Manchester United falls into a vicious cycle, Carrick's job is at risk
After six league matches this season, the tree is on fire at Manchester United: the historic start is miserable, and the 1-1 draw against Fulham in the Premier League over the weekend marks a new low, while manager Michael Carrick is already fighting for his job.
The start to the season is historically poor, and already after six league matches the tree is on fire at Manchester United. Manager Michael Carrick is already under threat for his job, while experts regularly dissect his team's performance. The nature of the deficits is seen by many as indicative of the current crisis.
New Low against Fulham
The new low came over the weekend when Manchester United fought back a 1-1 draw against FC Fulham in the Premier League. Matheus Cunha's late goal secured the point, but the overall performance remained worrying. In the decisive quarter-hour, the necessary urgency was missing, further unsettling the fans.
Gary Neville, former United captain of the Red Devils and now TV pundit, described the performance at Craven Cottage as “absolutely miserable”. He criticised that the team spent 15 minutes just wandering around and behaved like shop‑window dolls. “I have been following Manchester United since I was five years old. Those were the worst 15 minutes I have ever seen,” he added.
The new financing plan in the summer saw Manchester United invest €173 million in the acquisition of midfielders Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans. Critics ask whether the money was spent on players who do not belong on the top shelf. Nevertheless, the euphoria persisted, as the team collected five points from the first five games.
Points tally and further defeats
The current record shows twelve points and a twelfth‑place league position, the weakest start since the 2014/15 season. Defeats to Hull City (0:2) and in the derby against Manchester City (0:1) despite long periods of superiority, as well as the exit from the Carabao Cup after a home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, underline the problem. How long the team can repeat this pattern remains uncertain.
Michael Carrick, twelve years at Manchester United and an 18‑time title winner, has a contract until 2028. He stresses that a long season still lies ahead and understands the fans' frustration, especially at this critical time. By Christmas, the 45‑year‑old manager is expected to still have time to turn things around before a decision is made about his future.
The current events echo the earlier pattern, when a club legend revived the team after parting ways with an unpopular manager. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over in 2019 after the dismissal of José Mourinho and initially delivered good results, before a later Champions League nightmare set in. Under Carrick, who was promoted after the dismissal of Ruben Amorim in the summer, the team qualified for the Champions League, but the current form lacks the earlier resurgence.