Man United’s failure to beat Spurs shows how deep the trouble runs for Carrick and his staff
Dominic Solanke headed Tottenham Hotspur level in the 92nd minute, and Spurs earned a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford despite playing the final stretch with 10 men. Manchester United had taken the lead through Bryan Mbeumo midway through the second half.
The home fans had arrived hoping to enjoy themselves at Manchester City’s expense, with chants of “You cheating bastards, you know what you are” ringing out before kickoff. But by the time referee Stuart Attwell blew the final whistle, few United supporters were thinking about the scandal engulfing their neighbors. They were focused on how Tottenham, which had started the day bottom of the table, had grabbed a point after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for head-butting Luke Shaw.
“Massively disappointed with the result for sure,” said Michael Carrick afterward. “A mixed performance, to be totally honest. I think it was tough. It was challenging for the first period, definitely. There was a big improvement through the second half as it progressed, and we put ourselves in such a good position towards the end of the game. To then not see it through, we should find a way of seeing that through.”
Late Goals Cost United Again
The result leaves United with their worst start to a season after six games since 1986, and the pressure on Carrick is growing. He has never been one to blame his players publicly, and he did not do so again in his post-match news conference, but he has every right to expect more.
Solanke’s header was the third time already this season that United have conceded in stoppage time. Two of those late goals, against Everton and Tottenham, have cost them four points.
“It’s a couple of times now when, in different ways, that’s two late, late goals against us to throw away two wins really,” Carrick said. “That changes a lot of things, you know. It changes a lot of feelings for ourselves and it changes points and what the table looks like. We need to do better with seeing out games, that’s for sure, once we get ourselves in a good position.”
The defensive lapse on Solanke’s goal drew criticism. Lisandro Martínez will not want to see it again, and Senne Lammens could also have done better. The concern goes beyond one moment, pointing to a fragile mentality and an inability to handle pressure when it matters most.
A Pattern Against Ten Men
Solanke’s goal means Tottenham join City as the second team to find the net at Old Trafford this season after having a player sent off. United have now failed to win any of their past three matches against teams with 10 men. In March, they lost 2-1 at Newcastle United after Jacob Ramsey was sent off. In November, under Ruben Amorim, Everton won 1-0 at Old Trafford despite playing with 10 men after Idrissa Gueye was dismissed for slapping his own teammate.
“It’s definitely something where, 10 men or not 10 men, if we’re ahead in the game, we’ve got to see games out,” Carrick said. “Whether that’s taking the ball, whether that’s controlling the game a little bit more, looking after the ball better in their half and around their box and pinning them in a little bit, or whether that’s defending moments better. Certainly, we need to improve that.”
The last time United had fewer than six points after six games, Ron Atkinson was sacked as manager. Carrick is not there yet, but the pressure is mounting.
Baleba Offers Hope
Tottenham began brightly and United were outplayed for large parts of the first half, prompting boos at Old Trafford after just 20 minutes. The damning guilty verdict against City in its case with the Premier League had taken the focus off United during the international break, but the frustration returned quickly.
The mood began to shift when Carlos Baleba, the £70 million summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, came on just before the hour mark. United’s energy and intent improved after his introduction. His debut was positive, though it was overshadowed by United’s failure to hold on to a result they should have won.
United travel to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, then face Leeds United next weekend. After that comes another demanding European assignment at Como. Carrick insists his biggest issue is that United have been on the wrong side of fine margins so far this season, and he needs that to change quickly if they are going to head in the right direction.
