Manchester United’s worst nightmare has become a reality.
They were full of confidence when they decided to hire Michael Carrick permanently. Deep down, however, supporters believe this could be another Solskjaer situation.
You see, this is the scene at Old Trafford right now. The Red Devils have won just one game all season and are already out of the Carabao Cup.
Carrick is clearly feeling the pressure, but will leadership change?
How Carrick compares to his old Manchester United manager
It’s official. This is United’s worst start to the Premier League since the 2014/15 season, when they took just five points from their opening games.
That was under Louis van Gaal, one of many managers who failed to replicate the dizzying heights of the great Sir Alex Ferguson.
The likes of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have all seen their projects fail and burn down in Manchester. That’s likely to happen to Carrick as well.
In fact, even among these four managers, no one has a worse start to the season.
Manchester United’s worst start since 2010 | |
|---|---|
season | Points after 5 games |
2010/11 | 11 |
2021/22 | 10 |
2016/17 | 9 |
2018/19 | 9 |
2022/23 | 9 |
2019/20 | 8 |
2013/14 | 7 |
2020/21 | 7 |
2024/25 | 7 |
2025/26 | 7 |
2023/24 | 6 |
2014/15 | 5 |
2026/27 | 5 |
The numbers aren’t worth reading, but is Carrick worth the time to turn things around? Well, he showed during his interim spell that he could create a positive feeling within the club.
No team has gained more points from the start of 2026 to the end of the season than Manchester United (41). This is championship-winning form. Now, however, they are relegated. This is a significant change of fortunes and may well require action from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his colleagues.
How Ineos could replace Michael Carrick
So, with United off to their worst start to a Premier League season in more than a decade, those at the top of the food chain must consider their options.
To be honest, tearing up another project doesn’t make much sense. However, the Red Devils did try to give Ruben Amorim time to turn things around but never succeeded.
Although Carrick is a good coach, he still lacks experience in coaching at the top level. Prior to this, his only senior role was in charge of Middlesbrough. That doesn’t sit well with the Manchester United manager.
It feels like they’ve done everything they can to bring back the glory days. They have experienced proven championship-winning coaches such as Mourinho and Ten Hag, while also trying the exciting route of young coaches like Amorim.
Well, maybe it’s time to get back to the days of true elite managers. Luis Enrique will be everyone’s first choice, but after winning two Champions League titles, he won’t be leaving Paris Saint-Germain anytime soon.
The current outlook for the manager market is truly impressive. German Julian Nagelsmann and French icon Didier Deschamps are both available. Italian great Antonio Conte is also a free agent.
last week report Advice from Conte’s homeland The unemployed manager is waiting by the phone for a call from United, suggesting he is desperate to get back to work and take charge at Old Trafford.
The idea of a manager who had screwed things up at Tottenham coming to Manchester United in the circumstances they find themselves in may not be the most attractive proposition, but Conte is a proven winner and, like Mourinho, he has a steely confrontational nature that inspires greatness.
The 57-year-old has won Serie A five times in his career so far, most recently with a historic triumph with Napoli in 2024/25.
Not only was he successful in Italy, but he also proved he could be successful in England, winning the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea. Again, he is the same person as Mourinho in this regard.
In fact, when talking about the two and Guardiola, former Italy international Zambrotta once said: “I think the three of them have similar personalities and are more or less at the same level.”
Do United want more chaos? It could be Conte bringing that with his fiery personality, but it could also be exactly what United need as they try to bring back the days of Sir Alex. He himself is not a yes man. In fact, it can be said that English football has never seen a coach as strict as him.
Carrick, on the other hand, is the opposite. He was like a fish out of water now.