Manchester United drew 1-1 with arch-rivals Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday.
Daniel Farke has inadvertently revealed a major problem that characterizes Manchester United at the moment. – Seven points from seven Premier League games speaks volumes. (Leeds have ten, while leaders Manchester City have twenty-one).
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Leeds continued their unbeaten Premier League home start against Manchester United, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalising in the second half after Bryan Mbeumo’s opening goal for the visitors.
But it is the contrasting statements from the two managers after the game that have caused outrage among Manchester United fans who are not so happy about the day.
Farke: “We were the dominant team”
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Leeds coach Farke admitted that he was “a little disappointed” with the draw, as he felt his side were “the better team” at Elland Road.
“I think we were the dominant team,” he added. “But it’s still Manchester United. They’re dangerous in every moment. It was unnecessary to be down at half-time, but in one moment we weren’t switched on and they still have the quality to score. We lacked a little bit in our decision-making around and in the box to take advantage of our dominance.
– Second half, good start. Scored the goal. Then our shots were too high over the crossbar, the crosses too long, which more or less kept us away from exploiting more. All in all, it’s a solid point.
“Overall, we got into a lot of good situations. Yes, there is a bit of a difference in quality to the top teams in this league, but all in all we are satisfied.
Carrick: “A fresh start”
United head coach Carrick, on the other hand, described his team’s performance at Elland Road as “a fresh start” – despite not winning for the sixth time in seven Premier League games. This comes in the wake of Lisandro Martinez’s public criticism of the club management after United’s 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.
“I think it’s important that you as a group and as players go into these games fully aware of what this game means,” he said. “It wasn’t perfect. We had periods where we were good, periods where we were very good. The confidence is not sky-high, you can see that, but the players try to do the right thing.
“I think we defended very well as a team and put everything into the game. Credit to Daniel and his team – they are a very good team. They test you and ask you a lot of questions, and if you are not ready for that, you get exposed. I think the boys withstood it in a fantastic way today.
At the post-match press conference, Carrick told reporters: “We don’t get carried away because we didn’t win the game. It felt like a fresh start. The boys are desperate to do well.
The fans are furious
United supporters on social media reacted to Carrick’s description of the draw as “a fresh start”, comparing his statements to how Farke referred to the result from Leeds’ perspective.
One fan asked, “what, specifically?”
Another wrote: “Seven points after seven games, the league is already lost, out of Carabao, and today it’s a fresh start.”
A third stated: “The standards are in the mud.”
While a fourth wrote: “A bit sad that this achievement is seen as something big positive. Our standards have dropped so terribly.”
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