'That was boring, I almost fell asleep' - Frank Leboeuf on Man United's draw vs. Leeds 👀 | ESPN FC
Frank Leboeuf slams Man United's draw vs Leeds as boring, while Carrick calls it a fresh start
ESPN FC discuss Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Leeds. Carrick stresses attitude and a fresh start, while Frank Leboeuf says the game was boring and United cannot dominate a relegation-battling side. The host argues United merely avoided a defeat they could not afford and remain average.
- It felt like a fresh start, with the team desperate to do well for each other and for the club, and standing up to a tough game — There was real purpose in the group over the past couple of days and they took it onto the pitch; they cannot get carried away because they did not win
- Carrick is trying to paint the situation in the brightest possible light — His post-match narrative was overly optimistic, trying to draw positives from a draw
- Carrick is wrong to call it a fresh start; United cannot even dominate a Leeds side that has spent recent seasons fighting relegation — United should have had better quality in the final third than Leeds; Leeds had 60 percent possession at home; scrapping and fighting are basics, not something to praise
- It was a low-quality, boring match; a 3-0 or 4-0 win at Elland Road would have looked more like a fresh start — The ball was like a hot potato at times, Leeds kept pumping it forward, United only passed at times, and Fernandez was whining and moaning from the first minute
- The only part of Carrick's comments that holds up is that it was a tough game — Leeds at Elland Road can be a battle at the best of times
- United merely avoided a defeat they could not afford; there was no turning point and the performance and result were average — No one played well and no one had a stinker, so you cannot point to anyone who should have done better or was great; that is what they have become
- The game was boring and he almost fell asleep; he totally disagrees with Carrick calling it a fresh start, and one point is not enough for United — It was supposed to be a big game between two enemies but had nothing; not losing is a positive, but United's standards demand more
- United became average because of bad choices over the years and must cope with that; it is insane that Martinez is on the bench and not playing — If they still have a usable player and do not use him, they picked the wrong players; United have been average for a while and something has to change
- If this team were not red and called Man United, we would not be talking about them; they have become a boring subplot — They are 13th in the league and you would not trust them to put any sort of winning run together; the cameras keep going to Jason Wilcox in the stands, highlighting how the club is being run behind the scenes
Craig Burley, Frank Leboeuf and Shaka Hislop join Dan Thomas on FC TV to discuss Manchester United's putrid start in the Premier League, including their most recent 1-1 draw vs. Leeds. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN
Transcript
That didn't surprise me today to be honest. I'm we're not getting too carried away because we haven't won the game, but um I think if you keep doing the right things and for for the right reasons then um you get what you deserve in the end, you know. And I think that was it was a felt like a bit of a fresh start if I'm honest today and and um where we're at and accepting it and doing something about it. And um it definitely shows that the boys are desperate desperate to do well for each other as much as anything else. and uh and how much they appreciate playing for this football club cuz there was a there was a um there was a real um purpose to to the group over the last couple of days and and they took it on the pitch and that's a tough game today. I have to say that's a tough game the way they play and and um it can find you out pretty quickly and the boys stood up to it really well. >> Goodness me. Michael Parrot really optimistic after that 1-1 draw. It is still there a worst start to the season in a very long time. Frank Le is with us. So he help from Frank in a moment. Are you surprised that was the narrative from Carrick after the game? >> Well, I think he's he's he's he's trying to paint everything in the brightest picture that he can. >> Was he right? >> No. No. I mean, I'll give him the due, right? And by the way, this is a basic of the game. They scrapped and he fought what you want a cookie. I mean, they got to do that anyway. Surely that's that's part of the game. You know, they have United that is a better quality in the final third than leads and that should have been the difference today for for all leads. And by the way, and not that I'm huge on possession stats, but when you're Man United supposedly is this, you know, they should be a better side than they are. And you even though leadeds is they're we talked about