Manchester United 4-1 Fenerbahce

Manchester United 4-1 Fenerbahce: Paul Pogba nets brace as former Red Devil Robin van Persie grabs consolation for Turkish giants

• Paul Pogba scored twice as Manchester United cruised to victory against Fenerbahce at Old Trafford

• The Frenchman scored from the spot to open the scoring before curling the ball home for United's third

• Anthony Martial scored the Red Devils' second with another spot-kick before Jesse Lingard added a fourth

• Former United star Robin van Persie grabbed a consolation for Turkish giants on his return to Manchester

• Victory sees United move to second place in Europa League Group A, behind Feyenoord on head-to-head

By Chris Wheeler for the Daily Mail

Jose Mourinho shook his fist in celebration and pointed a finger skywards towards the directors’ box where the men who sanctioned Paul Pogba’s world record transfer to Old Trafford were no doubt sharing in his delight at a quite wonderful goal.

Pogba has struggled to carry the burden of that £89million fee since joining United. We’ve had the flash haircuts, the rap video, even the hashtag (#pogback if you missed it).

What we’ve not seen very much of is a young man justifying his price tag and the £230,000-a-week wages that go with it.

 Paul Pogba coolly curls the ball home to put Manchester United 3-0 up against Fenerbahce in the first half of Thursday's clash

 The Frenchman slides on his knees after scoring his second goal of the evening as United claimed three points in Group A

 Pogba roars with delight as he is congratulated by defenders Matteo Darmian and Eric Bailly after scoring a brace for United

 Pogba sidefoots his penalty into the net to score his first of the evening and put the Red Devils ahead against Turkish giants

 United playmaker Juan Mata was brought down by Fenerbahce centre back Simon Kjaer for the first penalty of the evening

 Minutes later, Anthony Martial was felled in the area and United were given the chance to double their lead from the spot

 Pogba's compatriot Martial expertly fires the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal to give the Red Devils a 2-0 lead

 Martial jumps for joy and clenches his fists in celebration during what was a convincing performance from United in Europe

 United winger Jesse Lingard rifles the ball home to score the fourth goal of the evening as the Red Devils won comfortably

 Goalscorers Pogba and Lingard celebrate with a choreographed dance routine after the latter put the hosts four goals up

 Former Manchester United star Robin van Persie nabs a consolation goal past David de Gea for the Turkish giants late on

 Van Persie acknowledges the Old Trafford crowd but did not go overboard with a celebration after netting against United

United boss Jose Mourinho clenches his fist in celebration following Pogba's second goal of the evening as United cruised

He was signed to grace the Champions League stage not the Europa League, of course; to beat better teams than this Fenerbahce side.

But there was no taking away from the wonderful strike that put this tie to bed in the final moments before half-time and sent United to the top of Group A.

Pogba had already fired United ahead from the penalty spot and seen Anthony Martial do likewise when Wayne Rooney overlapped on the right and fired a cross to the feet of Jesse Lingard.

Lingard laid it into the Frenchman’s path and Pogba didn’t hesitate, curling an exquisite shot into the top corner from 25 yards.

Mourinho’s pleasure was plain to see. It was a fantastic team goal and a top finish from a player he knows is under huge pressure to produce more.

It was the spark of inspiration United were lacking in Monday’s turgid draw at Liverpool, and sends Mourinho’s side into their next two big game against his old club Chelsea and Manchester City, in the EFL Cup, on a high.

Twelve years after announcing his arrival at Old Trafford with that stunning hat-trick against Fenerbahce, Rooney was making his first start in five games in rather different circumstances.

Now part of the Thursday night brigade deemed fit for Europa League games, Rooney took his place alongside squad players like Michael Carrick and Matteo Darmian.

