What next for Michael Carrick and Manchester United? Game-wise the answer is Wednesday’s trip to Como yet after failing, again, to double the campaign’s league wins tally to two you have to wonder where this already flatlining team are heading.
Sunday afternoon’s display was the latest unconvincing outing under the 45-year-old. It featured an odd formation, zero rhythm or control, and the same prevailing sense that the wheels could clatter off anytime.
Bryan Mbeumo’s first-half opener was answered, inevitably, by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s equaliser after the interval for hosts who were not markedly better but did not need to be so fragile are Carrick’s cadre. Elland Road was the scene of Ruben Amorim’s last stand, Carrick’s predecessor reacting to January’s 1-1 draw by demanding his colleagues in the recruitment department “do their job”. The result? Being sacked two days later.
For now Carrick avoids a similar fate but for how long? United remain stuck on a solitary league victory – back at the end of August, versus Ipswich – and so Como, in the Champions League, becomes the next must-win fixture.
Five days after his scathing diatribe aimed at Jason Wilcox – for the director of football’s iffy recruitment – Lisandro Martínez was selected by Carrick, the defender’s Thursday apology enough to clear the way though his day ended at the interval.
Daniel Farke’s team, unchanged for a fifth consecutive game, were roared on by a crowd who delighted in Martínez’s first contribution, a stray pass hoofed out of play.
The visitors lined up in an “Amorim formation” of 3-4-3, a lesser-seen Carrick configuration. In this, Bruno Fernandes was fielded as the nominal central forward, curtailing the captain’s ability to pull strings from midfield, though his was a free role.
The noise from a febrile home support was dialled up when Carlos Baleba sent Anton Stach to the turf and Darren England saw no infringement. When Fernandes ran though and a clumsy touch caused him to scythe down Tarik Muharemovic, England did act – booking Manchester United’s captain when play next paused, to the delight of Leeds fans.
Gabriel Gudmundsson was also shown a yellow card – for clipping Andrey Santos – in a contest that was blood and thunderous but lacked regular goalmouth incident.
Gudmundsson, the left wing-back in Farke’s 5-2-2-1, did splay the visitors’ defence with a cross that wrongfooted Harry Maguire but it found no teammate, before Jayden Bogle, the right wing-back, repeated the act as Leeds exerted momentary control.
Stach’s free-kick, from the right, had Nico Elvedi flying at the ball to fashion a header Senne Lammens had to be quick to repel.
At last, the match was alive. Carrick’s men carved a clear chance when Youri Tielemans dropped the ball onto Mbeumo’s head at close-range but he missed – badly.
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But next Mbeumo struck via a quick move that sundered Leeds. Along the right Tielamans found Amad Diallo who returned the ball and the Belgian’s cross was slid home by the forward.
Martínez’s removal for the second half brought Noussair Mazraoui to the fray as 45 minutes stood between Carrick and a morale-boosting victory.
They held firm for five. A Mazraoui header sent Bogle’s cross out for a corner on the right. When this was swung in Mazraoui was bested by Muharemovic whose flick came to Calvert-Lewin: he outmuscled Mbeumo and crashed home.
With the crowd propelling them forward, Ao Tanaka boomed a volley just over and Farke’s men pinned back Carrick’s side, who lacked ideas: Baleba’s unconvincing long-range effort summed them up.
Better was Fernandes’s turn and shot that spun narrowly wide but he followed this with a weak attempt that the Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford clutched simply.
On 73 minutes Farke took off Noah Okafor for Lukas Nmecha and Carrick removed Baleba for Mason Mount but none of the changes could spark a winner.
