Key occasions
VAR hasn’t reared its unloved head to date right here, nevertheless it has been on Gary Naylor’s thoughts. “I do know that is counterintuitive,” he says, “however, re VAR, is there any cause why it may well’t be totally automated for offsides? The gamers are in numerous kits, the pitch markings don’t transfer and the regulation is the regulation. Checks would solely be for ‘interfering with play’ or no matter it’s known as this week.”
“There’s even a case for utilizing machine-learning for handballs too. Feed in 1000 handballs given and 1000 handballs dominated out (appropriately) after which let AI determine. It will positively have given the West Ham one yesterday and it will solely get higher as information constructed up. Refs might nonetheless go to screens to test in the event that they needed to.
“Anyway, issues can’t actually go on as they’re now – it’s a laughing inventory.”
Half-time! Leeds 0-0 Man United
How have we not had a objective? It’s been breathless stuff, Bielsa-ball from each side. They’ve every had two pictures heading in the right direction and one clear-cut likelihood. Time for a cup of tea.
45+2 min Save! Fernandes is clear by way of and actually ought to rating, however Meslier will get down and shins the ball away. From the nook, the ball squeezes previous the far submit as Rashford races in.
45+1 min One more foul, from Maguire this time, on Bamford. The gang bay for a card, in useless.
44 min One other near-miss for Leeds! Mayhem within the United six-yard field, Summerville ought to rating, however De Gea does properly and one way or the other the ball is scrambled away.
“Maguire cleaned up his personal mess,” says Mary Waltz, “nevertheless it seems which you could press him into a significant error. His confidence has disappeared.” It’s actually coming and going.
40 min Now Fernandes has a shot, an tried dink that doesn’t clear Meslier. He’s up for it. In the meantime Rashford is fouled by McKennie, who turns into the third title within the e book.
38 min Fernandes goes wiggling down the fitting and carves out a cross, however Weghorst can’t attain it together with his head.
“Flaky and Rusty,” says Joe Pearson. “Seems like a competitor to Itchy and Scratchy. I adore it!” Ha. To be honest to Fred and Sabitzer, they’re displaying indicators of turning into Feisty and Silky.
35 min Maguire nearly embarrasses himself as Harrison robs him, however he recovers properly and nicks it again.
34 min Rashford will get into the field, solely to search out Ayling shepherding him out once more.
33 min Some argy-bargy on the Leeds proper involving Ayling and Malacia. All of it ends in a hug.
32 min Higher from Rashford, who’s again on the left. He will get on his bike and sprays a move to the fitting that was nearly majestic.
31 min The free kick eludes Maguire however is headed clear by Weghorst.
30 min Sabitzer, in a tussle with Gnonto, emerges with the ball and is aggrieved to listen to the whistle.
28 min Sancho and Rashford have swapped wings. On the proof of a recreation and a bit to date, they may get extra pleasure with Rashford down the center rather than Weghorst.
26 min Ten Hag calls Sancho over for a briefing and Luke Ayling eavesdrops on it.
25 min A Leeds free kick finds solely the large brow of a Mr Maguire.
23 min Rashford, a caption reveals, has had solely six touches. And two of them had been blunders. However he often has a objective in him, and Man U are starting to settle after the frenzied first act.
21 min One other slip by Rashford, after the free kick, is sort of expensive, however his team-mates rescue him.
21 min The second yellow of the day goes to … Fred! For hacking down somebody after a misplaced lay-off from Rashford.
20 min Probability for Man United! Fernandes scoops a by way of ball down the fitting for Sancho, will get it again on the sting of the field, however screws it properly large.
18 min A number of individuals might have a yellow card by now, however just one does: Junior Firpo, for moving into late on Sancho.
16 min United spend a few minutes passing sideways on the again. You don’t get that from Lisandro Martinez.
Weghorst has began actually poorly. Leeds very open if/when #mufc advance into the ultimate third however a number of the strikes are breaking down with Weghorst. Ten Hag has not often appeared so irked at first of a recreation.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) February 12, 2023
13 min Fred Once more! Getting a block in because the free kick is taken brief.
13 min A free kick to Leeds within the enterprise space as Fred’s enthusiasm ideas over right into a foul.
12 min Leeds go upfield as soon as extra. Man U get a glimmer of a counter, with Fred once more preventing the great struggle, however Weghorst performs a by way of ball with out recognizing that Rashford is offside.
Extra on the Roses. “I would really like the Premier League to institute a rule,” says Eric Peterson, “that, when there are to be Wars of the Roses fixtures on the docket, one among them is at all times assured to be performed the week of Valentine’s Day.”
10 min “It’s been chaotic,” says Alan Smith on Sky, “and that fits Leeds.”
Manchester United gamers to achieve 400 Premier League appearances:
🏴 – Ryan Giggs (632)
🏴 – Paul Scholes (499)
🏴 – Gary Neville (400)
🇪🇸 – David de Gea (400)United’s #1 joins an unique record. 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/zP7pfF22sS
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 12, 2023
8 min Man U attain the Leeds field because of some good scrapping by Fred and linking from Weghorst. The assault peters out as Sancho’s low cross from the fitting is blocked.