leads last year. The reason they stayed up is they're organized and they'll fight and they got they got a little bit guts about them and they can play a little bit but they had 60% possession albeit they were at home. United can't even dominate a team that have spent the last couple of seasons fighting to avoid relegation. So his his applause of his team are that a they never capitulated, b they scored a decent goal and and c they won a few headers and they fought and they scrapped. That's kind of that's kind of where they are. And he's saying with what what was the the phrase >> like a fresh >> fresh start turned the corner fresh start. >> I mean you think you think they just gone to Ellen Road and won three or four nil. That's maybe saying I tell you what that that was that was more of what I was looking for. Not just because the defenders in the midfields fought and scrapped. And by the way, uh, Fernandez run about and wind and moan from the first minute again. So, he's shown his frustration. So, yeah, it was it was as expected. It was the the football was like a hot potato at times. Leads were pumping it forward to Calvat Lu United at times passed it. Okay. But it was a low quality football match. >> The the only aspect of of what Michael Carrick said there is that this was a tough game. leads at Ellen Ellen Road can be a a battle at the best of times. >> I I I think kind of the positivity comes from this. This is a game that Manchester United simply couldn't afford to lose >> given everything of of of the week. They could not afford to lose this game and they didn't. But there was nothing about turning a corner. There was nothing really to to get you excited. As a matter of fact, as I kind of thought about this game after, I can't say that anybody played well. I can't say anybody had a stinker for Manchester United and that's just kind of where they are. Um it just so much of it so much of the performance and the result just felt average. You can't point at anybody to say, "Well, they could have done better here, should have done better there." Um you can't point at anybody and and say, "Well, they were great." >> It's just kind of >> bang average. >> Bang average. >> It's kind of blur >> all throughout. But and and that's just >> kind of who they've become. >> Yeah. that that's where they are. The positive if you're a Man United frank obviously is that you didn't lose. The negative is that this is the sort of football you kind of have to get used to because this is what they are. >> Exactly. And that's very sad in a way because you know it was a big game. Elan Rod, as Shaka said, is a very very strong location to to cope with and and you feel the pressure and I was happy to switch on the TV and say we're going to see a big game between two enemies, two big two to be maybe the biggest enemies well or less is the biggest enemy of of Manchester United that I felt that it's going to be a big fight. We're going to enjoy. Yes. Nothing. Nothing. That was boring. uh almost fell asleep and I totally disagree with Carrick uh saying that it was a fresh start. No, that wasn't there. Yeah, you didn't lose. That's a good point. One point, but that wasn't enough. That wasn't really not enough when you are Manchester United. And as you said, maybe they can't do better. Maybe they don't have the the individuals to do that. And we talked about that for years where they made mistakes. You know, kind you have kind of a to agree with this Andro Martinez. Yes, they made bad choices and they have to cope with that. I was think I saw I saw the the the team and I I saw oh matches the lit is still there. He's on the bench doesn't play. How come? That's that's insane. So yeah, you you you picked the wrong the wrong the wrong players and that's the result. Manchester United became average and it's been a while like that. So something has to be changed. >> I've got nothing more on this. Do you want to say >> you want to pitch it forward to the next game? >> No, but whether or not I could com [laughter] I know I know you're big and sort of looking looking ahead. Look, what else can you say about Man? I've said this many times I've said this many times about them. >> If this team weren't red and called Man United, we wouldn't be talking about them. We just wouldn't because they're they're >> they are they have become quite a quite a boring subplot. Uh, and I suppose that maybe makes it slightly interesting. Uh, and the cameras kept going on Jason Wilcox, uh, and Omar Baratt in the stand and how they're operating the club behind and then what Michael Carrick's doing. They're 13th in the league and and and quite frankly, you would not trust them to put any sort of running results together. Uh, so we'll see where that takes them, but that was average today. But that's that's, you know, they've got a point being being average and and they can go away and lick the chops and and feel good about it. It seems that's