Harry Maguire has suggested that Manchester United must show more bravery despite digging deep to take a point from Elland Road, with the centre-back hailing Michael Carrick’s tweak of formation for a more resolute defensive performance.
Bryan Mbeumo had given the visitors a first-half lead before Leeds marksman Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled early in the second period of a high-intensity encounter.
While Carrick’s team may be disappointed for squandering their first half-time lead of the campaign, it was a far more convincing performance at the end of a troubling week.
Manchester United lined up with no recognised centre-forward as a midfield of Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans did well to stifle their hosts.
“We worked on it this week,” Maguire told Sky Sports of the change. “We wanted to match them up without the ball and go quite aggressive. We knew we could get a lot of joy in the middle of the pitch with them only playing two in there.”
However the defender also thought that his team lacked the courage to really kick on at a ground where they have not lost for 24 years.
He added: “That's probably the area of the game where we could have done more. We could have been a bit braver with the ball and taken the ball under pressure.
“But we're in a circumstance where we are not as brave as we should be, and we have to get that back because to win games for Manchester United we have to have that bravery and composure.”
Having lost away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, a point brought under-pressure Carrick some respite.
Lisandro Martinez remained in the starting XI after his outburst at transfer chief Jason Wilcox, which later led to an apology, before coming off at the interval with a knock.
Carrick, whose side now travel to Como for another European tie on Wednesday, described the Elland Road encounter as a “tough game” but added: “Not getting too carried away because we didn’t win the game. It felt like a fresh start… the boys are desperate to do well.”
Daniel Farke, the Leeds head coach, described himself as “slightly disappointed” not to win, believing that his team should have kicked on once level. They sit seventh in the standings.
“We should have kept up the dominance, too many strikes went over the crossbar but it was overall a solid performance. We should have won the game but we move on,” he said.