MANCHESTER UNITED were always going to come crashing back down to earth sooner or later.
when he let the ball bounce on the earth at .
Michael Carrick was left to ponder all too familiar issues at Man UtdCredit: Getty
Tomas Soucek punished Luke Shaw’s sloppy playCredit: PA
Shaw has had a positive season and he remains the only United player who has started in all of their Premier League games.
Yet his doziness in letting the ball bounce, which he then compounded by over-committing, was a throwback to the shaky Shaw of old. mercilessly punished him.
Shaw is into his 12th year at United and he has truly contributed to one of the five trophies that they have won during that time.
He was injured for the 2016 and , as well as the 2017 Europa League final and not worthy of the bench in the 2017 League Cup final.
It would be remarkable if United were transformed into championship challengers with Shaw still at left back. He turns 31 in the summer and will be into the final year of his contract.
It would be harsh to single out Shaw.
, the second-longest serving player in the United squad, regressed against the classy Crysencio Summerville.
No right-minded United fan seriously envisages a title-winning team with Dalot, signed in 2018, at right back and Shaw, signed in 2014, at left back.
Dalot was put out of his misery in the 81st minute and there were some brief sarcastic cheers from a handful of United supporters in the away end.
Carrick coached Dalot previously and was a teammate of Shaw’s. He will have a good grasp on man-managing him, having seen Louis van Gaal and over his fitness.
But Carrick also joined United after Sir ruthlessly tore up Roy Keane’s contract in 2005.
Keane had to go in the best interests of the club. Ferguson was right.
United won their first Premier League title in four years in Carrick’s first season and United’s first without Keane.
Carrick named an unchanged team for the third game running at West Ham, the first time United had done so since July 2020 when Carrick flanked in the dugout.
It was logical, given United now do not play until February 23.
It was illogical for Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to change positions, though.
Steve Holland sidled over to Carrick for a discussion shortly before half-time, a sure sign that whatever United were attempting was not working.
United still took an eternity to make a first substitution.
was warming up the most rigorously yet headed down the tunnel suddenly.
Tomas Soucek wheels away in celebration after giving West Ham the leadCredit: Getty
Diogo Dalot also struggled on a difficult night in east LondonCredit: Alamy
Sesko and did not emerge until the 68th minute, almost 20 minutes after Soucek seized on Shaw’s dismal defending. suggested he ought to have come on earlier.
The chance-creation that had been a hallmark of United’s previous performances was non-existent as they failed to score for in a first half for the first time under Carrick.
Between Shaw’s goalbound strike in the first half and Sesko’s harmless effort, United went 53 minutes without an attempt on target.
You would have forgiven United fans for adopting some gallows humour and tweaking the lyrics to, “It’s Carrick, you know, it’s hard to believe it’s not Van Gaal”.
United’s football was reminiscent of some of the ponderous play that led to in the summer.
Carrick has credit in the bank from the rip-roaring start but this result had shades of some of the performances and results in Ruben Amorim’s final weeks.
This was another missed opportunity for United as Chelsea, a place below them in the table, were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Leeds.
Amorim could not go a game without a like-for-like change at centre back and even Carrick hooked Harry Maguire for Yoro.
Maguire’s withdrawal did appear enforced, though.
Man Utd ratings vs West Ham
MANCHESTER United's mini-revolution came to an abrupt halt with the 1-1 draw at West Ham.
And so did the brilliant form of many of Michael Carrick’s side that had seen them going for five wins in a row.
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United have now dropped eight points against bottom-three teams but the mood among the supporters was upbeat at full-time, given the timing of Sesko’s equaliser.
The 13-day gap United now have between fixtures is an opportunity for Carrick to reassess some of his calls that did not work.
The first 45 minutes were worse than the London Stadium light show and the best thing about it was when referee Simon Hooper refused to play any additional time.
The compere rewarded those who had suffered with a blast of Bad Manners and Bowie.
United need to make plenty more changes.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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