Why Manchester United fans are devastated that Middlesbrough have sacked Aitor Karanka

It was a matter of time.

That Middlesbrough have sacked manager Aitor Karanka after three and a half years at the club should not come as a surprise. With only 11 games of the season remaining, Boro are winless in their last 10 Premier League matches and currently sit in the relegation zone, three points from safety. But it seems that Manchester United supporters are more devastated than anyone at Thursday morning's news - more so even than resigned Middlesbrough fans or Karanka himself. That's because United visit the currently manager-less and struggling side for the lunchtime game on Sunday. Although it could be seen as a strong advantage to playing a rudderless team in disarray, straight after they've severed their own head, Mancunians of a red persuasion fear the 'Leicester effect' that did for Liverpool as soon as Claudio Ranieri was booted out. Namely that regular phenomenon of players upping their game once a manager has departed. Certainly this lot are convinced that they'll suffer a Boro backlash... https://twitter.com/PeoplesPerson_/status/842328018194444289 https://twitter.com/MUFCBoothy/status/842328085215232000 https://twitter.com/egyption305/status/842327330144063488 https://twitter.com/bashy88mc/status/842328868522463232 https://twitter.com/mufc_dan87/status/842326935871094784 https://twitter.com/ChichasFinish/status/842332468933988352 https://twitter.com/MLAW29/status/842330717266825216 https://twitter.com/AWDerp/status/842333264631205888