A 1-1 draw at Elland Road in January 2026 for a Manchester United side with a back three and framed by some incendiary comments about Jason Wilcox precipitated the departure of a manager.
A repeat result is less likely to bring the same outcome, not least because Michael Carrick was not the one criticising the director of football. Yet when it seemed Carrick might be turning a corner, that his side were set for their finest result of a stuttering season and that his players were, as he claimed, galvanised by the events of the last week, United lost another lead and the chance to deliver a statement on the pitch.
