Manchester United‘s worst nightmare has been realised.
When they decided to hire Michael Carrick on a permanent basis, they did so with full confidence. Yet supporters had it in the back of their minds that this could be another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation.
Lo and behold, that’s the current landscape at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have won just one game all season and are already out of the Carabao Cup.
Carrick, evidently, is feeling the pressure but will a change be made by the hierarchy?
How Carrick compares to Man Utd managers of old
It’s official. This is United’s worst start to a Premier League season since 2014/15 when they also picked up just five points from their opening handful of league fixtures.
That was under Louis van Gaal, who is one of a number of managers who have failed to replicate the dizzy heights that the great Sir Alex Ferguson took them to.
The likes of Jose Mourinho, Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have all seen their projects fall and burn in Manchester. That may well be happening for Carrick too.
Indeed, not even any of those four managers had a worse record to start a season.
|
Man Utd’s worst starts since 2010 |
|
|---|---|
|
Season |
Points after 5 games |
|
2010/11 |
11 |
|
2021/22 |
10 |
|
2016/17 |
9 |
|
2018/19 |
9 |
|
2022/23 |
9 |
|
2019/20 |
8 |
|
2013/14 |
7 |
|
2020/21 |
7 |
|
2024/25 |
7 |
|
2025/26 |
7 |
|
2023/24 |
6 |
|
2014/15 |
5 |
|
2026/27 |
5 |
The data does not make for great reading but does Carrick deserve time to turn things around? Well, he showed during his interim spell in charge that he can generate a sense of positivity at the club.
From the start of 2026 to the end of the campaign, no side picked up more points (41) than United. It was title-winning form. Now, however, they are in relegation form. It’s a remarkable change in fortunes that may well require action from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co.
How INEOS could replace Michael Carrick
So, with United’s worst start to a Premier League season in over a decade in play, those at the top of the food chain must be considering their options.
To be honest, it would make little sense to tear up yet another project. However, the Red Devils did try giving time to Ruben Amorim to turn things around and it never did.
As good as a man-manager Carrick is, he still lacks experience at the top level of the game when it comes to coaching. His only senior role prior to this had been in charge of Middlesbrough. That is hardly fitting for a United manager.
It feels like they have tried everything they can to bring back the glory days. They’ve gone through proven title-winning managers in Mourinho and Ten Hag, while they’ve also tried the exciting route of a young coach in the form of Amorim.
Well, perhaps it is time to go back to the days of a genuine elite manager. Luis Enrique would be everyone’s top choice but after winning two Champions Leagues on the bounce, he is not going to be leaving PSG behind anytime soon.
The manager market does have an impressive look to it right now. German Julian Nagelsmann is available, as is French icon Didier Deschamps. Italian great Antonio Conte is also a free agent.
Reports last week from Conte’s homeland suggested that the out-of-work manager is waiting by the phone for United’s call, indicating that he is really rather keen on getting back into work and being given the reins at Old Trafford.
The idea of a manager who blew things up at Spurs coming to Man United in the situation they find themselves in is perhaps not the most attractive of propositions but Conte is a proven winner and much like Mourinho, he’s got a steely confrontational nature that inspires greatness.
During his career to date, the 57-year-old has won Serie A on five occasions, the latest of which was a historic triumph with Napoli in 2024/25.
He’s not just enjoyed success in Italy but he’s also proven he can do it in England too, winning the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea. Again, in that regard, he’s cut from the same cloth as Mourinho.
In fact, when speaking about the two, as well as Pep Guardiola, former Italy international Gianluca Zambrotta once said: “I think the three of them have similar personalities and are more or less at the same level.”
Do United want more chaos? That’s what Conte might bring with his fiery personality but that could also be just what United need as they seek to bring back the days of Sir Alex. He was hardly a yes-man himself. In fact, English football has arguably never seen a manager quite as stern as he.
Carrick, on the other hand, is the opposite. He looks like a fish out of water right now.