High On Energy, Low On Quality

The return of Manchester United to Elland Road after 18 years was a non-event for more reasons than one. It was always a fixture that guaranteed a fiery reception for Manchester United when we played there. Having no fans there this time diluted the experience.

Tactically Sound Leeds

Leeds was cautious not to press high and leave space behind for United to attack as they did at Old Trafford. I felt they did a great job tactically to sit deeper and utilise their man-to-man marking all over the pitch to nullify our attacking threat. They didn’t pose much of a threat coming forward but could count themselves unlucky to not have been awarded a penalty for what looked like a handball by Luke Shaw in the penalty area.

Blunt & Disjointed United

Manchester United started with the same team that worked so well in the 6-2 win at Old Trafford minus the injured Anthony Martial. I guess you don’t change what is not broken. If you just base your opinion on statistics alone, you would think that we were peppering Leeds’ goal with shots. But the reality was that aside from the Marcus Rashford free-kick near the end of the first half, I don’t remember any other attempts that tested Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal. There was one frustrating moment where the ball was played through to Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James but neither took control of the situation to make a telling impact.

High-Energy, Low Quality

The game was played at a high intensity with players closing each other down fast and nipping the ball away from the other. What it lacked though was some composure, moment of magic and quality from someone to make the difference. From a Manchester United perspective, it was exasperating to see top-quality players sat on the bench, brought on too late to make a difference. It was indicative of the manager having more than an eye on the Europa League semi-final tonight or tomorrow morning, local time.

Are We Really Progressing?

It has been repeated many times before that Manchester United is progressing but performances like this and the decision-making of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer rubbish that claim. Paul Scholes made a good point that although United are very unlikely to catch Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League, they should maintain a high level of consistency in their performances like as if they stood a good chance to win the league. By doing that, mentally, the team would familiarise themselves with the pressure of winning games in a high-pressure title race.

Not The United Way

This game again showed us that we are still far from playing the “United way”. We are closer to the Mourinho way than we are to the “United way”. The double-pivot, playing with two defensive midfielders is the trusted tactical option for the manager in any big game. We have drawn seven games 0-0 this season which was something unheard of from United teams that played the “United way”. The reason for that is because of the cautious approach the manager has taken in these matches. It’s safety first at the expense of technically gifted, attacking players in midfield. He has chosen to go for brawn and energy over guile and flair. Not quite the “United way” yet. It wouldn’t be if the manager keeps playing it safe and cautious.