Michael Carrick’s impressive revival of Manchester United last season has given way to a difficult start to the 2026/27 campaign, with the club struggling for consistency in the Premier League and already eliminated from the Carabao Cup.
United’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Sunday left them 13th in the Premier League, with just one win from their opening seven league matches. The result extended Carrick’s difficult run after a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur and a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid.
A sharp contrast to last season
The current situation is a stark contrast to last season, when Carrick guided United to a third-place Premier League finish and secured Champions League qualification.
Carrick, who took interim charge after Ruben Amorim was dismissed in January, inherited a team that had struggled for consistency but transformed its fortunes during the second half of the campaign.
After his permanent appointment, Carrick oversaw a 3-0 victory at Brighton, eventually finishing the season with 12 wins, three draws and two defeats in 17 Premier League matches.
That run revived United’s hopes of returning to Europe’s elite competition after two seasons away.
Two wins in 10 matches
This season, however, United have struggled to reproduce that form.
The club has recorded just two victories in its first 10 matches across all competitions, a 5-2 Premier League win over Ipswich Town and a 4-0 Champions League victory over Azerbaijani side Sabah.
Their other results include a 2-0 defeat to Hull City, a 2-2 draw with Everton, a 1-0 loss to Manchester City, a 1-1 draw at Fulham, a 3-2 defeat to Brighton, a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, a 2-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid and the 1-1 draw at Leeds.
The defeat to Brighton was particularly damaging. United surrendered a two-goal lead at Old Trafford before losing 3-2 in the third round of the Carabao Cup, ending their involvement in the competition.
In the Premier League, United have collected just seven points from seven matches, with one win, four draws and two defeats.
A different challenge for Carrick
Carrick’s task this season is different from the one he faced when he took over midway through the previous campaign.
Last season, his immediate responsibility was to stabilise a struggling side and secure European qualification. This time, he has had a full pre-season and the responsibility of building on United’s third-place finish.
However, the opening weeks have produced only two wins across all competitions, an early cup exit and a series of draws that have prevented the team from building momentum.
Carrick acknowledged that United had not reached the standard expected of them, particularly in possession.
“Maybe if you talk about top quality, maybe it wasn’t top, top quality I think we are capable of playing,” he said.
Martínez row adds to pressure
Carrick’s difficult start has also been overshadowed by a public disagreement involving defender Lisandro Martínez.
Following United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid, Martínez called for greater investment in the squad and said he expected more from director of football Jason Wilcox.
Carrick initially declined to comment in detail, saying he had not watched the interview.
Martínez later apologised and expressed regret over the timing of his remarks. United subsequently fined the defender, while Carrick said the matter had been resolved and the squad had moved on.
The dispute, however, has placed renewed attention on United’s recruitment strategy and whether the squad was strengthened sufficiently after last season’s third-place finish.
Martínez’s argument was that the team may not have enough resources to compete consistently with the leading sides domestically and in Europe.
That criticism has not been established as the sole reason for United’s poor results, but it has added another layer to the pressure surrounding Carrick.
Can Carrick restore United’s form?
Carrick has already shown that he can dramatically improve United’s fortunes over a sustained period.
His 12 wins in 17 league matches last season remain a clear indication of what the team achieved under his leadership.
The challenge now is to reproduce that resilience and tactical organisation while improving United’s consistency in front of goal and in possession.
With the club already out of the Carabao Cup and struggling to climb the Premier League table, Carrick faces increasing pressure to turn the season around before the gap between last campaign’s progress and the current difficulties becomes too wide to close.
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