MATCH FACTS

Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Bailly, Shaw, Carrick, Pogba, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rooney Subs: Romero, Rojo, Depay, Ibrahimovic, Rashford, Fosu-Mensah, Fellaini Scorers: Pogba 31 (pen) 45, Martial 34 (pen), Lingard 48. Fenerbahce: Demirel, Ozbayrakli, Skrtel, Kjaer, Souza, Topal, Kaldirim, Neustadter, Potuk, van Persie, Sen Subs:Fabiano, Koybasi, Civelek, Emenike, Koca, Stoch Scorer: Van Persie 83

 Wayne Rooney, back in the United starting XI and playing upfront, races away from Fenerbahce midfielder Mehmet Topal

 Former United forward Van Persie, who won the Premier League title in 2013, takes on defender Chris Smalling on his return

 Former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, complete with protective face mask, takes the hands on approach to stop Rooney

 Manchester United's record signing Pogba manoeuvres the ball away from Fenerbahce's Alper Potuk during the encounter

 Pogba enjoyed a busy evening as he scored twice in United's convincing victory - CLICK HERE for more from our Match Zone

  Memphis Depay only made the bench and quite where Mourinho’s team selection left £26million signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan, sat in the stands again despite being declared fit for this game, is anyone’s guess.

The return of his former striker partner Robin van Persie in the blue and yellow of Fenerbahce was a reminder for Rooney of happier times when they were in their pomp.

Times have changed though, and Rooney’s rustiness was evident during a bright opening for United when Pogba intercepted and fed Juan Mata whose throughball for Rooney got caught under is captain’s feet.

Mata also swung a tempting cross to the back post for Martial soon afterwards but the young Frenchman could only glance a header wide, perhaps aware that he was about to collide with Sener Ozbayrakli and then the post.

A goal was not far away, though. In fact, two arrived from the penalty spot in the space of three minutes and there wasn’t too much debate about either decision by French referee Benoit Bastien.

The first was the result of a quite stupendous 40-yard raking pass by Carrick that picked out Mata’s run into the box. The Spaniard’s first-time control was equally as good, but there was still no need for Simon Kjaer to put his hands over Mata and drag him to the ground.

 United right back Darmian steps forward and nips in to rob the ball from Fenerbahce's Volkan Sen as Jesse Lingard closes in

 Defender Bailly keeps his composure to draw the ball away from Van Persie who later went on to score against his old club

 United left back Luke Shaw, making his first start since last month, sticks out a boot to stop a forward Fenerbahce pass

Rooney might have expected to take it but Pogba stepped forward with an almost comical, stuttering run-up on his tip-toes. It seemed to work, though, sending goalkeeper Volkan Demirel the wrong way before he steered the ball inside the opposite post.

Mata then turned provider, swivelling to drill a pass into the path of Martial who was going clear of Ozbayrakli as he was sent crashing to the floor.

Curiously, Pogba and Rooney both stood aside to let Martial take the penalty and he despatched it in exactly the same place despite Demirel guessing the right way this time.

Van Persie was posing his old club few problems and Fenerbahce’s best chance fell to Souza from a breakaway in the 37th minute. He cut inside Eric Bailly’s desperate lunge but David de Gea stood his ground and saved with his legs.

And victory was assured when Pogba struck that beauty in first-half injury-time.

 Van Persie received a warm welcome from the home support and may have scored but cuts a dejected figure during the loss

 United boss Mourinho shares a joke with Fenerbahce manager Dick Advocaat, formerly of Sunderland, ahead of kick-off

Former England manager Sam Allardyce was a guest of Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford for Thursday night's encounter

The second period was little more than two minutes old when Lingard added a fourth. Pogba played a pass into Mata on the edge of the box and his lay-off invited Lingard to shoot from 20 yards, sending the ball flying into the bottom left-hand corner.

Van Persie got almost as bug a cheer when he pulled one back in the 84th minute, turning Emmanuel Emenike’s cross home from close-range.

The Dutchman responded by saluting all four sides of the ground. It was a nice touch on a night when a new United hero was emerging.