Is There Any Hope for Manchester United in Madrid?

In years gone by, Manchester United heading to the same city that was due to host the Champions League final would be accompanied by optimistic chants of a late-May return to said venue… yet as Michael Carrick’s Manchester United head to Madrid on Tuesday, nothing could be further from the minds of supporters than a Champions League final appearance.

Another slip-up against Tottenham Hotspur has plunged United’s season down into fresh depths, as Carrick fights the biggest crisis in his managerial career to this point.

The draw meant United had taken just six points from their opening six matches, leaving them dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Europe should offer a brief respite from their domestic struggles, but Diego Simeone’s side are primed to pile on the pain.

Atletico Madrid welcome the Reds to the Metropolitano for the second fixture in the elongated group phase of the current Champions League format, with their own season starting exceptionally well.

In eight LaLiga matches, Los Colchoneros have won six and lost just once, scoring 18 goals and conceding just eight.

That is the return of a team that is clicking into gear. United are stalled on the side of the road.

Pressure is Mounting at Old Trafford

The sound of booing from the home crowd was something rare at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Years of mismanagement have created a vacuum where patience is thin on the ground. Fans have seen starts to campaigns like this before, and they always end in the same way… the coach being replaced.

Michael Carrick will have never faced as pressurised an environment as a manager, with his only previous experience coming at Middlesbrough in the Championship.

That is the risk you run when allowing a manager to learn on the job.

Diego Simeone’s teams are notoriously hard to score against, and United’s attacking play has been inconsistent at best this term.

Marcus Rashford is a shadow of the player he was, whilst Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha both appear slightly confused as to their roles on the pitch.

Bruno Fernandes is clearly carrying an injury, as Jorge Jesus confirmed during the international break, and there are also some concerns over his contractual situation.

That doesn’t paint a pretty picture ahead of the trip to Spain. It’s difficult to see just how they’re going to breach a backline as well-drilled as Atleti’s.

The realists will suggest the best outcome United can hope for in Spain would be a draw.

If an improved level of performance comes along with that, then it sets the team up to win against Leeds and avoid a nightmare scenario of two defeats in less than a week.

However, this United team has always seemed to struggle in recent years when situations such as this have arisen. There is never really a point where they turn the corner… it just keeps carrying on.

It would be a huge shock if the team were able to put together a big performance against Atletico, but it would be a welcome one… otherwise the club are looking at the very real prospect of another wasted season, and we’re barely in October.