Michael Carrick has overseen United's joint-worst start to a Premier League season.
Michael Carrick has endured a dismal start to the season at Old Trafford
Michael Carrick has endured a dismal start to the season at Old Trafford (Image: Getty)
Michael Carrick has been handed a brutal reality check after overseeing Manchester United's joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign. So much so, even Brentford and Everton have humiliated the Red Devils. United have claimed five points from as many matches with just one win on the board, leaving them firmly in the bottom half of the table.
Their poor form has ramped up the pressure on Carrick to fix things quickly or risk being axed. There was plenty of optimism when the 45-year-old was appointed permanently in the summer, having led United to a third-placed finish last season. However, that optimism has now completely evaporated, with the Red Devils already 10 points adrift of early leaders Manchester City.
United would have hoped to challenge near the very top of the table this season, but that possibility already looks to have ended after only five fixtures.
According to Opta projections, they have just a 0.9 per cent chance of winning the Premier League title, leaving them behind the likes of Brentford (1.2 per cent) and Everton (1.1 per cent).
It's a major reality check for United, who spent heavily to rebuild their midfield during the summer window but neglected other key areas.
They failed to sign a left-back to provide cover for the injury-prone Luke Shaw, which has forced Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu to deputise there instead.
United were so desperate to add a left-sided defender that they reportedly asked Manchester City about the availability of Rayan Ait-Nouri in the final hours of the window, only to receive a firm no.
They were also unable to land another striker despite being linked with a host of big names, including Victor Osimhen, Nicolo Tresoldi and Dusan Vlahovic.
United only have a 0.9 per cent chance of winning the title this season
United only have a 0.9 per cent chance of winning the title this season (Image: Getty)
Despite their obvious shortcomings, Carrick has refused to admit that his United side are out of sorts, insisting they performed well in their lacklustre draw against Fulham on the weekend.
Speaking after the final whistle, he said: "I was quite happy with the way we finished the game. I thought we finished the game really strongly actually and we kept pushing.
"That's a big thing, without getting carried away with it, because we've taken a point and we wanted to win, but it's part of learning as a group.
"How we respond, what it looks like moving forward, what our reaction is, all that. That's part of growing as a group.
"Definitely today it could have gone in a different direction, 100 per cent, it could have. I was really pleased with the response and I think that'll help us a lot moving forward."
United will face bottom side Tottenham in their next Premier League game after the extended three-week international break.
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