Is Michael Carrick Fighting For His Job As Manchester United Boss?

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 10: Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on October 10, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)

CameraSport via Getty Images

The sense of despair around Old Trafford was a familiar one as Manchester United allowed a 1-0 lead to slip through its fingers against Tottenham Hotspur. Everything was in the favor of the home team to claim only its second Premier League win of the season. Instead, a late Spurs goal laid bare United’s issues.

Six games into the 2026/27 league season, Manchester United has just one win to show for its efforts. And effort has been a big talking point with many arguing Michael Carrick’s team is working as hard as it was before the summer, when United’s resurgence form pushed them up to third place in the table.

“I am massively disappointed with the result, for sure,” said Carrick after the 1-1 draw with Spurs. “A mixed performance. I’m not happy with the amount of points that we’ve had so far. There’s no hiding from that. I think it could have been different for a couple of little things here or there, but the reality is the reality, we’ve got to accept it, you know. We need to put things in a direction, in a positive direction quite quickly, that’s pretty plain.”

Carrick is struggling for solutions to the problems his team is clearly suffering from. Manchester United focused its attention in the summer transfer market on revamping its midfield. Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans arrived as Casemiro departed Old Trafford at the end of last season.

So far, though, Manchester United has struggled to find the right balance in the centre of the field. Baleba made his debut off the bench in the second half against Tottenham and made a difference, but Tielemans looks vulnerable in defensive transition while Santos has barely featured despite a positive pre-season.

In the final third, Benjamin Sesko’s injury has depleted United. Carrick has used Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo through the middle without much success. Bruno Fernandes has also toiled in several matches after winning the Player of the Year award in the Premier League last season. He isn’t currently operating at the same level.

Some of these issues are outside Carrick’s control, but the sound of boos from the home fans during Sunday’s match at Old Trafford suggests the former midfielder is running out of patience from a fanbase that desperately wanted to believe Manchester United had turned a corner.

Instead, there are signs that United has entered the same old spiral all over again. The difficult fixtures are coming thick and fast for Carrick and his players who will now travel to Spain to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this week. Yet more pain could be in store for a struggling side.