Almost thirty-five years ago, Mark Robins was the player who rescued Sir Alex Ferguson’s management career at Manchester United by scoring an FA Cup victory at Nottingham Forest. This event is inscribed in the annals of Manchester United history. In another 35 years, Erik ten Hag can only hope that Casemiro will be famous for the same reason that he is popular today.

A glancing header by Casemiro at the near post in the 89th minute of Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth round match against Forest secured Manchester United a 1-0 victory. This success relieved the strain that was being placed on Ten Hag, the manager of the team, who was under criticism.

Following Robins’ goal at the City Ground in January 1990, United went on to win the FA Cup, which marked the beginning of an extraordinary era of success on the Old Trafford pitch under the leadership of Ferguson. There is still a lot of work to be done if Ten Hag’s journey is going to follow a similar storyline, especially considering that Liverpool is waiting in the quarterfinals. However, at the absolute least, it is a much-needed win at the beginning of what might be a defining week for the Dutchman.

The next match is a derby match against Manchester City, which will take place on Sunday. If United had been eliminated from the FA Cup, their only opportunity to win a trophy would have been much diminished, which would have made the spotlight on Ten Hag even more intense. However, for the time being, Ten Hag is able to take a deep breath once more because of the triumph that occurred on Wednesday.

In his words, “It’s big,” Ten Hag stated. Every game is important because we aim to win every competition that we enter. The supporters are entitled to a squad that is willing to bаttle and that demonstrates dominance, passion, drive, and resilience, and they demonstrated all of these qualities today.

“There are many good teams in the Premier League, and Liverpool and [Manchester] City are top, but it’s a great challenge and we’re really looking forward to [playing Liverpool in the next round] because we like the challenge.”

That management can sometimes be about timing is something that Ferguson discovered all those years ago, and there is no question that Ten Hag required this at this very moment.

The loss to Fulham on Saturday was a horrible representation of everything that has gone wrong at United this season. Despite the fact that many of the same problems were on display against Forest, United still managed to find a way to win.

“We created good chances, but we allowed them some counters and then after that we took control and we were more calm and composed,” according to Ten Hag. “I’m very pleased with the second half and very pleased with the spirit and passion and desire they showed, which is always the standard.”

On the other hand, United, who had 20 shots of their own, would feel that the game should have been over long before Casemiro stooped to nudge in Bruno Fernandes’ free kιck from the left side. Forest, who defeated United here in December, will be wondering how they were able to have 16 shots but not be able to score.

“I’m disappointed for the fans,” said Nuno Espirito Santo, the manager of the Forest baseball team. “We had good situations, and we’re disappointed to lose at the end.”

The significance of the goal was not lost on Casemiro, as evidenced by his roaring and fist-pumping in front of the 6,000 fans who travelled from Manchester to watch the game by travelling for two hours. The United supporters started singing their Casemiro chant after five minutes of stoppage time, and the 32-year-old player saluted and banged his chest with his fist in response to the chant.

In spite of everything that Ten Hag has encountered this season, Casemiro’s dedication to the cause is not one of the problems that have arisen. At the Etihad Stadium this coming Saturday, Ten Hag will require the whole range of Casemiro’s abilities and experience.

“He’s a fantastic player,” Ten Hag stated about him once. “He has scored a greater number of goals for us than he has ever scored in his entire career. It is wonderful to have a guy like Casemiro on your squad, and you can see how vital he is for us. When he is not around, you miss him a great deal. Our performance is improved as a result of his leadership, and the quality he possesses on the ball.

Ten Hag stated on Tuesday that he does not care about the commotion that is around his position; yet, the conjecture will continue as long as there is no public promise from the new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

United still has a chance to turn things around, despite the fact that this season has been quite disappointing. They can do this by winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League.

It is possible that Ten Hag’s future is dependent on finishing in the top four of the Premier League. However, reaching Wembley and winning a second trophy as United manager would also go a long way towards convincing Ratcliffe and securing his position ahead of the upcoming season. This is because qualifying for Europe’s top club competition generates a significant financial boost.

Ferguson won his first prize at Old Trafford in 1990, which was the FA Cup. This victory occurred at a time when there were growing concerns regarding whether or not the Scotsman should be fired from his position. The opportunity for United and Ferguson to advance to Wembley Stadium was made possible by the goal scored by Robins during a 1-0 victory at the City Ground in the third round.

Ten Hag is still in the running for the FA Cup this season, and thanks to Casemiro’s stellar performance for the Robins, it appears that there may be some life left in his reign as United’s coach.