Manchester United players said they had been barred from speaking to reporters following their 1-1 draw at Leeds United. It is routine for players to speak to the written press in the mixed zone, especially after positive performances like the one at Elland Road. However, stars including Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha declined to stop, claiming they were not allowed.
Gagging order after Martinez tirade
The alleged gagging order follows Lisandro Martinez's tirade after the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, in which he took aim at director of football Jason Wilcox. Martinez was fined and issued a public apology after holding talks with the club, clearing him to play against Leeds, where he received support from United fans before coming off at half-time with an injury.
The lack of comment from United players following the game suggests they have been instructed by the club to remain quiet to prevent further Martinez-style outbursts. However, it is believed that no explicit directive had been issued by the club's communications department for players to avoid speaking to written journalists after the fixture.
Maguire and Carrick speak out
Harry Maguire spoke to the club's official website, saying: "You can't question the togetherness, the spirit and the fight. This is a tough place to come. Leeds have been flying in the league. We can be better. We have to show more quality with the ball. When you come to places like this, you can't be beaten on set-plays and we conceded a set-play which got them back in the game. We got a foothold at about 70 minutes and probably looked the more likely to go and win it, but a draw is probably fair."
Meanwhile, Michael Carrick claims the performance felt like a "fresh start." The United boss said: "We're not getting too carried away because we haven't won the game. I think if you keep doing the right things for the right reasons, then you get what you deserve in the end."
Winless run and upcoming fixtures
The draw stretched United's winless Premier League run to five matches - six overall - with just two wins from their 10 outings across all competitions. United have not endured a six-game winless run across all competitions since the close of the 2018-19 season, while it has been 40 years since they claimed only one victory from their opening seven top-flight fixtures at the start of a campaign.
Carrick's squad head to Italy to take on Cesc Fabregas's Como on Wednesday for their third Champions League fixture of the season, before resuming Premier League duties on Sunday when they host Bournemouth.