6 min Malacia will get a bang on the top after a heavy problem from Tyler Adams. The ambiance is each bit as raucous as anticipated.
4 min Shut! Summerville blasts over the bar from shut vary. Malacia did properly to trouble him.
2 min Man U look shaky on the again, however they’ve made a greater begin than they did on Wednesday.
1 min: The groups take the knee and Bruno Fernandes will get the ball rolling. Leeds already urgent like males possessed.
A Leeds fan writes. “Hello Tim,” says Jeremy Boyce. “It’s your pleasant life-long Leeds supporter right here (now aged 65), and I can let you know that a part of the rationale I’m Leeds is that I hated Man U once I was a child, partly as a result of EVERYONE supported Man U once I was a child and I hated that. Partly as a result of my household roots are in Leeds, my first ‘BIG’ match (we lived in Shrewsbury, Div III was not the identical) was when my dad took me to Elland Street for a Boxing Day match v Noocassel. Somebody nicked my Leeds scarf Christmas current from spherical my neck on the way in which in, however I didn’t care, we gained 3-1 and I used to be hooked.
“The factor is with Man U, it goes a lot, a lot deeper than easy occasions inside the white strains over 90 minutes. It’s not simply the truth that they’ve all the cash, and so they at all times purchased all our greatest gamers (Giles and extra just lately the ‘brief’-lived Dan James experiment are uncommon examples of site visitors going the opposite method). It goes again centuries, all the way in which to the Wars of the Roses, introduced ahead to the twentieth/twenty first century. If solely Lancaster and York might make their method up the soccer ladder we might have it for actual.
“Because it goes, Leeds and Manchester are the trendy day symbols of that trans-Pennine rivalry. It’s within the genes. I’m clearly hoping for a optimistic consequence at the moment, by no means thoughts who the oppos, however placing one over on the Scummers would definitely add some spice to our season. 0-3 Scummers then. The factor is, we’ll nonetheless be marching on collectively afterwards no matter occurs, not like the poisonous Man U ‘supporters’ who by no means cease carping, criticising and back-stabbing. ’Appen.”
I couldn’t presumably remark.
Man United have gained one recreation at the moment – the WSL match at Spurs. Extra right here from Rob Smyth.
Erik ten Hag has been speaking about his choice. Partly rotation, sure – the subsequent recreation is at Camp Nou – however he additionally feels Maguire and Shaw will convey management. A yr in the past, the 2 of them mixed for Man United’s first objective in a 4-2 win at Elland Street. Jadon Sancho had an excellent recreation too, although it was so way back that a number of forgotten figures took half. Pogba, Lingard, Ronaldo, Raphinha …
Leeds, paradoxically, have the extra settled aspect at the moment. Their caretaker supervisor, Michael Skubala, has made solely two modifications and each are enforced. Pascal Struijk and Luis Sinisterra, each injured at Previous Trafford, are changed (as they had been then) by Junior Firpo and Crysencio Summerville.
The groups: Man U
Ten Hag retains the religion with Fred and Sabitzer. Harry Maguire returns, with Martinez and Varane each on the bench. Jadon Sancho begins for the primary time since his spell within the Netherlands, presumably on the fitting after the choice to stay Rashford there backfired on Wednesday.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Dalot, Maguire (capt), Shaw, Malacia; Sabitzer, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Weghorst.
Subs: Heaton, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Varane, Martinez, Iqbal, Pellistri, Elanga, Garnacho.
The groups: Leeds
Preamble
Hey and welcome to the grudge match of the day. You wait 11 months for a Man U-Leeds assembly, then two come alongside in per week.
On Wednesday at Previous Trafford Leeds bossed the primary jiffy of every half and stormed right into a 2-0 lead, however had been pegged again when Jadon Sancho got here on and Marcus Rashford moved into the center. The ambiance was predictably toxic, with the Leeds followers telling Rashford and Sancho “you let your nation down”, solely to search out every of them answering again with a objective.
For Leeds, with no supervisor and no league wins for the reason that World Cup, the draw was a minor triumph. For Manchester United it was a setback, although it confirmed spirit. They sorely missed Casemiro’s capability to snuff out hazard and must do with out him once more at the moment. With Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen nonetheless injured, Erik ten Hag has to stay with the flaky Fred and the rusty Marcel Sabitzer or twist by pushing a defender into midfield. He has given Victor Lindelof a couple of minutes there and identified that Lindelof is used to it from his days at Benfica. A greater guess would certainly be Lisandro Martinez, together with his chunk and creativity, however he’s rumoured to be unavailable at the moment.
Ten Hag’s different drawback is that his regulars might be knackered. That is Man United’s fifteenth recreation in all competitions for the reason that World Cup, two greater than the subsequent Premier League membership (Southampton). As Ten Hag is a reluctant rotator, the likes of Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw have a number of miles on the clock.
Leeds, for a crew with no boss, are in fairly an excellent place. They’ve acquired Patrick Bamford again and Wilfried Gnonto flying. They haven’t gained within the league since 5 November, after they beat Bournemouth 4-3, however the 4 wins they collected earlier than that included upsets towards Chelsea and Liverpool. With Elland Street baying for blood, they’ll fancy their probabilities of one other huge scalp.
