Michael Carrick, manager of Manchester United, looks on during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the London Stadium in Stratford, United Kingdom, on February 10, 2026. (Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto) (Photo by MI News / NurPhoto via AFP)
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has admitted that the club have fallen below expectations following a disappointing run of results, insisting that the team must rediscover the values and identity that have defined the club for years.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, Carrick made the remarks during a pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The United boss spoke at length about the team’s recent struggles, admitting that Wednesday’s 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como was particularly painful and unacceptable.
“Recently we haven’t had a good time, I think that’s pretty obvious,” Carrick said.
“Wednesday was a bad night, and it hurt me to see us play like that. It was unacceptable.”
United’s poor form has increased pressure on Carrick, with the team enduring a run of seven games without a win. The situation has also been compounded by criticism from within the squad, including defender Lisandro Martinez’s reported comments about the club’s hierarchy and captain Bruno Fernandes’ criticism of Carrick’s tactics following the defeat in Italy.
Addressing the standards expected at Old Trafford, Carrick said his responsibility was to ensure that the team represented the club in a manner that supporters could be proud of.
“My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, and the supporters, and they can be proud of in the identity we show,” he said.
“We have gone away from that recently. We all must recognise that.”
The former United midfielder also stressed the importance of humility, resilience and hard work, warning that the club must not abandon the principles that have shaped its history.
“The foundation and values of this football club have been etched for many years. I totally understand and get every single one of them,” Carrick added.
“There’s a resilience about this football club that runs very deep. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, I’ve felt it, I know some of the individuals closely who have been a big part of that history.”
He further insisted that entitlement had no place at Manchester United, emphasising the need for players and staff to remain committed to the club’s traditional values.
“Entitlement cannot be at this football club.
“It was based on being humble, having humility, and hard work. We can never lose that, and I won’t let us lose that.”
Meanwhile, Carrick refused to rule out dropping Fernandes for Sunday’s encounter with Bournemouth when asked whether he had considered leaving the Portuguese midfielder out of the starting line-up.
“The most important thing for me is the team, the squad and dynamics in the squad,” he said.
“It’s about the football club. I’ll always do what is best for the football club.”
Carrick will now look to guide United back to winning ways against Bournemouth as pressure mounts on the manager to improve results and restore confidence within the squad.