“Ruben Amorim, Ruben Amorim, nananaanananaaa,” shouted the jubilant Manchester United fans after Joshua Zirkzee’s impressive second goal. Sung to the tune of “Give It Up” by KC and the Sunshine Band, this was the last thing the new manager’s players did: neglect to pursue a seemingly lost cause, just in case gold might be mined.

In this way, Zirkzee scored United’s fourth goal. Substitute Luke Shaw made his way from deep in his area. The ball came to Amad Diallo, who rolled it into the open on the right wing. Marcus Rashford thundered over the ball and failed to connect, but when the ball was passed back to James Tarkowski, Diallo pressed. Everton’s captain dawdled, the right-back stole possession, sprinted forward, cut to the left at the United center forward and rammed him into the goal.

Amorim previously explained why United are immediately playing their 3-4-3 after making the leap forward with 11 Premier League games this season. “That would just delay our problems,” the new manager said, meaning that anything suffered in the short term would allow for a traffic jam tomorrow.

On Sunday there was only joy. Rashford also scored twice and although United were not perfect, Amorim’s side were energetic and, above all, ready to meet the demands of their new coach.

The best coaches always improve their players and Zirkzee could become a prime example of the Portuguese’s intelligence if this performance is repeated every week. The Dutchman’s budding career at United had already been called into question, but Sunday’s effort showed good technique and bravery in receiving despite knowing an ankle injury was always at risk.

While Amorim’s three games in charge have tied him to his job on the pitch, the fan protest against the club’s ticket price increase – to at least £66 for children or adults – does the same for the surrounding, never-ending subplots of United’s soap opera. At the pre-kick-off event at Trinity, fans’ anger was directed at Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is responsible for the dizzying climb where entry for juniors was £25.

They urged the minority owner to “sell United and go home” and told him “we want our club back.” This was the exact opposite of the affection shown to Amorim as he oversaw a succession of chances from the first shot to the last.

Kobbie Mainoo, one of six changes, sent Pickford flying. Zirkzee, also making his first start under Amorim, dropped back, made a sharp switch of boots and shot the ball wide into the goal. Suddenly United found themselves close to the Toffees area and we saw how Amorim balls are supposed to hurt.

Everton got stuck in the middle third as the red shirts huddled, stole the ball and launched another attack. This was the pattern when Bruno Fernandes received a pass on the left and hit it with the outside of his right boot. In ran Rashford, whose attempted chip from an onrushing Pickford failed.

Matthijs de Ligt also tried to stop the speedy Beto when he picked up Dwight McNeil’s pass. So the centre-back carried on and made a nuisance of himself as the No9 tried to get around his goalkeeper Andre Onana and United escaped.

Everton didn’t when Fernandes took a corner. In a routine drill at the training ground, the ball was flicked to Rashford, whose half-volley was aimed at goal before Jarrad Branthwaite stuck out a leg and deflected it past Pickford.

Zirkzee’s second goal for the club was a product of what you might call the ‘Amorim press’ – Branthwaite, again the scapegoat. This time he hesitated, Diallo pounced on him, grabbed the ball, Fernandes took the lead and fed Zirkzee as he entered Everton’s penalty area: the 1.90 meter tall striker stormed forward and shot home with his left foot.

The same urgency was evident in United’s third half of the second half. The ball was played to Pickford, who scampered upfield and Amorim’s men took over. Zirkzee collected, turned and passed to Diallo, who burst forward and fed the overlapping Rashford: an instant strike beat Pickford and that was the No.10’s first double in United colors since February 2023.

Later, Fernandes, one of Amorim’s five substitutes, sat with an ice pack on his left foot. A worry for the captain and United, but overall this was a good day for the Amorim Project: a dominant win in the 39-year-old’s first home game in the league.