Man Utd's Worst PL Start in Years Piles Pressure on Carrick — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Manchester United lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City despite Phil Foden's red card, with Pro Ref issuing an apology for "an error of judgement" surrounding Erling Haaland's matchwinner — United's third defeat in under 10 months against a side reduced to 10 men before half-time.
- Michael Carrick has taken four points from four Premier League matches, with United's only win coming against newly-promoted Ipswich, ahead of a Carabao Cup tie against Brighton on 16 September and a trip to Fulham four days later.
- United's £155m summer midfield signings — Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba, and Andrey Santos — have yet to make a decisive impact, with Baleba still to debut and Santos dropped to the bench and unused against City.
- Bruno Fernandes has scored three goals but managed only one assist this season after a record-breaking 22 assists last term, and Carrick left him on the pitch for the full 90 minutes of United's Champions League win over Sabah FK despite leading 3-0 at the break.
- Joshua Zirkzee, who had been available for transfer all summer, was introduced for Marcus Rashford seven minutes from time as one of only two United substitutes, underscoring the lack of squad depth.
- Luke Shaw's 41-game run of consecutive Premier League starts ended without a replacement left-back registered, while Enzo Maresca noted United struggled against City's low block once Foden was dismissed.
- Carrick, appointed permanently in May after 12 wins in 17 interim games, said his side "could have finished the game better" and "could have been a little bit more creative" after the City defeat.
Why it matters: United's joint-worst Premier League start under four different managers since Sir Alex Ferguson's exit leaves Carrick facing the same scrutiny predecessors Solskjaer, Ten Hag, and Amorim could never fully answer. The thin squad — evidenced by a £155m midfield overhaul yet to deliver and only two substitutes used against City — means a tough run before the international break could harden doubts about whether Carrick's interim-success model translates to elite-level management.
Ask SkimNews
