Rooney's explosive frustration over the fans' unending haircut saga overshadows United's pursuit of victory. He'd banish the distraction to the other side of the country.
West Ham ended United Strand’s hopes of getting a much-needed haircut on Tuesday night with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Carrick’s team arrived at the match on a run of four consecutive victories, raising hope that Ilett could finally end his long wait for a haircut. However, the Red Devils could only scratch out a point at London Stadium, courtesy of substitute Benjamin Sesko’s stoppage-time equalizer.
Ilett was disappointed by the draw, which means his challenge will continue, although he is pleased that his social media initiative continues to raise funds for charity. “The longer it goes, the better for charity,” Ilett said on his live stream. “I don’t want this to be about me, and I’m sure it probably will be, but it’s still a good run and a good way.”
Rooney vented on United Strand before Manchester United’s match against West Ham on Tuesday. On the “No Tippy Tappy Football” podcast, he said, “I’d send him to the other side of the country. He’s driving me crazy. We’re talking about Michael Carrick and Manchester United, trying to win their fifth straight match, and it’s all about this guy getting a haircut. I bet he’ll be devastated if Man United wins, because he’ll become irrelevant.”
Ilett was taunted over his challenge following Manchester United’s draw, when TNT commentator and former West Ham player Michail Antonio shared his view on the match: “They still have a great chance, they are the form team. They’ve beaten Arsenal and Manchester City. They would have wanted to win, especially for that guy, I don’t remember his name, but he wants to get a haircut. Now you’re not going to get it! They’re probably the form team. Coming here was a tough game, especially with the way West Ham played. [West Ham] sat back, and they really struggled to break them down. [United] had to bring on a striker to put more crosses into the box. It’s the only reason they got a point. I see no reason why they won’t finish in the top four.”
Carrick also spoke of his disappointment at failing to win. He told MUTV: “We were OK. I think we’re a little bit disappointed. Definitely, we weren’t at our best level. We’ve had five games, and we’ve been at a really good level. It’s a tough ground; they made it difficult for us, and, honestly, we lacked that sharpness or that spark to find the answers often. But, in the end, you’ve got to give a lot of credit to the lads, to the spirit they showed again with the last goal when we needed it most. It’s a great quality. So we’ll take the point and move on.”
Carrick was also asked about the United Strand challenge ahead of the match against West Ham and played down the issue. He told reporters: “I can say I’m aware, yes. My kids have informed me about it, but it’s certainly not going to be in the team talk from a professional standpoint. I understand what’s going on and it makes me smile, but at the end of the day it’s not going to have any impact.”
Captain Bruno Fernandes was also pressed on when Ilett might need to book an appointment with the barber and responded: “No, no, I have to book appointments for myself. I don’t pay attention to whether other people need to go to the barbershop. That’s not important to me.”
United Strand now faces a long wait just to see the Red Devils return to action. Carrick’s team has a gap in its schedule and will not play again until Feb. 23 against Everton. Next, United will face Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!