- Published
In a season that is forcing Manchester United fans to dig deep for reasons to be positive, Bryan Mbeumo scored again at Elland Road.
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Mbeumo → publish → Road
Apart from Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick against Ipswich in August, no-one else in Michael Carrick's squad has scored more than one.
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one → score → one
It is true to say Manchester United did reasonably well in their 1-1 draw at Leeds United, just as they did at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday after conceding inside the first minute.
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they → say → minute
Carrick told BBC Radio Five Live afterwards he "had the headphones on" this week so he hasn't heard the external noise created by Lisandro Martinez's rant.
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he → tell → rant
However, he knows his side have to win matches at some point.
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side → know → point
That is six without a victory now, the worst run since 2018-19, when form nosedived after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was confirmed as permanent manager.
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Solskjaer → nosedive → manager
"Because they haven't lost at Leeds, we're thinking United have done all right," said former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports.
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Carragher → lose → Sports
We are dropping the standards.
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We → drop → standards
We shouldn't really be talking about Manchester United like that."
A fresh start for Man Utd?
After the corresponding fixture last season, Ruben Amorim gave the explosive press conference that triggered his dismissal within 24 hours.
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that → talk → hours
This time, it was Lisandro Martinez who lit the touchpaper before the game, criticising sporting director Jason Wilcox and the United hierarchy for failing, in his view, to recruit effectively during the summer.
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who → light → summer
Wilcox was in the stands at Elland Road, while Martinez started the game following his apology for the timing and forum of his attack rather than the words themselves.
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Martinez → start → attack
To highlight the general view that United failed Carrick by not bringing in competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, Diogo Dalot became the fifth different player to start in that position this season.
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Dalot → highlight → position
It remains to be seen if Shaw will be fit enough for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Serie A outfit Como, but the repeated changes cannot be helping Carrick.
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changes → remain → Carrick
Martinez went off at half-time with a thigh injury, and such is the delicate nature of Matthijs de Ligt's fitness after almost 11 months out with a back complaint, Carrick preferred to bring on full-back Noussair Mazraoui rather than the Netherlands international.
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Carrick → go → international
Carrick's side ended the game 13th in the Premier League table, with the possibility they might drop further before the match round is complete.
uncertain
round → end → possibility
Unlike Amorim, Carrick found it easy to come up with a positive spin on the present situation.
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it → find → situation
"It felt like a bit of a fresh start today, to be honest, with where we're at - accepting it and doing something about it," Carrick said.
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Carrick → feel → it
"I'm not accepting it as everything's great by any stretch.
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everything → accept → stretch
"But sometimes you do struggle.
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you → struggle → ?
Sometimes there's a bit where you have to find a way through.
"
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you → be → way
There has been a cycle at times here over a period of time when it can go in different directions.
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it → go → directions
We've got to be stable enough to keep doing the right things.
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We → get → things
We're more than capable of winning football matches.
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We → win → matches
I understand the situation doesn't look too good if you look at it from a certain way, but I've got no doubts that we can go on a good run."
Mbeumo's sacrifice
Mbeumo's performance wasn't flawless by any means.
He should have done much better when he missed the target with a free header before he scored, and the former Brentford man then failed to prevent Dominic Calvert-Lewin powering in an equaliser just after half-time.
But in a campaign when so many of Carrick's attacking players are struggling – skipper Fernandes has been a shadow of the player who broke the Premier League assists record last season even though the United boss said the Portuguese was 'absolutely fine' – Mbeumo's performances have been vital.
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performances → understand → record
Their importance has been heightened by the continued absence of striker Benjamin Sesko with a shin injury.
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importance → heighten → injury
Mbeumo spent the first few games on the right of United's attack when Amad Diallo was ruled out by injury.
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Diallo → spend → injury
When Amad returned, Mbeumo moved into the number nine role.
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Mbeumo → return → role
At Elland Road he was shifted again, to the left as Fernandes played more through the middle.
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Fernandes → shift → middle
"When you are the kind of player who can be very good in a lot of positions, managers will always say: 'Can you do this?
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you → say → this
Can you do that?'"
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you → do → that
former United striker Dion Dublin told BBC Sport.
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Dublin → tell → Sport
"When you're in this Manchester United team at the moment, you just have to go where is best for the team."
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where → have → team
"Bryan gives so much to the team," he said.
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he → give → team
"He sacrifices so much.
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He → sacrifice → much
"He's willing to do pretty much anything that needs to be done to benefit the team - whether that's defending in certain areas, whether that's attacking.
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that → do → areas
He'll give everything he's got.
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he → give → everything
"He's getting in really good positions to be really dangerous for us, and it's great to have him."
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it → get → him
The Aporia
