Premier League
Fabrizio Romano says INEOS backs Carrick as United sit 12th
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United players stand firmly behind manager Michael Carrick, and that co‑owner INEOS have no intention of dismissing him despite the Red Devils languishing in 12th place with five points from five Premier League games.
Permanent appointment and INEOS backing
Carrick was first appointed as interim manager in January 2026. He earned a permanent contract in the summer of 2026 after steering United to Champions League qualification for the 2026/27 season. INEOS, the club’s co‑owners, subsequently confirmed they have no plans to remove him.
Under Carrick the season has been underwhelming. United sit 12th in the Premier League with five points from five matches. They suffered a Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford, though they secured a home win over Sabah in the Champions League.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano echoed the club’s stance, stating that Manchester United have no intention of sacking Carrick and that the squad remains supportive of the manager.
Carrick addresses the doubts
He said on his YouTube channel: “The last five games have not been at Manchester United level in terms of results, so the expectation was completely different apart from the Champions League debut against Sabah… In all the other games, Man Utd were not showing what we were used to seeing in the second half of the season last year under Michael Carrick.”
He added that United have not approached any other coaches and that there is no ongoing dialogue with potential replacements, describing the situation as “completely quiet” for the coming weeks and months.
Carrick highlighted the arrival of Baleba and the addition of three new midfielders over the summer, insisting that chemistry will improve with time.
He concluded that, unlike previous periods when player‑coach relations were strained, the majority of the squad now backs Carrick, giving the club confidence to persist with his tenure.