Manchester United’s struggles continued at Elland Road, where a 1-1 draw against Leeds United extended their winless run in the Premier League to six matches. This stretch marks the club’s longest such sequence since the 2018-19 season, a period when form collapsed following the permanent appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. That is four goals in seven Premier League games for the Cameroon forward. Man Utd showed ‘unity’ in draw with Leeds – Carrick. After the corresponding fixture last season, Ruben Amorim gave the explosive press conference that triggered his dismissal within 24 hours. But the repeated changes cannot be helping Carrick, it remains to be seen if Shaw will be fit enough for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Serie A outfit Como. There has been a cycle at times here over a period of time when it can go in different directions. Calvert-Lewin scores as Leeds deny Man Utd.
Bryan Mbeumo found the net again for the hosts, marking his fourth goal in seven league appearances. For Michael Carrick’s side, the attacking woes remain evident: excluding Bruno Fernandes’ hat-trick against Ipswich in August, no single player in the squad has managed more than one league goal this campaign. However, he knows his side have to win matches at some point.
Despite the result, Carrick insisted he remained insulated from the external scrutiny surrounding the club. He noted that he “had the headphones on” throughout the week, intentionally blocking out the noise generated by Lisandro Martinez’s recent criticism of the club’s hierarchy and sporting director Jason Wilcox, who was present in the stands during the match. According to carrick, Radio 5 Live afterwards he “had the headphones on” this week so he hasn’t heard the external noise created by Lisandro Martinez’s rant.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, analyzing the game on Sky Sports, questioned the club’s current trajectory. While conceding United performed relatively well—much like their display against Atletico Madrid—he argued that accepting a draw against Leeds signals a decline in standards. “We shouldn’t really be talking about Manchester United like that,” Carragher remarked. Just as they did at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday after conceding inside the first minute, it is true to say Manchester United did reasonably well in their 1-1 draw at Leeds United.
Tactical challenges persisted throughout the match, particularly at left-back, where Diogo Dalot became the fifth player to occupy that position this season, highlighting a lack of squad depth.
The situation was further compounded when Martinez was substituted at half-time due to a thigh injury.
Carrick opted to introduce full-back Noussair Mazraoui instead of Matthijs de Ligt, citing the latter’s fragile fitness following a long-term back issue that kept him out for nearly 11 months.
As it stands, Manchester United occupies 13th place in the table, with the risk of sliding further down before the weekend fixtures conclude. Reflecting on the team’s state, Carrick described the match as a potential “fresh start.” He acknowledged the reality of their position but rejected the idea that the situation is beyond repair.
“I’m not accepting it as everything’s great by any stretch,” Carrick stated. “I understand the situation doesn’t look too good if you look at it from a certain way, but I’ve got no doubts that we can go on a good run.” He emphasized the need for stability, noting that the team is capable of turning their form around provided they continue to focus on the right processes. Sometimes there’s a bit where you have to find a way through. We’ve got to be stable enough to keep doing the right things.
