Michael Carrick Relishing Opportunity of Man Utd’s 40-Year Low

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick admitted he is looking forward to seeing which players in his squad are “really there” as they seek to fight through a miserable start to the season.

Saturday’s 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur saw United sink to their worst start to a top-flight season in 40 years, and life gets no easier for the Red Devils as they prepare to play Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Victory over Sabah on Sept. 10 in the first round of Champions League fixtures was one of just two wins picked up by United so far this season and Carrick’s side are staring at the possibility of going five matches without victory ahead of a daunting trip to the Metropolitano.

Man Utd’s First Six Premier League Games (This Season and Previous Two)

“I love this part, sometimes when it’s not quite going for you, you see who’s really there, you see within the group, the players, the squad, the club, who’s really there and who wants to be here for the long term,” Carrick told his prematch press conference.

“[You see who is] really attached to it and [who it] really means something [to].

“The supporters are there, they’re desperate for it, and we’ve got to give them something. I think you’ve got to embrace the challenges to get to where you want to be. We’re right there now in the middle of it, but totally believe that we’ll work through it.”

When Was the Last Time Man Utd Went Five Games Without a Win?

This current slump is far from the vibe enjoyed by Carrick during his first sixth months at the helm, when a stunning second half of the 2025–26 campaign left many questioning what took United so long to make him their permanent manager.

United never went more than two games without a victory during Carrick’s interim stint but have clearly blown past that unwanted benchmark now and are fighting to avoid hitting five games without a positive result.

To go five matches without a win sounds almost impossible for a club the size of United, but in reality, the Red Devils’ mixed fortunes over the past few years means it was not too long ago that the players were enduring such a miserable run.

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It was only back in January 2025 that Ruben Amorim’s side went winless in five matches. Consecutive defeats against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United meant there was significant surprise to see United end that run with a 2–2 draw away at Liverpool.

That was actually the second time that season that United failed to win in five. Erik ten Hag, Amorim’s predecessor, endured his own miserable stretch just three months earlier and managed just three more matches before being fired. Carrick is battling to avoid the same fate.

“Of course we hoped for a lot more, we’ve expected a lot more,” he admitted. “But I was well aware of the chances of going in that direction. Winning as many games as we had, there was going to be a period when it was going to become a little bit more challenging and a little bit sticky.”