Manchester United players Patrick Dorgu and Shea Lacey have both stressed the need for togetherness at the club as pressure mounts on manager Michael Carrick. The Reds will spend the international break in the Premier League relegation zone following a poor start to the season.
Late fightback rescues a point
United came from two goals behind twice in Sunday's clash against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. After falling 2-0 down within three-and-a-half minutes, goals from Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans made it 2-2 before half-time.
But United quickly found themselves 4-2 down in the second half. As the game seemingly drifted away, Joshua Zirkzee scored in the 92nd minute to make it 4-3. Carrick's side then drew level again when Dorgu turned in a corner in the 96th minute, sparking scenes of celebration around Old Trafford as a point was rescued.
Players urge unity
Despite the late equaliser, the draw was not enough to lift them out of the bottom three. United sit in 18th place, one point adrift of Coventry City and Nottingham Forest.
Following the match, Dorgu wrote on Instagram: "We stay United. Happy to be back on the pitch, all glory to God." Lacey, who also came on as a second-half substitute, similarly wrote: "We need to stick together. Thank you, Old Trafford."
The calls for unity come amid speculation over Carrick's future. Latest reports suggest that club chiefs will meet at the start of the week to discuss the next steps.
Fight for the manager
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Dorgu said it was down to the players to fight for the manager, and repeated his message of unity. "I don't feel happy - we are in a bad situation," he said.
"We need to fight together to get out of it. Draw better than a loss but we had the better opportunities. Everyone needs to look at themselves and ask if they are doing enough. We need to fight for the manager, for the club and get out of this together."
"Of course it hurts [to be in relegation zone], there's a lot of games and we need everyone to come back sharp from the international break and start getting wins."
