Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has publicly accepted full responsibility for his team’s alarming decline as pressure mounts following a dismal run of results. With the side currently winless in seven matches across all competitions, including a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como that left them bottom of their table with only three points, Carrick insists he is the right person to reverse their fortunes. Many of whom travelled to Como only to watch their side suffer the heaviest defeat of his reign, he reserved special mention for United’s fans.
Addressing the media on Friday ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Bournemouth, Carrick opened with a candid statement regarding the club’s current standing. He acknowledged that recent performances have been unacceptable, stating, “Recently, we haven’t had a good time. I think that’s pretty obvious. So I totally accept what we’re going through at the moment.” Before taking questions ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home game against Bournemouth, Carrick delivered an emotional opening statement, acknowledging supporters’ frustrations and the scale of the challenge facing him. “We haven’t done well enough lately. To feel how we all felt on Wednesday was a tough moment,” he said, they have to make the effort and the time and money they spend.
The manager reflected on the contrast to the previous campaign, noting that after taking the helm in January 2026 following Ruben Amorim’s departure, he oversaw a successful period that resulted in a top-three finish and Champions League qualification. “We had five months of relative success last season in a spell where I was happy with a lot of things I was seeing and that we were doing as a team,” he remarked, expressing his firm belief that the squad can reclaim that standard. It was a bad night for a lot of reasons. It hurt a lot,” he said. “It obviously hurt me to see us play that way.
Wednesday’s defeat in Italy remains a significant point of frustration for the manager, who described the evening as painful and unacceptable.
The loss only amplified external scrutiny, particularly after captain Bruno Fernandes appeared to criticize the team’s tactical setup following the final whistle. However, Carrick dismissed rumors of internal fractures within the dressing room, choosing to keep his tactical discussions and conversations regarding the captaincy private. Asked whether public criticism from players suggested cracks within the dressing room, Carrick rejected any suggestion the squad was split. He also sidestepped questions over Fernandes’ future as captain and declined to reveal whether he had held talks with the Portugal midfielder following the defeat.
Instead, the former midfielder emphasized that his primary duty is to ensure the team displays an identity the supporters can be proud of.
He admitted that the club has recently drifted away from the principles that defined their earlier success but promised that he is actively working to correct these deficiencies. “My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, represents the supporters and they can be proud of it with the identity that we show,” he explained. “We have gone away from that just recently in certain games, which I’m fully aware of and definitely doing something about.”.
Carrick expressed deep empathy for the travelling fans who witnessed the heavy defeat against Como, noting the time and resources they commit to supporting the team. He compared his current burden as the manager to “holding the umbrella for me to get wet and everyone else to stay dry,” underlining his desire to shield the group from the immediate fallout of their poor form.
Despite mounting speculation linking managers like Antonio Conte to the Old Trafford vacancy, Carrick maintains a defiant outlook. While Conte stated on Friday that he has not engaged in advanced negotiations with any club, the spotlight remains firmly on Carrick’s ability to stabilize United, who sit 13th in the Premier League table with seven points—just one point ahead of 15th-placed Bournemouth. According to former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is among the names linked with United’s managerial job, although the 57-year-old Italian, On Friday he had not had any negotiations “at an advanced stage” wi.
