Manchester United are used to Fernandes spearheading their rescue acts, only this time there were two Fernandeses. Carlos Fernandes, the assistant manager and set-piece coach, has taken plenty of flak for United's penchant for conceding from dead-ball kicks. United's recovery against Ipswich Town was through three up the other end. Fernandes stood in the technical area and choreographed the United players before his namesake swung the ball in on two separate occasions in the first half. Bruno Fernandes claimed another direct assist for Harry Maguire two minutes into the second half. Maguire returned to United's half, raised his arm and clenched his fist, eliciting a relieved roar from the Stretford End. The glory was Maguire's but his successor as captain, Fernandes, remains United's talisman five years on from his season-salvaging arrival from Lisbon. Fernandes' focus never wavered. At one moment late in the second half, he paused for a much-needed breather. Fernandes debuted for United in February 2020 and he is six games shy of equalling Luke Shaw in United's all-time appearance list. Shaw first played for United in September 2014. Ruben Amorim treaded the same path as Fernandes and has practically had the opposite effect. All three bottom sides have gone 1-0 up at Old Trafford this calendar year but United defeated all of them. Amorim rubbed his hands optimistically at 3-2 on the hour, sensing a shift in mood. The mood on the terraces was not too celebratory. "We want Glazers out", "Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe's a c**t" and "£66, you're taking the p**s" were all aired by the Stretford End with United ahead. This was not a victory to boost the goal difference column ahead of a treacherous FA Cup tie against Fulham on Sunday. United are not lacking in resilience, at least, and have now triumphed twice with ten men under Amorim after the spirited cup tie at Arsenal. This was the first time United had scored twice in the first half of a Premier League match since Amorim arrived (also against relegation fodder Southampton) yet the first 45 minutes were still teeming with chaos. One-nil down in the fourth minute, with the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand's roof leaking again and Patrick Dorgu red-carded, it had the makings of another chapter in the crisis manual. Particularly when Alejandro Garnacho was hooked in the 45th minute. Garnacho stomped down the tunnel and Ipswich equalised within two minutes. The 20-year-old was United's most consistent attacking threat and his withdrawal one of a handful of illogical selections Amorim has made. He attempted to console the winger, sodden from the rain, yet Garnacho stoically continued past him and towards the dressing room. A personnel change was understandable to counter Dorgu's dismissal, with no obvious disciplined left winger to turn to from the other starters. Sacrificing Garnacho over the impotent Rasmus Hojlund was not. When Hojlund had service, he dummied the ball for an Ipswich player. He was still treated to encouraging applause and reciprocated. United are so bad that Ipswich have a superior striker. Noussair Mazraoui reacted as if he was aware that Liam Delap is a City alumni when he barged him to the turf, drawing frenzied approval from United supporters. The atmosphere for a midweek fixture against a promoted team that some supporters could not shift their season tickets for was one of the best of the season. Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee were serenaded by the Stretford End. United conceded first for the 21st time out of 41 games this season and this was the most comical. It took fewer than three weeks for Patrick Dorgu to be reduced to his teammates' level as he unwittingly gifted Jaden Philogene a tap-in. Whatever Andre Onana said, or didn't say, as he made himself available for the pass, he was within touching distance of Dorgu, who somehow could not see the 6ft 4in goalkeeper in green. After the briefest of inquests, Onana offered supportive applause for his teammate. When Dorgu nervously nodded the ball into touch six minutes later, one of the Ipswich analysts bullishly clapped. Their mood changed when Axel Tuanzebe attempted a pot shot in the 77th minute. If Onana could be excused for the first goal, his dilatory reaction to Philogene's second was inexcusable. He smacked his palms confidently as he strode out for kick-off but his glovework was awry again. Some United fans sarcastically cheered when Onana caught one cross. Ipswich captain Sam Morsy turned the game on its head by heading the ball past Alex Palmer. United were given a literal helping hand by goalkeeper Palmer palming the ball back into harm's way once too often for Matthijs de Ligt's opportunistic finish. Diogo Dalot celebrated De Ligt's strike wildly. It was merely Ipswich, 18th-placed and bound for the Championship. Yet they are in United's slipstream these days. Ipswich's fans were audibly exasperated by their ponderous play with their side 2-1 down. Dalot beat his chest but struggled to beat a man. There were not 12 minutes on the clock when his errant pass drew piercing exasperated sighs from United supporters. In added time, Dalot chest-bumped Casemiro to celebrate a throw-in. Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte turned cheerleaders. United are up to 14th after a first league win in a month. There was more gallows humour pre-match as some United fans billed this as a relegation six-pointer. In reality, the three teams promoted are so ill-equipped for the Premier League they will be back in the second tier next season, sparing United the embarrassment of matching Doc's Red Army in 1974. They have Fernandes to thank for that.