Manchester United’s fans arrived at Old Trafford on Saturday hoping to enjoy Manchester City’s troubles, but they left disappointed, with Tottenham Hotspur snatching a 1-1 draw deep into stoppage time. Bryan Mbeumo had given United the lead midway through the second half, only for Dominic Solanke to equalise with a 92nd-minute header, even though Spurs had been reduced to 10 men after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for head-butting Luke Shaw.
The home supporters had spent the early part of the afternoon chanting at their neighbours, with a cry of “You cheating bastards, you know what you are” ringing around the ground before kickoff. When Mbeumo put United ahead, they turned their attention to Spurs with “You’re going down with the City”. By the time referee Stuart Attwell blew the final whistle, though, the scandal engulfing City had been pushed to the back of their minds, and the talk among the departing crowd was about how Tottenham had found a way to score.
“Massively disappointed with the result for sure,” Carrick said afterwards. “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.”
A worrying pattern
The spotlight will inevitably fall on Carrick. The result leaves United with their worst start to a season after six games since 1986. Carrick is not one to blame his players publicly, and he chose not to do so again in his post-match news conference, but he has every right to expect more from his side.
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 — different ways, obviously — 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 repeated failure to hold on to leads points to a fragile mentality and an inability to cope with pressure when it matters most. Lisandro Martínez will not want to watch the goal again. Quite what he was doing as Sandro Tonali’s cross floated towards Solanke is a question only he can answer. Perhaps, rather than dancing around the Spurs striker, he should have headed the ball clear. Senne Lammens could also have done better.
Struggles against ten men
Solanke’s goal means Tottenham have joined City as the second side 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 games against teams with 10 men. In March, they lost 2-1 at Newcastle United after Jacob Ramsey was dismissed. In November, under Ruben Amorim, Everton won 1-0 at Old Trafford despite having Idrissa Gueye sent off 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.
Boos, a debut and a tough run ahead
There were boos at Old Trafford after just 20 minutes, as Tottenham, who had started the day bottom of the table, began brightly. The guilty verdict against City in their case with the Premier League had taken attention away from United during the international break, but the frustration soon returned as Carrick’s side were outplayed for large parts of the first half.
The mood began to shift when Carlos Baleba, United’s £70 million summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, came on just before the hour mark. His energy and intent gave the home side a lift. It was a positive debut, but it was overshadowed by United’s failure to win a game they should have won.
United travel to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, before heading to Leeds United next weekend. After that comes another tough European assignment, away to Como.
After another late equaliser, Carrick insists his biggest issue is that United keep falling on the wrong side of fine margins this season. He needs that to change quickly if they are going to start heading in the right direction.
