Manchester United's 2-1 loss at Old Trafford on Monday night to relegation-threatened rivals Leeds United has seemingly brought a lot of fans back to reality and slammed the brakes on the Michael Carrick hype train. 

The first half performance was especially lacklustre, and a huge step in the wrong direction, which came as a surprise to fans and pundits alike. Being 2-0 down inside 30 minutes at home in a derby sent shockwaves both around the stadium and across social media.

Things were made worse after Lisandro Martinez got himself sent off for a bizarre pull on Calvert-Lewin's man-bun. A vintage Casemiro header in the 69th minute made the final stages of the game interesting, but ultimately United did not have the quality nor did they deserve to salvage anything from the fixture.

Carrick was forced into making two changes to the starting lineup, which clearly disrupted the rhythm of his side, especially in the midfield where Kobbie Mainoo was sorely missed. His replacement, Manuel Ugarte, did not have the greatest games and has come under fire for his consistent poor performances as a Red Devil.

Mainoo's injury and subsequent absence from the squad on Monday was a huge reason why his side lost the midfield battle, which many fans were worried about before a ball had even been kicked.

Manchester United legend Gary Neville admitted he was also unsure of the starting eleven when it was announced, ‘When I saw the team, I wasn’t sure about it,’ 

‘Maybe it was Mainoo not in there, Maguire not in there, maybe because Mbeumo wasn’t playing. It just didn’t feel like it was a team that was going to connect together.'  Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast.  

The former United capitain also highlighted the midfield partnership of Casemiro with Ugarte as a major problem in the side, 

‘Maybe it was the Ugarte-Casemiro partnership in midfield which Carrick probably feels he has to use because it is the two he has got and it is the hand he has been dealt. But it’s not a partnership that is ever going to work.

‘Casemiro has been a world class player and there were times he was driving the team forward and scored the goal but Ugarte has been well short since he came to the club and if he is to play alongside someone, he needs a football player beside him because he is really limited on the ball.'

Ugarte is a player who arrived to Old Trafford surrounded with an unbelievable amount of hype, and therefore pressure. The 25-year-old has never adapted to life in the Premier League, after being rated as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe before his move to Manchester.

Unlike Mainoo, who has climbed the ranks at the club, fans do not have the same affinity to the Uruguayan international and the majority would not be opposed to cashing in on the midfielder this upcoming summer.

Erik Ten Hag signed Ugarte, but for the majority of his time as a Red Devil he was managed by Ruben Amorim, who couldn't get the best out of him despite coaching him as a youngster in Portugal for Sporting.

It seems for all parties a move away from Old Trafford would be best, which for some was the sentiment before the Leeds game and now for most after the defeat. It is yet another case of a player with serious potential at United not living up to their lofty expectations.