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‘Large Majority’—How Man Utd Players Feel About Michael Carrick
Manchester United “believe the large majority” of players continue to back manager Michael Carrick “absolutely” following a mixed start to the new season.
Carrick steered United to third in last season’s final Premier League standings, taking more points (39) from his 17 games in charge than champions Arsenal (36) over the same period. The 2026–27 campaign has started with five points from five Premier League games, a one-sided Champions League win and early Carabao Cup elimination.
United sit 12th in the league table during the first international break of the season, but a couple of positive results when the club schedule resumes—they face last-place Tottenham Hotspur on Oct. 10—could make a big difference in a short space of time. There appears to be an acceptance that time is needed for the summer’s midfield rebuild to click—Carlos Baleba is still yet to debut—and so Carrick is not facing pressure on his job at this moment in time.
Fabrizio Romano states in a new YouTube video that there is no “movement to contact” potential replacements and no “direct conversations” with any other managers or their representatives. It is, he says, “completely quiet,” with the hope it stays that way.
Overall, Manchester United “maintain their confidence” in Carrick. The club believes “the players are also with the coach” and there are no similarities with past situations where that might not have always been the case. The players “absolutely support” Carrick’s ideas.
Man Utd Need Clean Sheets
United have scored eight goals in five Premier League games so far this season, with only four teams more productive. Across all competitions, that number swells to 14 in seven, with four in the Champions League and two in the Carabao Cup.
Pretty much every team could always score more, but keeping them out is the bigger issue.
United’s Premier League output is comparable with Arsenal, who have also scored eight times. But the Gunners are seven points better off because their goals against column is very different. Mikel Arteta’s champions have allowed four goals in five games. Prior to a shock 3–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion just before the international break, it was only one in four.
Keeping the opposition off the scoresheet makes winning matches so much easier, because it then only takes one goal to claim the victory.
United were stung by objectively bad officiating in the 1–0 derby defeat to Manchester City, but avoidable goals conceded against Fulham (1–1) and Everton (2–2) have contributed to potentially four points being dropped in just two of the five matches played.
The Red Devils equally did enough in an attacking sense to beat Brighton in the Carabao Cup, having led 2–0 until almost halftime, before eventually losing 3–2.
When Baleba begins playing, which is expected to be right after the international break, there should be an improvement.
Demanding Schedule Offers No Respite
Three weeks separate United’s last and next matches because of the extended September-October international window. But, by the time Carrick and his team face Spurs at Old Trafford next month, it will be the start of another congested run of games.
Between this international break and the next in mid-November, United are due to play eight times in 30 days across the Premier League and Champions League. That includes midweek away trips to Spain and Italy.
Man Utd’s Next Eight Matches
Date | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|
Oct. 10, 2026 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | Premier League |
Oct. 13, 2026 | Atlético Madrid (A) | Champions League |
Oct. 18, 2026 | Leeds United (A) | Premier League |
Oct. 21, 2026 | Como (A) | Champions League |
Oct. 25, 2026 | Bournemouth (H) | Premier League |
Oct. 31, 2026 | Chelsea (A) | Premier League |
Nov. 3, 2026 | Roma (H) | Champions League |
Nov. 8, 2026 | Aston Villa (H) | Premier League |
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Jamie Spencer is a writer and editor for SI FC. Jamie grew up in Manchester, England, in the 1990s and fell in love with the game at the same time as the Premier League was taking off. With more than a decade of experience behind him in sports media, he specializes in Manchester United and the overall Premier League, still living in England’s north-west soccer hotbed. Jamie is also an expert on the women’s game and enjoys old school nostalgia, telling stories from soccer’s rich history and culture.