Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images
Photo by James Fearn/Getty Images
Manchester United travel to face Fulham in the Premier League, with both managers under fire heading into an extended international break.
The start of the 2026/27 season went from bad to worse for Manchester United midweek. Michael Carrick came under more pressure following a 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, which means the Reds have managed just two wins from their first six matches.
That sort of form doesn’t breathe confidence. Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa knows that because his team sit in the relegation zone, yet to win a Premier League match this season.
It goes without saying that both coaches are under immense pressure. That said, there’s no comparison, no matter how hard Arbeloa tries to argue there’s one ahead of their first encounter as managers.
Getty Images
Alvaro Arbeloa makes Michael Carrick ‘pressure’ claim
United have a chance to get back to winning ways against Fulham, after losing their last two matches against Man City and Brighton. Fulham go into the game after gaining their first point of the season against Liverpool and progressing in the Carabao Cup after a hard-fought win over West Ham.
These results have both managers mentioned in columns focusing on who will be the first Premier League coach sacked this season. They are joined by Coventry City’s Frank Lampard, Tottenham’s Roberto De Zerbi, and Pierre Sage at Crystal Palace.
In Arbeloa’s pre-match press conference before hosting United at Craven Cottage, the former Liverpool full-back acknowledged the pressure on Carrick and compared it to the pressure he is facing at Fulham.
“Every Premier League manager is under pressure,” Arbeloa said on Friday.
“It’s not because [of] what comes from outside, it’s because you have to be really demanding of yourself. All the managers want to win every weekend.
“For sure, when you are a coach of a big team you are always under pressure, but same for me because I need to win games. Both teams will want to win the game on Sunday, so it’s going to be a good battle.”
⚡️ KEY TAKEAWAYS
Alvaro Arbeloa was empathetic toward Michael Carrick
The Fulham coach believes all Premier League mangers are under pressure
Pressure at Manchester United is very different to the pressure he’s experiencing at Craven Cottage
Even though Arbeloa has managed Real Madrid, albeit briefly, in the past, it’s baffling to hear him downplay the pressure Carrick is facing by comparing it to the current situation at Fulham – or any other English club, for that matter.
While Arbeloa took an empathetic stance toward Carrick’s situation, the comparison is like chalk and cheese. The United head coach is operating under intense global media coverage. Dropping points against Hull City and Everton, and losing in the Carabao Cup third round to Brighton, creates immediate crisis talks.
On the other hand, the pressure at Craven Cottage is much smaller. He’s under intense pressure because of relegation fears after starting the season without a single win.
The problem Arbeloa has is that there’s zero evidence that he is a good manager, but it should be noted that they’ve had a difficult start to the campaign with games against Chelsea, Liverpool, and now United.
Arbeloa shouldn’t need reminding that United are a global powerhouse, unlike Fulham.