Do not sell him — Manchester United fans in absolute disbelief after thriller against Leeds

Football never truly understands the concept of a "friendly" when Manchester United and Leeds United cross paths. 

What was supposed to be a standard fitness exercise at Croke Park quickly turned into a tense thriller, ending in a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout victory for Michael Carrick's men.

But behind the pre-season silverware lies a fanbase deeply divided. While some are celebrating a gritty, character-building victory, others are on the verge of a digital meltdown over the team's inability to kill off their bitter rivals in normal time.

Here are the 5 major talking points from a lively night in Dublin that has completely split the Old Trafford faithful:

The match ignited in the 16th minute when Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee showcased his elite instincts, meeting an electric cross from Bryan Mbeumo to volley home a clinical opener. 

Instead of just celebrating, fans immediately used the goal to spark a massive transfer civil war on social media. 

Timelines were flooded with desperate pleas begging club bosses to halt any potential exit for the striker, with one fan typing in caps: 

"Do not sell Zirkzee! Leave him to complete the squad, he can have great moments in this shirt."

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After Brenden Aaronson capitalised on a lapse in United's box to level the scores, the game transformed into a game of inches. 

Bruno Fernandes and Mbeumo both rattled the woodwork before the referee blew for full-time, sending the clash straight to spot-kicks. 

Even the captain's armband couldn't save Fernandes from an uncharacteristic, shocking miss from 12 yards out. 

It took a heroic save from substitute keeper Dermot Mee and a nerve-shredding sudden-death winner from Noussair Mazraoui to finally break Leeds' hearts.

Despite lifting a trophy at the end of the night, a highly vocal section of the United fanbase refused to join the party. 

For these supporters, the performance exposed a soft underbelly that has plagued the club for years. 

Social media erupted with complaints about tactical arrogance, drawing parallels to the deep frustrations felt when Africa's most elite international players fail to assert authority on the pitch. 

One furious supporter wrote: "There's something about our players not holding a match by its neck and squeezing the hell out of it. We prefer making comebacks and being underdogs in games we should be putting away with no hassle."

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Amidst the tactical arguments, the match offered a beautiful glimpse into United's future. The younger crop of talent stepped into the cauldron of a fierce rivalry and refused to blink. 

Fans couldn't stop gushing over the sheer class of young fullback Harry Amass, while new signing Andrey Santos earned massive plaudits for his brilliant midfield work rate.

For the optimists, this grit proves that Carrick is successfully installing a relentless, trophy-winning mentality from the ground up.

With only one warm-up game left before the grueling season kicks off, tacticians in the fan replies are already sending direct warnings to the dugout. 

The general consensus is that Carrick needs to ditch his current setup and fully commit to an aggressive 4-3-3 formation to unleash the raw attacking power of Mbeumo and Zirkzee. 

As one supporter put it: "Tell the manager to adapt the 4-3-3 formation, it always works... all you have to do is put the players who smell the goals and you are good to go."

The pre-season might be coming to an end, but the human drama, intense pressure, and tactical warfare surrounding Old Trafford are only just getting started.