Carrick believes United are « not far » from the title race

Michael Carrick believes Manchester United are « not far » from being able to challenge for the Premier League title. The manager has urged the team not to let its present difficulties dominate the picture: in his view, the club should focus on what it can achieve and keep fighting for what he calls a huge objective. He sees a route towards the title conversation, while recognising the scale of the ambition.

That message comes against a difficult immediate backdrop. United are experiencing their worst start to a Premier League season in 40 years. After the defeat against Atlético de Madrid, Lisandro Martínez said the squad had not been strengthened enough during the summer. Some players had also expected greater investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family to launch the season. Carrick nevertheless believes the « Red Devils » are close to entering the contest, « as the critics claim ».

The ambition reaches beyond the current campaign. Two years ago, United chief executive Omar Berrada presented employees at Old Trafford with « Project 150 »: the club’s target was to win the Premier League in 2028, the 150th anniversary of its founding. Asked about that deadline during the summer, Berrada said: « Ideally, we will achieve it next season and, if not, the season after. I think we are in a good position. We have made very good progress on the pitch this season, and we will continue to build on that. »

Carrick argued for a perspective that allows for changing fortunes. Asked whether the 2028 goal was realistic, he recalled that when they arrived in January, his team were a long way from third place, before finishing third. The English press reported those remarks, which underline his call to look beyond the immediate league position.

On « Project 150 », discussed by Berrada and Jason Wilcox when Wilcox was appointed, Carrick described the club’s aim as always striving to win, without fixing a deadline, and pursuing its objectives as quickly as possible. His message is not a promise of a title in the near future; rather, he presents winning the league as a constant demand, despite the difficulties of the moment.