The Manchester United draw with Leeds United on Sunday, January 4, means that the Red Devils have now dropped 29 points from their 20 matches. 31 points from 20 matches is not acceptable for a team of United’s resources. Ironically, though, United still find themselves in the zone to qualify for European football next season.
As things stand, headlines read ‘Ruben Amorim sacked,’ following the club announcement on Monday, January 5, and his explosive post-match press conference after the Leeds vs Man United draw.
Drawing with the team that is 16th in the league table was by no means a satisfactory result. The standards of the club have dropped enough to accommodate that as a fairly decent result, though.
Manchester United Draw With Leeds Exposed Their Lack of Flexibility
The Red Devils are missing three players who form the foundation of the right side of their team on the pitch. Amad Diallo, Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo are on national duty and are being sorely missed at the moment.
To make things worse, Bruno Fernandes, the lone creative player in the midfield, is also out with an injury. As a result, Manchester United often look bereft of ideas, and Matheus Cunha is the only player who closely resembles what a United player should ideally be.
It was not a mere coincidence that Cunha got the only goal for the visitors in the Leeds vs Man United game, which was a just reward for his tireless work. However, the shortcomings of Ruben Amorim’s men were glaringly evident when they had to chase the match after Leeds’ opening goal.
Amorim decided to take Lenny Yoro off and introduce Joshua Zirkzee in his place. The team switched to a 4-4-2 from a 3-4-2-1, with Zirkzee being the second striker alongside Benjamin Sesko. Cunha and Patrick Dorgu became the two side midfielders.
However, a central midfield pairing of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in a 4-4-2 was painfully short of creativity and enterprise. Zirkzee preferred to drop back, and Cunha refused to contain himself on the flank. Although Zirkzee and Cunha combined to get United the equaliser, the lack of flexibility required to switch to a 4-4-2 was there for everyone to see.
United never threatened to score again, with Sesko now having two goals in 17 matches. Zirkzee has two from 14, and their pairing might be among the most inept in the Premier League, as far as scoring goals is concerned.
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Manchester United’s Scant Resources a Problem in the Next Matches as Well
After the Manchester United draw with Leeds United, their lack of resources will once again be evident in their next match against Burnley. However, Burnley are a relegation-threatened team and hence, might not pose much of a threat to the Red Devils.
However, their next match is the Manchester Derby on January 17, and it is still not clear if each member of their African triumvirate will be back by that time. United’s squad depth is nowhere near being satisfactory and it might continue to be an issue that halts their progress.
As of now, the shocking Ruben Amorim sacking will make things even more difficult for the Red Devils. Supporters will hope that a heavyweight manager is appointed at last, who should be able to deal with players and the management with equal ease and command respect from the outset.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Every Second Media
Recording Date: 04.01.2026
