Michael Carrick was keen to stress the magnitude of Man United’s rivalry with Leeds ahead of kick-off yesterday – it’s just a shame his players didn’t seem to grasp it.
“It’s something we spoke about in the changing room with the players because I think it’s important that as players and as a group we all understand what it means and the history behind it. We’re looking for a big night tonight,” Michael Carrick said when asked about the magnitude of Manchester United’s rivalry with Leeds in the Old Trafford tunnel before kick-off last night.
“The supporters will be ready for it, both teams have got a lot to play for and we want to make it a good night.”
Indeed, nobody could accuse the United supporters of not being “ready for it”, in Carrick’s words. United have been riding the crest of a wave since Carrick’s appointment in January, catapulting themselves up the table and into the Champions League qualification spots. Football fans can be fickle individuals, and it would have been easy for the Old Trafford crowd to turn on their team having been brought back down to earth against relegation strugglers and fierce rivals Leeds.
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Turn on their team they did not. In fact, they produced an atmosphere that United’s turgid display didn’t warrant, and nearly carried their team to a point that you’d struggle to argue would have been deserved. The truth is, such is the cushion United have afforded themselves in the chase for Champions League football, they are still well clear in the race to secure a place in the top five.
Monday night was as much about getting one over their old foes as it was another three points towards Champions League football. United fans knew it, but their players did not. Carrick’s pre-match words seemingly fell on deaf ears.
United may have been without some of their key men, but so were their opponents, as Daniel Farke was keen to stress in his post-match interview.
Leeds were nearing 400 minutes of Premier League football without a goal when Paul Tierney’s whistle signalled the start of the game on Monday night. They had two in under 30 minutes against United and it should have been more.
Following 24 days without a game, match sharpness was always likely to be in short supply for some in the United camp, but that’s no excuse for the performance that was served up prior to Martinez’s sending off, an incident that strangely seemed to act as a shot in the arm to the home side.
Down to 10 men, United played with tempo and at least looked to make something happen, even if quality in the final third was lacking. Prior to that, United’s play was sloppy and they looked like a team that had just expected to turn up and win comfortably.
United have form for starting games slowly. Ten of their last 11 goals have come in the second half, with Casemiro’s strike in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time at Newcastle the exception. A slow start against a Leeds side fighting to retain their Premier League status was always likely to be punished, and United ultimately got what they deserved.
The pre-match music at Old Trafford was turned off early on Monday night to help build atmosphere ahead of kick-off. The fans did their part, Carrick did his best to do his part by warning the players what to expect, it’s just a shame the players weren’t on the same page.
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