In the fourth round of the Premier League, in the Manchester derby, Manchester United lost at home 0-1 to Manchester City, who played with 10 men. After the match, The Athletic reported that Manchester United's defeat was a microcosm of their failed summer transfer window, and the club now faces mounting internal and external problems. Manchester City, by contrast, possesses abundant financial resources and continues to strengthen its squad.

The report notes that Carrick brought Zirkzee on as a substitute in the Manchester derby, while Maresca introduced Ndiaye at halftime in an attempt to win, underscoring the contrasting situations of Manchester United and Manchester City.

Manchester United wanted to sell Zirkzee all summer, while Manchester City signed Ndiaye from Everton for £65 million ($87.8 million) and quickly pivoted their targets in the final week of that transfer window after failing to secure Gakpo from Liverpool.

Zirkzee is a technically gifted player and Dutch international who has represented his country at major tournaments. But before Carrick brought him on in the 90th minute for Rashford with seven minutes remaining, he had scored just 9 goals in 76 appearances for Manchester United. He was expected to leave early this summer, but Manchester United failed to generate sufficient interest, and the deal ultimately fell through.

Ndiaye, on the other hand, was also pursued by Tottenham Hotspur, but Manchester City moved faster. In the Manchester derby, Maresca brought him on for Gvardiol after Phil Foden received a red card in the first half, leaving the team a man down. The tactical switch was designed to give the right winger more defensive support.

It was Ndiaye who regained possession following Akanji's poor header clearance and initiated the attack that ultimately led to Haaland's winning goal. Zirkzee's most notable contribution was an overhit cross.

Everyone will likely believe he will have a more positive impact this season, and Ndiaye's form will eventually dip. The bigger issue, however, is that Manchester City has further strengthened Pep Guardiola's squad—inherited by Maresca—through financial power and targeted signings, while Manchester United's support for Carrick in this transfer window has been far more limited.

Interestingly, away teams have received 50 red cards at Old Trafford in the Premier League, but only two teams have won: Everton in November 2024 and today's Manchester City, and both victories came with Ndiaye on the pitch on the winning side.

The midfield illustrates this perfectly. Manchester City's Elliot Anderson and Enzo arrived this summer for significant transfer fees from Nottingham Forest and Chelsea respectively, costing a combined £241 million. Manchester United's midfield pivot, by contrast, spent just £35 million in the same period—that was the release clause for Tielemans from Aston Villa.

Tielemans' midfield partner Mainoo, developed through the academy, cost Manchester United no transfer fee, but his performance in this match—particularly how he outmaneuvered Anderson in several duels, with one tackle leading to a shooting opportunity for Rashford that went narrowly wide—suggests he too would be valued at over £100 million. When Amorim was manager, however, the club was prepared to entertain offers well below that valuation.

Equally important is that this latest Manchester derby took place against the backdrop of Manchester United fan protests both outside and inside the stadium, and further highlighted the starkly different impacts of the two clubs' ownership structures. Manchester City has received a financial boost, while Manchester United has been hampered by the Glazer family's debt burden and costly transfer mistakes, which has also constrained minority shareholder Ratcliffe's approach over the past two years.

The question of whether Manchester United should have spent more this summer within their means is itself contentious, as is the matter of what the money should have been spent on. The club will publish its fourth-quarter financial report on 23 September, which should provide some answers. Can more money be spent? Clearer answers will come soon.

Has Manchester United spent its money more wisely? Luke Shaw's minor injury and absence in this match laid bare the team's weakness at left-back. Dalot was deployed as a makeshift left-back, but he had never played that position in pre-season. During the attacking phase, he drifted toward the ball on the right wing, abandoning his defensive position and leaving Lisandro Martínez exposed in a two-versus-one situation on the other flank.

Manchester United had previously considered signing Newcastle United's left-back Lewis Hall before turning their attention to Brighton's Carlos Baleba. The team also finalized the signing of midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, whose initial transfer fee reached £48 million, an acquisition that also sparked external debate about the Red Devils' transfer priorities. Amrabat came from Chelsea. After the away defeat to promoted Hull City in the season's opening round, he has played just 42 minutes in his last four appearances, and in the Manchester derby he didn't get a chance to play at all.

Manchester City's winning goal should not have stood, and the Premier League's referees' body later acknowledged it was a serious error.

But even if Manchester United had drawn this match 0-0, these questions about squad depth would have remained. After Foden's dismissal, Manchester City defended with 10 men for 70 minutes, and Manchester United still could not breach the opposition defense.

Carrick earned considerable goodwill by guiding the team into the Champions League last season, a distant prospect when he replaced Amorim in January. Compared to Manchester City's manager and several other top coaches, however, he has far less leeway in public perception given his limited managerial experience.

His substitutions in this match did not work out.

After Haaland scored in the 60th minute, he waited seven minutes before making a change. It would have been more prudent to bring on Sesko at halftime. Meanwhile, Manchester United's balance was disrupted after Tielemans left the pitch. Rashford was also playing better than Cunha at that point, but Cunha played the entire match.

Manchester United's only truly organized chance came in the final minute of the five minutes of added time. Bruno Fernandes played a through ball, Mbeumo had a shooting opportunity, but Donnarumma saved. Mainoo was again involved in that attack—it was Fernandes' run that enabled Mbeumo to suddenly cut into the box and create space.

For most of the second half, Manchester United's attack was static because Manchester City sat very deep. Manchester United once again exposed their chronic problem: difficulty breaking down deep defensive lines. Their passing lacked the precision and fluidity it should have possessed.

Facing an opponent with fewer players, they once again appeared devoid of ideas. Last year Manchester United lost to Newcastle United under Carrick and to Everton under Amorim while their opponents played with a man fewer, and Maresca even reminded his players at halftime that it would be a difficult match if Manchester City didn't give Manchester United the space they thrive in on transition.

This will likely be a recurring problem for Carrick. The pace of transformation for this team is now destined to be far slower than had more thorough changes been made during the summer transfer window.

Übersetzt von KI.

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