Manchester United interim head coach Michael Carrick led his side to an impressive 2-0 Manchester derby victory on Saturday, but something concerning happened before the match
Manchester United’s interim head coach Michael Carrick would have been less than thrilled to see his starting line-up for Saturday’s Manchester derby leaked online. Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Amad and Bryan Mbeumo were all brought back into the starting team against Manchester City, as Carrick’s side secured a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.
Carrick opted for an attack without a traditional striker, choosing Amad, Mbeumo (who played centrally) and Patrick Dorgu to start against City. Benjamin Sesko, who had netted three goals in his previous two games, was relegated to the bench, while Matheus Cunha losing his spot was another point of discussion when the teams were announced.
It turned out to be a brilliant move as Carrick guided United to a resounding win in his first match in charge in front of a raucous home crowd. However, the fact that his team was accurately leaked hours before the match will undoubtedly cause some concern, given it could give opponents a slight edge.
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This isn’t the first time United have been plagued by leaks. The Red Devils reportedly initiated an investigation in December into how then United head coach Ruben Amorim’s plans to adjust his system were leaked on the day of a match against Bournemouth.
The Mail reported at the time that United were dedicated to finding the source of the leak to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future. A club spokesperson declined to comment.
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United were also reported to have been ‘furious’ in September following claims that Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes is ‘unhappy’.
The club’s team line-up was also disclosed well in advance of the Manchester derby in December 2024.
“I know that story,” Amorim commented at the time. “I don’t know, I think it’s impossible to fix nowadays because you have a lot of people in the club, the players talk with agents.
“I don’t know, you can talk with friends, so it’s hard to know. It’s not a good thing but let’s move on and go to the next one and see if they find the next starting XI.”
Numerous other stories emerged last season, including those concerning squad problems and team news, with United’s senior management taking measures to uncover the source of the leaks within the camp.
Previous managerial reigns at M16, under Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Jose Mourinho, were similarly affected by leaks.
Whilst it clearly poses a significant issue at United, Carrick’s immediate priority will undoubtedly be on savouring Saturday’s derby triumph, with Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu both finding the net to claim the bragging rights.
The result puts Arsenal in complete control of the Premier League title race and strengthened United’s battle for a top-four finish.
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