By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-10-19 09:41:49 | Updated at 2026-10-19 10:39:32
1 hour ago
It was nowhere near perfect, but Manchester United’s draw at Leeds in the Premier League on Sunday saw them show some fight at the end of a taxing week.
At the end of a long week for Manchester United, a trip to Leeds United and Elland Road was the last thing many would think they needed.
Or maybe it was exactly what their situation required?
Last weekend’s dismal draw with struggling 10-man Tottenham was followed in midweek by a 2-0 defeat at Atlético Madrid. And while the display in Madrid actually wasn’t that bad, the fallout from it plunged United deeper into crisis.
Lisandro Martínez was on the warpath.
The Argentina defender publicly criticised United’s decision makers in multiple television interviews, most vociferously in an extraordinary exchange on Prime Video.
Among his quotes was this particularly incendiary targeting of United’s technical director, Jason Wilcox: “I expect more [investment], 100%. I expect more from our technical director [Wilcox]. I have to be honest, as players we have to do more, but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”
The actual content of Martínez’s comments – those above and the rest of the interview – largely resonated with a fanbase who’ve little love for those in charge at the club. But the centre-back was criticised for his timing, with the subsequent circus ultimately a key subject of focus for Carrick in the build-up to the trip to Elland Road, a difficult journey at the best of times.
It was also noted by many that his outburst came during easily his worst run of form personally since joining the club in 2022.
A public apology from Martínez drew a line under the matter, at least officially, and he was named in United’s starting XI on Sunday. Whether that would’ve been the case had the club actually strengthened to the degree he seemingly desired is another matter, but the fact is Carrick didn’t have much choice.
Most have perceived Martínez’s comments to have referenced a lack of investment in defence. After all, the Atlético defeat saw centre-back Ayden Heaven make his Champions League debut at left-back, a position he’d never started a senior game in. He was doing so because Luke Shaw and his deputy, Patrick Dorgu – also not a nominal left-back – were out injured.
And, fittingly, there were more defensive selection issues on Sunday.
Centre-back Leny Yoro started at right-back; right-back Diogo Dalot started at left-back; Martínez was taken off at half-time due to injury.
United finished the game with a back four (going from right to left) of Yoro, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui and Dalot; only one of the four was playing in what you’d call their natural position.
As it happened, though, United’s defence deserved praise for the fight they put up in difficult circumstances and against a good, in-form Leeds side. That goes for Martínez, too.
There’ll have been more eyes than usual on him, and having seen Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke cause him so much trouble last weekend, it wasn’t surprising to see Leeds target him a couple of times early on with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
But Martínez made some timely tackles and came out on top in a couple of physical duels. It was a blow to lose him at the break.
Yoro acquitted himself well, not for the first time this term, tucking inside as Leeds lumped numerous crosses in from their right, with the Frenchman clearing nearly all of them.
His eight clearances over the 90 minutes was his second most in a league game for United (second only to tallying 9 vs Leeds in April), and he helped keep Noah Okafor – who scored twice at Old Trafford last term – very quiet.
Dalot, a regular source of frustration among fans, came out with credit, too. Although clearly uncomfortable attacking on his left foot, he showed a willingness to get forward and one of United’s few bright moments in the second half came via solo burst through the middle following a corner.
He contested 19 duels on the day, second only to Calvert-Lewin (21), and he won 13 of them, while his eight possession recoveries wasn’t bettered by anyone on the pitch.
And then, of course, there was Maguire.
It was unfortunate that he was pinned when the delivery for Leeds’ equaliser came in, because otherwise he was pretty imperious. He won four of six aerials, nine of 12 duels in all and just generally seemed to be in control when called into action.
Long gone are the days when Maguire was a figure of ridicule at United. With little regularity around him at the back, his consistency is an asset, with the errors of yesteryear appearing to be firmly in the past.
This obviously wasn’t anything close to an ideal display from United, though. Their lack of penetration and threat in the second half will have been a concern as Leeds dominated and pressed for a late winner that, mercifully for United, never arrived.
Similarly, those keen to water down any praise for the defence will point out Leeds created chances to score a winner – the key counterargument, however, would be that United didn’t do enough further up the pitch to prevent Leeds finding some joy. The backline did little wrong.
Either way, it was crucial United showed some fight, some mettle in a game of this magnitude after the week they’d had. And it was comparably important for the defence to stand up on what was always going to be an uncomfortable day after Martínez helped put the spotlight on them.
The fact United ended with the back four they did, however, was another reminder that Martínez’s words contained more than a hint of relevance. Given how injury prone many of their defenders are, and that Matthijs de Light is approaching 11 months since his last appearance, this won’t be the last game before January that Carrick is forced to rely on a makeshift defence.
A settled, consistent defence won’t solve all of Carrick’s problems, but it will give them solid foundations, and you can’t build without solid foundations.
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