Man Utd fans share their quick thoughts on Carlos Baleba after his first start in Atletico Madrid loss
Manchester United fans have already formed opinions about Carlos Baleba after his first game for the club against Atletico Madrid.
On Tuesday night, Manchester United returned to the Champions League, traveling to the Metropolitano Stadium to face Atletico Madrid. Things didn’t go as hoped for Michael Carrick’s team, as they lost 2-0 to the Spanish side. Still, fans were quick to praise their new summer signing, Baleba.
Right from the start, United fell behind with a smart goal from Pablo Barrios in the first minute. United tried hard to get back into the game, but couldn’t find an equalizer. Later, former Everton and Fulham midfielder Ademola Lookman scored Atletico’s second goal, especially after United defender Leny Yoro was sent off with a red card in the last 15 minutes.
Despite the loss, there was some good news for United fans—many took to social media to applaud Baleba’s performance. One fan tweeted, “Baleba is the only player showing the right energy and intensity on the pitch. Enjoy it while it lasts before the laziness from the others spreads to him.” Another said, “This Baleba profile is crazy—he’s got Kante’s energy and Pogba’s ball skills!” One even called him, “a one-man team out there, an amazing footballer.” Someone else felt so strongly that they said taking Baleba off might have hurt Carrick’s chance of staying as manager: “Baleba, our only ball winner, got subbed out—get this guy gone, man.”
Baleba joined United in August, moving from Premier League club Brighton for an initial £65 million, with an extra £5 million possible in add-ons. With such high expectations, shown by Brighton negotiating a sell-on clause, fans were excited to see him start playing regularly. He made his debut off the bench in last weekend’s Premier League draw with Spurs, coming on in the 59th minute.
Unfortunately, the defeat in Madrid is a big setback for Carrick, who now faces pressure over his role as manager after a tough start to the season. United haven’t won in their last five games. Their last win was back on September 10, with a 4-0 Champions League win over Azerbaijan side Sabah.
Since then, the results have been rough—they lost to local rivals Manchester City, got knocked out of the EFL Cup by Brighton for the second year in a row, drew with Fulham and Tottenham, and now lost to Atletico Madrid.
Next up, United will play Leeds United in what could be a must-win game for Carrick if he wants to keep his job.