Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has hit back as their winless run continues, while his flops have reportedly raised concerns about the impact of cameras behind the scenes
Manchester United’s winless run continued with a frustrating draw away against Leeds United as Michael Carrick’s side remain slumped in 13th in the Premier League.
The Red Devils took a 1-0 lead at Elland Road thanks to Bryan Mbeumo’s strike in the 35th minute, but defensive failings again reared their head as United were unable to hold onto that advantage and conceded an equaliser to Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 51st minute. Carrick’s flops have now gone six games without victory.
Pressure is mounting on the former United and England midfielder, who last season guided the club to an impressive third place finish and Champions League qualification after replacing the hapless Ruben Amorim, but this campaign has only won once in seven Premier League encounters. Here’s all the latest news from Old Trafford.
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Michael Carrick fights back
Michael Carrick has fired back at the claim that he was reluctant to return to management prior to accepting the United role.
The 45-year-old said he is fully committed to his position at Old Trafford, following club legend Nicky Butt’s claims about what Carrick had told him after being dismissed by Boro, reports the Mirror.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt said: “I was with Michael before he got the Man United job and spoke to him about management.
“He went, ‘No it’s not for me, it’s too much. My head’s all over the show. I’d only do it for the big job.’ The big job is Man United.”
When the comments were put to Carrick in a press conference, the United boss said: “I definitely wouldn’t be here if that was the case, would I?
“At this stage. It’s the best job I could possibly have. It’s the best role I could possibly have. I feel a real privilege of being in this position and a real responsibility, but equally a drive of wanting to make a difference and having success here.”
Dressing room concern
United’s flops are reportedly concerned that filming for Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing series could be negatively affecting their performances.
The Red Devils are the latest Premier League club to be the subject of the docuseries, which has previously focused on Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Sun has reported United’s underperforming stars are worried filming is negatively affecting dressing room conversations.
It is claimed the presence of cameras has meant “punches are being pulled” during dressing room debriefs, potentially contributing to the team’s struggles.
However, when asked about documentary filming in August, United boss Carrick said: “That’s been fine. It’s obviously a little bit new, and unique, but the actual day-to-day workings of it, we have that many cameras around anyway that the boys are kind of half-used to it.
“We’ve got to work through it, of course, but they’ve been respectful. It probably seems bigger from the outside than it is day-to-day when we’re working in it.”
Sack claim
Gary Neville believes Carrick will have a serious problem with his job at risk if United are still languishing in the bottom half of the table by January.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast following the 1-1 draw which saw an improved United grab a point away against their bitter rivals, the Sky Sports pundit said: “[There’s] a depressed standard and a low expectation right now.
“But it’ll feel like a stepping stone for Michael Carrick, and it’ll feel like the first step on the ladder in the Premier League.
“They may take some confidence from that, and there might be a blueprint there, maybe we have to bring Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and others off the bench, and we might just have to have a go at being more solid.”
The Red Devils icon added that United must finish at least fifth this season and said: “”Fifth is a must for Michael Carrick to continue to grow and Manchester United continue to grow with investment.
“If they’re 13th in January, he’s got a problem because then you are what you are, whereas I think it’s still early enough, seven points from seven games, to say, ‘Okay, still early in the season’; you can’t say that after 15 games.
“It has to change in the next few weeks: Bournemouth is really important, and Chelsea away, and how he manages the games in between that.”