come and gone before then, he probably knew a spot-kick was the best way to finish this game off.
Bouncing away end
As Jean-Claude Blanc and Sir Dave Brailsford looked across the DW Stadium pitch to a superb away end of more than 7,000 United supporters they would have realised again the potential in what they have, or at least what they have a quarter of.
It was a superb away end and the noise was almost constant from those in it. They looked to be having a great time despite the freezing temperatures. They were odes to Park Ji-Sing, Jaap Stam, Andy Cole, Wayne Rooney and Eric Cantona in the first half alone.
This has been a pretty dismal season for United but there has been very little revolt from the stands. It's only 11 months since they were all delirious at Wembley celebrating a first trophy in six years.
This was Brailsford's third successive United game, but a first for Blanc, with former chief executive David Gill also in their party. They would have enjoyed seeing the support that Ten Hag and his players still have from matchgoing fans.
They would also have enjoyed seeing the talent coming through the ranks at Old Trafford. If INEOS want to end the cycle of high-earners and low returns at United, then they will know the academy can be a fruitful place to look.
Academy pride
United academy director Nick Cox took to social media soon after the teams were confirmed at the DW Stadium to trumpet what a proud night it was for that section of the club.
As Cox pointed out, five of the starting XI were academy graduates, as were seven of the nine substitutes. It was a wide-ranging group, from 18-year-old midfielder and the star of this season, Kobbie Mainoo, to returning veterans Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton, who are adding experience and understanding to this squad having left and enjoyed success elsewhere.
Mainoo was superb against the Latics, winning some vital tackles in midfield and generally using the ball well after one early aberration that led to a Wigan counter. For United to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup with 12 of their squad counting as academy graduates is a fine achievement.
When Omari Forson came off the bench in the final minute he became the 249th academy graduate to make their debut for United. A significant milestone is just around the corner.
More absences
The loss of Christian Eriksen, Antony and Amad for this game took the tally of different absences for United to close to 40 and it is an ongoing problem at Carrington. Eriksen and Amad were ill and plenty of squad members have been laid low recently and had to miss games, while Antony was out with injury.
It's been an issue affecting Ten Hag all season and while the long-term injuries are a problem, these short-term ones have been just as damaging, constantly causing a loss of momentum and denying the Dutchman the chance to build up any rhythm in his team.
There is hope that Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro and Mason Mount might all be back later this month and Ten Hag badly needs a near-full squad to pick from.
