Manchester United’s Champions League setback against Atlético was shaped by an early concession, missed chances to level the match and Leny Yoro’s late dismissal, with Michael Carrick insisting his side must respond together after a difficult European evening.
Yoro red card compounds United’s frustration
Carrick strongly disagreed with the decision to send off Yoro in the 74th minute following an incident involving Jonathan David. The United coach felt the punishment had a decisive impact on a contest already made harder by Atlético’s opening goal.
- Yoro was shown a red card after the challenge on Jonathan David in the 74th minute.
- Carrick said he did not believe the offence warranted a dismissal, describing it as a very slight push rather than a high-speed challenge.
- He said United began poorly and that Atlético’s early goal made the task more demanding.
- United had two opportunities to draw level, while Carrick felt the red card significantly altered the match.
“I do not agree with that decision,” Carrick said. “It was not at speed and it was only a soft push. We started the game badly and it became more difficult. We had two chances to equalise and improved as the game went on, but the sending-off had a major effect.”
Chances created, but no criticism of the forwards
United were unable to turn their openings into a goal, yet Carrick rejected the suggestion that his attackers were suffering from a lack of confidence. His focus was on continuing to create opportunities and becoming more secure without the ball.
“Players can miss chances; this is not about individuals,” he said. “We need to keep making them and defend better. After going 1-0 down, we understood the game better.”
The manager believed his team recovered reasonably from the early blow. United controlled periods of the match and created several one-on-one situations with Atlético’s goalkeeper, although they also allowed spaces which their opponents could exploit.
“We reacted quite well after the early goal,” Carrick said. “We had control in certain spells and knew it would be a hard game. Even so, we had several one-against-one moments with the goalkeeper. We did plenty well, but we also left room.”
Carrick urges a united response after Lisandro comments
Attention after the defeat also turned to comments from Lisandro Martínez, who said the club had lacked investment during the summer. Carrick said he had not watched the interview and would not be drawn into judging remarks made in the immediate disappointment of the result.
- Carrick said post-match emotions should not become the central issue.
- He said the priority was for United to recover and move forward from the defeat.
- He did not question Martínez’s desire to win or his commitment to the team.
- Carrick said he would need to see the interview before addressing any particularly critical comments.
“I have not seen the interview, but these are emotions after a match and the disappointment is understandable,” Carrick said. “This is not the time to talk about those matters. What matters is that we lift ourselves from here.”
He added that poor results inevitably prompt questions over what is not working, but maintained there remains a willingness within the squad to improve. Carrick said there was still a positive mood despite the setback, while admitting that conceding so early left United chasing the game throughout.
“The voices are being heard,” he said. “There is a real desire to do well, work hard and improve. There is positivity. We could not do it tonight, but it was a difficult match. Conceding so early meant we were always trying to catch up. This weekend is a good chance for everyone to pull in the same direction.”
