Carrick under pressure after Manchester United draw with Leeds

After a 1-1 draw with Leeds United, Michael Carrick is under pressure as Manchester United manager. Kooora argues that he is repeating the mistakes of his predecessors and that the club is heading, with its eyes closed, towards another lost season.

Carrick tried to revive his side against Leeds by using three defenders and adding strength in midfield, aiming to give the team greater cohesion. The change brought Manchester United a degree of defensive stability, but came at the expense of attacking effectiveness: the team struggled to impose its style or create enough chances to win.

The record after seven Premier League matchdays underlines the difficulties. Manchester United have 7 points, 14 behind leaders Manchester City. The club have also exited the English League Cup in the first round for the second season in a row. Since the season began, they have won only twice: once against Ipswich Town and once against an Azerbaijani team in the Champions League.

The history of previous managers adds to the concern around Carrick. Kooora points to the dismissals of Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag amid poor results and doubts about improvement. An article cited by Kooora describes a recurring pattern at Old Trafford: a difficult start, declining results, public backing from the board, then a dismissal without a fundamental solution to the team’s problems.

Carrick, who was given a two-year contract last May after taking the team back to the Champions League as interim manager from January, remains in charge. There is no confirmation that a similar decision to those involving his predecessors will be made this week. Continued poor results could nevertheless put his future at stake as the pressure grows.

The manager has maintained an optimistic outlook: «There are a lot of things that give cause for optimism, and I think we are still capable of having a very good season.» He has also acknowledged the difficult situation while saying he believes the team can put together a run of positive results.

The coming fixtures could influence the board’s view: Manchester United are due to face Como in the Champions League on Wednesday before hosting Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday. Kooora also draws a comparison with 1986, when Manchester United had 13 points from 13 matches before their manager was dismissed in early November. The club then entered the Alex Ferguson era. Four decades later, the question is whether Carrick can halt the decline or Manchester United will look for a new manager.