Leeds Utd punish sloppy Man Utd as Michael Carrick’s men fall short at Old Trafford

Manchester United returned to Premier League action with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Leeds United at Old Trafford after a sluggish and error-strewn display.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s Manchester United resident Robert Bore reflects on a chaotic night that exposed familiar flaws.

Return to action brings changes and high stakes

It had felt like a lifetime. Finally, football was back.

And not that international crapola or pointless FA Cup, United (red) were back under the lights for the visit of our cross-border cousins, United (white).

Always a friendly affair off the pitch, Michael Carrick's men, fresh from a 24-day lay-off since the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, made four changes to their side.

Two were enforced with Harry Maguire suspended after that ridiculous red last time out, and Kobbie Mainoo not risked due to a slight injury.

Up top, Big Ben Sesko was given the nod while - wait for it - Diogo Dalot was benched for Noussair Mazraoui.

Lisandro Martinez and Manuel Ugarte were named in the starting XI.

Both with much to play for, United (red) were looking to open up a double-digit gap between themselves and sixth-placed Chelsea, while United (white) were trying to stay up.

Slow start punished as Leeds strike early

But Carrick's boys were well-rested and would be up for this one. Wouldn't they?

There was a warning sign inside three minutes as United (white) almost took their first chance, Gabriel Gudmundsson crossing low across the six-yard box from the left for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who slid in first time but Senne Lammens saved.

The warning wasn't heeded. They broke the deadlock two minutes later.

This time, the chance came from the right flank as Jayden Bogle crossed high this time, Leny Yoro sort of getting a head to it under pressure from Calvert-Lewin and a flailing arm, but it dropped kindly for Noah Okafor to sweep home, ending their 479-minute goal drought.

Meh!

United needed to wake up and shake off the ring rust. Maybe name badges would work, and some quick intros?

"Hi, my name is Manuel and I play in the middle..."  

They showed some signs of life, Bruno Fernandes almost playing in Sesko and Amad Diallo was then found in space before cutting inside and firing into a diving Karl Darlow's arms.

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Defensive chaos leaves United reeling

This didn't feel good, and thoughts turned to the greatest day in Leeds' history when Jermaine Beckford's Sunday League first touch took the ball away from Wes Brown - clearly not expecting a professional footballer to have such terrible control - and a 1-0 FA Cup victory ensued.

It had been hard to live that down for the last 16 years.

Prior to that, the Yorkshiremen's last victory on the ground was back in 1981, when Mr Bore was a mere slip of a lad, and the Commodore 64 had yet to be invented.

Sesko fluffed his lines with a back-pass to Darlow, and Amad couldn't get the curl after finding a yard of space on the edge of the Leeds box, but United (red) looked a little more settled.  

But Leeds looked more dangerous, United's backline looking a bit Shakin' Stevens as Jaka Bijol headed over from a corner while Amad again looked lively at the other end.

It wasn't helping that the home side were pressing self-destruct at every opportunity at the back, old Shakey might have well have been subbed on, and he's 78 years old.

And it wasn't that big of a surprise when United (white) doubled their lead.

Frankly, it was a mess.

Martinez played a hospital pass into Casemiro on the edge of his own box, facing his own goal.

It was cleared, recycled, cleared, headed away, lobbed back in and eventually fell to Okafor, who thought why not have a pop again?

It wasn't the cleanest strike, but it went the right way, crucially deflecting wickedly off Yoro and into the corner as Lammens flailed. The clock sat grinning with 29 minutes on its face.

Meh Meh!

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First-half collapse raises serious questions

Cunha tried his luck from range, but it was too high, and United needed a spark.

There was a lack of rhythm from Carrick's men, maybe to be expected with the recent hiatus and changes, poor touches, and misplaced passes. Things just not coming off.  

Amad and Cunha in one attack, Ugarte in another.

Sesko had hardly touched the ball, not helped by the fact that there was a chance to cross to the 'long' frontman, but the ball went square, and momentum was lost. Mazraoui is the latest to waste a chance, firing high and not so handsome.

The game should have been dead and buried just before half-time when United almost pressed self-destruct again. The Calamity button was in overdrive.

Lammens played short to Yoro, who clearly didn't want the ball on the edge of his own six-yard box and could only toe it partially clear.

Ao Tanaka was on it in a flash ahead of Casemiro, dancing goalwards and around the Belgian keeper like an extra in a Britney Spears video and seemingly on the way to tapping the ball home, but Martinez arrived from nowhere to slide a block on the line and keep his side in the game.

