Roy Keane has broken down the major midfield issue that Michael Carrick faced in Manchester United’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Leeds United at Old Trafford.
Noah Okafor’s superb first-half brace was enough for Leeds United to seal a major win over Manchester United, with the Red Devils reduced to 10 men in the match.
Lisandro Martinez was sent off in the second half for United and midfielder Casemiro pulled one back for the Red Devils, but Leeds were able to hold onto their lead.
Leeds were dominant against United in the first half and the Red Devils struggled to turn the tide back in their favour in Monday evening’s clash at Old Trafford.
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Michael Carrick reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Did Man Utd deserve more against Leeds – or was a defeat the right result?
Are you taking any positives away from the loss?
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Roy Keane highlights Man Utd’s midfield struggles against Leeds United after Michael Carrick’s first Old Trafford defeat
Michael Carrick was forced to shake up his midfield after Kobbie Mainoo was ruled out of Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat due to a small injury he picked up in training.
Manuel Ugarte received a rare Premier League start in the 2025-26 campaign and he was alongside Casemiro in the midfield pivot in Carrick’s Man Utd tactics.
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Kobbie Mainoo’s influence was missed for United in Monday’s loss and Noah Okafor’s impact put Leeds United in complete control of the first half at Old Trafford.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Roy Keane felt that the midfield partnership of Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro was “non-existent” in the first half for Man Utd.
“But when you start a game that slowly, it’s hard to recover,” he said.
“You’ve got to run and Man Utd weren’t sprinting. A little bit at the end, but it was too little, too late.
“It’s a big setback for them.
“The midfield was non-existent, particularly in the first half. No energy, no quality and Leeds were out of the blocks quickly. A fantastic result for them.”
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What is your MESSAGE to Michael Carrick after the defeat vs Leeds?
🗣️ Criticism, advice, sympathy, encouragement… let's hear it
Michael Carrick reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Roy Keane thinks Michael Carrick underestimated the impact of Man Utd’s 24-day wait for the Leeds United match
The Premier League fixture against Leeds at Old Trafford was United’s first match since before the start of the March international break.
The Red Devils had waited 24 days between the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in March and the 2-1 home defeat to rivals Leeds in April.
United legend Keane feels that Carrick overlooked the impact that United’s time out of action would have on the Red Devils ahead of their final run-in of matches.
“They’ll be disappointed,” he said.
“They’ve had a lot of momentum over the last few months and praise for the manager.
“There was concern going into the game that they hadn’t played for a number of weeks, but Carrick said it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Man Utd remain third in the Premier League table and the Red Devils are level on points with fourth-place Aston Villa ahead of Saturday’s clash against Chelsea.
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