For the ninth time in as many matches, the Manchester United faithful are having to come to terms with another meeting without securing all three points.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea was yet another blow for Michael Carrick in the hopes of keeping his job, after the board demonstrated their faith in sticking by the 45-year-old.
However, it’s safe to say he contributed to the loss at Stamford Bridge, with multiple of his selection calls coming under fire from the supporters at full-time.
Why Carrick got it all wrong against Chelsea
Ahead of the clash at Stamford Bridge, Carrick decided to once again hand midfielder Carlos Baleba a start, despite failing to provide the goods against Bournemouth.
The Cameroonian international would only last 58 minutes of the encounter and was subsequently replaced by Kobbie Mainoo after winning just 17% of his ground duels.
Starting the midfielder against the Blues certainly was the wrong call, especially after his struggles the week prior, but that wasn’t the only glaring error he made during the defeat.
Amad Diallo was selected to feature off the right-hand side of the Red Devils’ attack, as Bryan Mbeumo once again operated in a central role in the absence of Benjamin Sesko.
However, the Ivorian was totally ineffective during the meeting in the capital, as demonstrated by his inability to create any chances or complete any crosses into the opposition area.
Why Martinez should never play for Man United again
Despite failing to produce the goods on the pitch, the United fanbase were in support of centre-back Lisandro Martínez after speaking out about the lack of investment from the hierarchy.
The Argentine made his feelings clear after the Champions League defeat to Como, but has since been allowed to once again return to Carrick’s starting eleven.
However, during the game against Chelsea, the 28-year-old displayed a lack of quality and an appalling attitude – which played a huge part in the defeat.
He was booked for a needless kick out on Morgan Rogers in the 59th minute and would receive his marching orders just four minutes later after a VAR intervention.
Martinez was judged to have hit Wesley Fofana in the face from a corner, resulting in the defender being sent off and allowing the hosts to double their lead from the spot.
Neither Carrick nor the defender acknowledged one another as he strolled off the field, with such a performance summing up why he should no longer be a starter for the Red Devils.
Why Man United’s £60m flop is worse than Martinez
The whole feeling around Old Trafford at the moment is one of frustration and anger that, once again, the club found itself in a situation where change is desperately needed.
The hierarchy need to take responsibility for their lack of leadership from the top, with their struggles in the transfer market allowing for the recent decline in performances under Carrick.
However, numerous players also need to take responsibility for their own lack of quality on the pitch, with midfielder Mason Mount a player who undoubtedly falls into the aforementioned category.
The hierarchy forked out a reported £60m for the Englishman’s signature in the summer of 2023, with the hope that he could provide a proven Premier League option within attacking areas.
However, a little over three years on from his big-money move, it’s safe to say the move has been a disaster and one that has seen them lose a small fortune on their investment.
The 27-year-old has featured just 80 times since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with injuries massively affecting his progress after joining from Chelsea.
Mount has suffered 11 separate injury setbacks since his aforementioned transfer, with his issues seeing him miss a staggering 71 matches since moving to Old Trafford.
As a result, he’s only featured in nine more games than he’s missed through injury, but even when he has been fit, he’s struggled to deliver the goods at Old Trafford.
|
Mason Mount – Man Utd injuries |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Injury |
Days missed |
Games missed |
|
2023/24 |
Unknown injury |
38 |
5 |
|
2023/24 |
Calf injury |
111 |
21 |
|
2023/24 |
Muscle injury |
11 |
2 |
|
2023/24 |
Unknown injury |
13 |
3 |
|
2024/25 |
Hamstring injury |
23 |
3 |
|
2024/25 |
Head injury |
36 |
7 |
|
2024/25 |
Hamstring injury |
89 |
20 |
|
2025/26 |
Knock |
20 |
1 |
|
2025/26 |
Knock |
10 |
2 |
|
2025/26 |
Knock |
43 |
6 |
|
2026/27 |
Foot injury |
27 |
4 |
The midfielder has only found the back of the net on eight occasions and provided just two assists, with the former England international providing a goal contribution every eight games he’s featured in.
Even during his 24-minute cameo off the bench at Stamford Bridge this weekend, the 27-year-old failed to complete any dribbles, whilst being able to make just one pass into the final third.
Given his struggles with form and fitness at Old Trafford, there’s no denying that a deal for Mount has proven to be a huge waste of money and one that will go down as potentially their worst in recent years.
There’s no chance the club will manage to recoup the entirety of the £60m paid for his signature a couple of years ago, which will see the club lose a small fortune on their investment.
As a result, he’s certainly been a worse addition than Martinez for the Red Devils, with the Argentine managing to perform to a higher level during his own time in Manchester.
