Following a goalless draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage in London, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and his manager Michael Carrick addressed the press. Michael Carrick adopted a defiant stance despite Manchester United starting the Premier League season extremely poorly, but the Sunday 1-1 draw left the manager under growing pressure.
The United team, which was trailing due to a lucky goal from Lisandro Martínez, was minutes away from a third consecutive defeat on this dismal day for Carrick. The equalizer, scored by Matheus Cunha in the 89th minute after a deflection, saved the team from further humiliation. Nevertheless, securing a barely deserved point from a team that has not won a single match and sits in the lower half of the Premier League table was no cause for celebration.
With only one win in the season, United is tied for the lowest points total after five Premier League matches. Finishing 12th with five points, Carrick's team repeated the result achieved by Louis van Gaal in the 2014-15 season when they finished fourth.
Statistics are convincing in themselves, but a visual inspection of their flagging performance at Craven Cottage offered an even deeper insight into United's problems. The team showed a lack of sharpness in attack, lacked defensive organization, and, according to Cunha, lacked energy and impetus before conceding a goal. It resembled a flawed performance that has marred many United seasons since their last title in 2013.
It was hoped that Carrick could build on the success of the previous season when he finished third during his interim management. However, having rescued United from the ruins of Ruben Amorim's self-destructive tenure, Carrick risks losing direction in his first season as permanent manager.
The dreadful 2-0 loss to Hull in the opening game of the season caused alarm among United fans. Then, after losing the Manchester derby due to Erling Haaland's goal, which some felt should have been disallowed, United failed to score a two-goal lead at home in a League Cup match against Brighton for the first time in 50 years. Already 10 points behind City leaders, Carrick's team looked so weak against Fulham that even one of the manager's former teammates commented critically on United.
Commenting on the match for Sky Sports, former United defender Gary Neville sharply assessed their play in the second half of the second half. Neville stated: 'I have followed Manchester United for five years, and these are the worst 15 minutes I have ever seen. Absolutely pathetic.' The 51-year-old expert added: 'I have never seen such a lack of effort. What is Carrick thinking?'
Carrick does not possess the confrontational nature of some of his predecessors at United, but he tried to calm the public by trying to find reasons for optimism. He noted: 'It wasn't perfect. This was always going to happen, and it happened at the start of the season.' He continued: 'On the other hand, in Everton, a shot from distance from 25 yards into the top corner for their equalizer. The City goal, which isn't a goal. Today, a self-inflicted error, it's one of those things. These are quite fine margins that changed everything. I know we can do better, we need to improve some things. But I am not discouraged because I think we also showed some good signs.'
Carrick has three weeks to process United's dismal start during the long international break. Questions are rising regarding United's transfer policy and fitness regime. The 45-year-old manager must provide answers before the team returns to action in the crucial match against bottom-placed Tottenham on October 10th. A defeat to Roberto De Zerbi's team would be a huge blow to Carrick's hopes of changing the situation, especially considering the difficult trips to Atletico Madrid and Leeds after the visit to Old Trafford against Tottenham.
Nevertheless, Carrick places his hopes in the United players who are learning lessons from their painful start. He said: 'You will get to know each other, they will get to know me, I will get to know the individual and the team, how we react, what our reaction is. This is part of growth as a group. You have to go through certain things to reach the end.'
