Manchester United fought valiantly against Leeds to get out of a hole they dug for themselves, and Michael Carrick will see hope in it.
A double salvo in the first half from Leeds caught Man Utd off guard in a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford, but all’s not doom and gloom.
Michael Carrick’s side fought valiantly in the second half despite the referee’s best efforts to prevent that from happening.
The ten men of Man Utd almost secured a point after Lisandro Martinez was sent off, and it was down to three things, two of which are reusable.
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United looks dejected
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1- Quarterback Bruno Fernandes
Kobbie Mainoo’s injury forced Carrick to start Manuel Ugarte at the base of the midfield alongside Casemiro, which led to teething problems on the ball.
Once Martinez was sent off, Fernandes dropped deeper in a quarterback role, Ugarte played as a quasi centre-back, and United suddenly looked better.
Fernandes helped get the ball up the pitch with precision and purpose, something which Carrick should look to use again if Mainoo isn’t back for the Chelsea game.
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If he is, then the no-brainer call is to drop Ugarte, but in the meantime, Fernandes as a deeper midfielder is a necessary evil.
2- Bryan Mbeumo stretches the line
Carrick finally dropped Mbeumo vs Leeds amid his goalscoring troubles, but the forward showed soon after coming on that United don’t just need his goals.
Mbeumo stretched the Leeds backline with his aggressive runs, succeeding in pinning back the opposition by getting to the end of Fernandes’ long passes.
Even with ten men, it allowed United to camp in Leeds’ half, pinning them back deeper to create chances at will at one point.
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Benjamin Sesko is likely to drop back to the bench against Chelsea because Mbeumo’s importance to this team is much more than just his goals.
3 – Match fitness in real-time
This is the only factor Carrick can’t “reuse”, but it will happen naturally and get better with games.
It’s not a coincidence that United played better as the game went on, and that’s because they were severely lacking in match fitness compared to Leeds.
The 24-day break left the players rusty, and Leeds took full advantage by landing two killer blows in the first half on a dazed United.
At least the next game comes in less than a week’s time, so the match fitness should continue building with time, because United desperately need it.
You can’t be caught cold in the Premier League against any team. Leeds showed why.
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