Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Michael Carrick was given a perfectly good opportunity to make an excuse for Manchester United but he turned it down immediately.
In what is Michael Carrick’s first full season as Manchester United manager, it has been a fairly underwhelming start to the 2026/27 season.
United have won just one of their opening three Premier League games, and that is despite Carrick being handed an easy start on paper with the fixtures.
Things will only grow more difficult as United begin their Champions League matches and start playing twice a week. However, fixture congestion is not a concern for Carrick.
Everton v Manchester United - Premier League 2026/27
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Michael Carrick refuses to complain about scheduling
On Thursday evening, United kick off their Champions League group phase with a match against Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK.
With just two days of rest between, United then face Manchester City at Old Trafford in the Premier League. In comparison, City will have had four days to rest after facing Porto on Tuesday in the Champions League.
Sunday 13th September Premier League
Carrick spoke in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday but refused to make any complaints about United’s schedule.
When asked about the tight turnaround between matches he replied: “I’m not concerned. It’s not ideal, but it’s not something we can do much about. We’ve got to deal with the cards we were dealt.”
Michael Carrick’s response sends bold message to Man United squad
Carrick was quick to dismiss the fixture schedule as a problem when it was a perfectly good opportunity to complain about the lack of rest.
Other managers, including many of Carrick’s predecessors and rivals have taken similar opportunities to complain.
But Carrick, in his typically calm manner, was dismissive and refocused the conversation on the match against Sabah.
READ MORE: Jose Mourinho has given Carrick the template to succeed in Champions League, Maguire will be key
A dismissive comment may seem insignificant, but it sends a clear message back to the first-team squad:
No excuses.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Carrick was used to playing regularly, competing on four fronts and challenging for every trophy. That is where United are trying to get back to, and making excuses about scheduling only lowers what is expected from performances.