The first email comes from Rick Harris. “I imagine Unai Emery as a Stranglers fan,” he says, “singing ‘Should I stay or should I go’ every day on the way to work. Staying at Villa is accepting that he is a second tier manager. Going to United is a gamble but it is his best chance of joining the elite managers club. What’s the worst that can happen? Get sacked after a season and a half and go back to Villareal?”
That’s a good point, and much more tactful than Jamie Carragher. But, at the risk of being pedantic, I thought it was The Clash?
Things must be bad at United: there’s a Booze Boycott. Several groups of fans, including The 1958, have got together to say “Reclaim our colours [the green and gold]. Direct the anger at the ownership.” And… “Do not buy drinks inside Old Trafford.” If you’re there, do let us know whether this is having an impact.
Manchester United (probable 4-2-3-1) Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Mazraoui; Mainoo, Tielemans; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo.
Subs: Darlow, De Ligt, Heaven, Dorgu, Santos, J Fletcher, Mount, Lacey, Zirkzee.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Suzuki; Lindelof, Harwood-Bellis, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Goretzka; Alysson, McGinn, Manzambi; Jackson.
Subs: Bizot, Bogarde, Mings, Cisse, Barkley, Mbaye, Buendia, Hemmings, Madjo.
Unai Emery makes three changes. At the back Taylor Harwood-Bellis, once of Man City, gets his first go for Villa in the league after four midweek games. In midfield Leon Goretzka replaces Joao Gomes, and further forward Alysson comes in for Emi Buendia.
Michael Carrick makes only two changes, both enforced. Noussair Mazraoui replaces the suspended Lisandro Martinez, which probably means a reshuffle with Leny Yoro reverting to his natural habitat at centre-back. Youri Tielemans replaces the injured Carlos Baleba, as he did in midweek before playing his part in United’s revival. The home crowd, already restive enough, will be disappointed not to see Shea Lacey given a start.
Afternoon everyone and welcome to the Lindelof-Tielemans derby. It’s the last Premier League game before the international break, and it could be the last game for Michael Carrick as Manchester United’s head coach. The man who lifted his old club to third is now also the man who has led them to third from bottom. The table giveth and the table taketh away.
Carrick’s overall record is still better than most of the managers he has faced. In the PL table since he returned in January, United are third. Of the 17 clubs to be there last season and this, only four have won half their games in that time – Arsenal and Man City obviously, plus Man United and Brighton.
Carrick’s problem is that United’s form was dismal for seven weeks, from the red card Phil Foden was given in the Manchester derby on 13 September to the one Lisandro Martinez was given at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Since then they have mounted a rousing comeback to beat Roma, handing their supporters a sliver of hope. In the league, though, they are still winless since beating Ipswich in August. Their only consolation is that in the recent-form table (last three games for each club), they are not the worst team in Manchester. They have one point, whereas City have none.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, have had a season of three thirds. They started with a whimper, lost three of their first four league games and slumped to 19th. Then they won six out of seven in all competitions and gave everyone else a helpful demonstration of how to beat Man City. But Villa’s last three results have been disappointing, with a draw at home to Fulham sandwiched between batterings at Bournemouth and Barcelona.
Did anyone think either of the bad spells might be the downfall of Unai Emery? They did not. And rightly so, as he has rebuilt his team in no time since losing four stars at once in Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa. If pundits speculate about his job it is only to suggest, sometimes unprintably, that he might leave it to join United. That would be the sort of move that was known in Yes, Minister as “brave… very brave”.
The upshot is that, once again, all the pressure is on Carrick. He will be keeping a wary eye on the 2pm scores and praying for a few draws because anything else is lose-lose. United don’t want to see Liverpool or Chelsea pull further away, but they can’t afford to be overtaken by Palace or Sunderland. If they’re bottom of the table tonight, this most likeable of managers will surely be sacked in the morning.
