Leeds United fans are licking their lips at the prospect of facing a struggling Manchester United side at Elland Road on Sunday.
The Whites sit seventh in the Premier League table after six games and look far more accomplished and organised than Manchester United’s expensively assembled mess.
Michael Carrick has overseen the worst start to a Manchester United league campaign in more than 40 years, and serious question marks now hang over his future at Old Trafford.
Leeds beat Manchester United at Old Trafford last season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they do the same at Elland Road on Sunday.
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Jamie Carragher has predicted a Manchester United implosion
Manchester United have been outrun by every team they have faced this season, and the same was true in Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Tottenham.
Question marks hang over Manchester United players’ mental and physical readiness ahead of every game this season.
Jamie Carragher has insisted that, given the Red Devils face a few tough away games, including Leeds on Sunday, they need to raise their physical intensity or risk being further exposed.
He believes that if Manchester United do not improve soon, they could implode spectacularly and very quickly.
Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: “The Manchester United players are getting questioned in terms of how ready they are physically and mentally, going into these big games.
“They have got three big games – two of them in the Champions League and Leeds away.
“If they don’t up their intensity very quickly, this could get very messy very quickly for all involved.”
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Leeds could deliver the telling blow to Michael Carrick
The Whites could make Sunday’s clash at Elland Road a defining moment in Michael Carrick’s Manchester United reign. Their rivals have made a miserable start to the season, and another damaging result would only intensify the scrutiny on a manager who has yet to find a consistent formula.
Manchester United have collected just six points from their opening six Premier League games, while the draw against Tottenham exposed familiar problems. Even with a numerical advantage, Carrick’s side could not hold on to all three points. That will hardly inspire confidence ahead of one of their most hostile away trips.
For Leeds, this is an opportunity to turn their rivals’ struggles into something far more significant than three points. A win in front of a fired-up Elland Road crowd would leave the Red Devils facing uncomfortable questions about their direction.
Carrick might not lose his job after one defeat, but another setback could increase pressure on the club’s hierarchy to act. Leeds could make an already difficult situation much worse.