Even then, from the resulting corner, Lammens had to save.

As the half-time boos rang out, it was hard to quantify what I had just seen.

Carrick looked perplexed, walking off, opposite number Daniel Farke like someone who had lost a fiver but found a fat wallet.

The only winners in red were Maguire and Mainoo, who were arguably Carrick's best players on display while sitting in the stands.

Midfield non-existent, wide men failing to do their jobs and track runners, and if the defence were any further out to sea, they'd have been on their way to the Strait of Hormuz.

What would the manager do to try to arrest the situation? Well, he sent the lot of them back out for the second half, presumably with a massive bollocking ringing in their ears.

The second half started much the same as the first ended.

United (red) tried to play themselves into trouble close to their own goal. But at the other end, United (red) almost reduced the deficit, Luke Shaw playing Sesko in behind, but his attempted dink was cleared over the bar after a clever nutmeg on his defender.

United's (red) midfield was still wide open, though.  

Carrick and assistant Steve Holland were already in discussion with 52 minutes gone, and a change seemed inevitable.

Martinez red card deepens the trouble

However, it got worse. Inexplicably worse. And it looked as ridiculous as it was.

Martinez and Calvert-Lewin went up for a header, and the Argentine was adjudged to have tugged at the former Everton man's man bun - deemed violent conduct after VAR.

It was softer than a sunbathing marshmallow.

There were no appeals, and the game was still going on when ref Paul Tierney jogged over to look at the monitor. The game's gone. So was Licha.

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Casemiro sparks hope in spirited fightback

It continued to go against the hosts, Amad nicking the ball off Pascal Struijk but being penalised for a foul instead.  

Cunha forced a good save from Darlow at his near post, and from the resulting corner, Yoro couldn't connect properly.

Cunha raced 80 yards to thwart the visitors, and the game was wide open as Carrick readied Mbuemo and Dalot. United (red) needed a goal.

United (red) forced a couple of corners, and from the second one, Uncle Cas struck, Fernandes, picking the Brazilian out at the far post to reduce the deficit.

It was some ball for the skipper's 17th Premier League assist of the season, with each of the former Real Madrid star's last six league goals being headers assisted by the Portuguese.

It was a lifeline, and it was game on.

Late pressure falls short despite improvement

On came the subs. Off went Mazraoui and Amad.

United (red) looked reinvigorated. The hope now was that United (white) would panic and drop off.

Farke sensed the same and shuffled his pack too with two changes, maybe just to try and cool the hosts' momentum as well as freshen up.

It could have been 3-1 as the visitors used their extra man well, engineering space for the cross, but Calvert-Lewin headed straight at Lammens while Mbuemo was denied by a late block from Bijol.

Cunha then fired straight at Darlow. United (red) were better than they had been with 11 men, but the extra man left them naturally exposed. So did their passing on the edge of their own box, handing possession straight back time after time.

Late chances go begging as time runs out

The clock was ticking faster now as we entered the final 10 minutes.

It was almost 2-2 as Mbeumo swung over a deep cross for Sesko, but he headed straight at Darlow when either side would have been the leveller.

Casemiro's header was cleared off the line by Calvert-Lewin, who blocked Ugarte's follow-up for good measure.

You couldn't fault United (red) for having a go at least.

We awaited the board for extras; we got seven. Considering they had been time-wasting since the first half, it maybe should have been more. But would it be a lucky number?

Well, not as Dalot smashed one over the bar from the edge of the box after Shaw had won another corner.

United (red) continued to push, but to no avail.

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Controversy, costly errors and a night to forget

The red card for Martinez was not only a huge talking point but, in the end, a bridge too far.

Carrick was understandably aggrieved with the decision post-match, incredulous even.

It was hard to disagree. Martinez's eyes never left the ball nor looked at his man. So if that was violent conduct, my nephew is a monkey.

But that's football. Maybe enough to keep United (white) up this season and not a death knell to United's (red) Champions League push, although defeat to Chelsea at the weekend and it becomes interesting (in a bad way) again.

The home side were undercooked for sure, like posh al dente pasta and just as expensive.

The lack of games that has been a gift on some occasions was this time a bit of a curse. And the lack of depth in midfield was laid bare again with Ugarte struggling all night.

But the United (red) defending was almost criminal at times, United (white) could have been out of sight by the break.  

So it was 1981 all over again.

The US at odds with Iran, a high-profile space launch and Liverpool winning the European Cup - God forbid.

And good old Shakey scored a big hit with 'This Ole House'.

Let's hope it's another 45 years before United (white) win at our ole house again.

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