Man Utd blame bad luck for poor start as Michael Carrick gets a pass
Michael Carrick is safe with Manchester United blaming bad luck and mitigation for their poor start to the season, though a reporter has revealed there’s a ‘deeper concern’ brewing.
Man Utd have shipped 10 goals in five matches against English opposition this term, and on Wednesday, were dumped out of the League Cup after blowing a two-goal lead on home soil to Brighton.
The sluggish start has already sparked rumours about Carrick’s long-term employment at Old Trafford.
However, the latest from the chief Man Utd correspondent at the Manchester Evening News has confirmed Carrick’s position is safe.
During a Q&A, MEN reporter Tyrone Marshall was asked: ‘what is going to happen with Michael Carrick?’
In his answer, Marshall claimed INEOS aren’t putting the blame on Carrick, and instead believe bad luck and mitigation are the real culprits.
Of course, the blatantly offside goal that decided the Manchester derby last week does add some weight to United’s stance.
Marshall explained: ‘At the moment, Carrick still has the support of the people above him at United. There is an understanding that there has been some misfortune and mitigation to what we have seen at the start of this season.
‘But the defeat to Brighton has certainly piled the pressure on and while he is safe for now, he will be aware that kind of night can linger in the memory.
‘He needs results to reaffirm the belief that he is the right man for the job and while a win on Sunday would be welcome, recovering from this kind of week is going to take more than a victory against a mediocre Fulham side.’
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‘Deeper concern’ around fitness levels and defending
The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has also confirmed Carrick is in no immediate danger of being sacked.
Nevertheless, Whitwell claimed there’s a ‘deeper concern’ brewing right now regarding player fitness, a lack of intensity, and an inability to make life difficult for opposing attackers.
Whitwell stated on Friday: ‘There are no indications United are drawing up contingencies for the head-coach position.
‘People with knowledge of the situation, who, like all of those spoken to for this article, have been kept anonymous to protect relationships, say Carrick’s job, as it stands, is secure. But results will naturally dictate the future.
‘Sources say director of football Jason Wilcox, whose task it would be to make a call on the matter, is described as being an advocate for stability.’
He added: ‘But the manner of the performance on Wednesday is what has prompted deeper concern; in particular, the ineffectual, lackadaisical efforts to stem the Brighton tide.
‘United players jogged around the pitch, left wide-open spaces defensively, and were sluggish in attack.
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‘It spoke to a trend from the campaign so far. The Premier League’s official tracking data puts United 18th among the 20 clubs for sprints at 379 and 19th for high-speed runs at 1,364. Carrick’s team are also 14th for distance covered at 449.1 kilometres.
‘Such numbers invite questions on players’ fitness, whether due to training methods or their physical capacity — which then includes the people who signed them. Improving that aspect of their displays seems essential to gaining better results.’
