Manchester United correspondent Sam Luckhurst published a detailed article discussing the recent match against Tottenham. Carrick entered the press room at Old Trafford on Saturday evening with an alarmingly grim and visibly frustrated expression—though not quite as if walking to the gallows.

After Tottenham equalized with ten men in stoppage time, most of the dejected Manchester United supporters leaving the stadium recognized that the team had stalled and risked complete collapse at any moment.

When the 45-year-old Carrick took over the team in January, he had just returned from a relaxing holiday in Barbados over Christmas and New Year, tanned and refreshed. Now he appears exhausted and worn down, with gray showing at his temples. This transformation befalls every manager.

Carrick, who took over Manchester United in January

As the seasons change, Manchester's weather seems to wear down the embattled managers of Manchester United, leaving them looking particularly exhausted and troubled.

We all know how this will ultimately end.

It is only a matter of when Carrick departs, not if. The manager is fully aware of his situation and has long been braced for this inevitable outcome.

This is no hasty judgment. Manchester United has now drawn 1-1 in consecutive matches against opponents who were bottom of the table at kickoff. Last month saw a 1-1 draw away at Fulham; now against Tottenham, Manchester United again failed to win, and their performance was worse.

Compounding matters, Manchester United had gone ahead 1-0 through Mbeumo's goal, and Tottenham midfielder Bentancur was sent off in the 78th minute for headbutting Luke Shaw. Yet Manchester United could not hold the lead.

Solanke's equalizer in the dying moments, almost at the final whistle, was a deserved reward for visiting Tottenham.

The day before the match, Carrick said Manchester United needed to show more "fire." But Carrick is arguably Manchester United's least passionate manager since Dave Sexton. While such words may read as inspiring on paper, they lacked real motivational force for the team.

It is little wonder, then, that Manchester United lacked intensity against Tottenham.

Carrick disagreed, however. He explained: "No, I don't think that's the issue here. The final result certainly makes it look that way, and I understand why you'd say it. We didn't want to start the game like that—nobody does. It was a difficult match for the players, but they worked hard to overcome the difficulties and get themselves into a good position. What's most disappointing is precisely that we couldn't maintain the lead."

In the opening match of the season, Manchester United lost 0-2 to promoted Hull City—a dire performance that set an ominous tone for Carrick's tenure. Since then, Manchester United has never truly escaped that shadow.

Following the collapse against Brighton in the League Cup, Carrick's position became irreparably damaged. As a former accomplished midfielder, Carrick has consistently failed to establish a suitable starting midfield formation for Manchester United.

In pre-season, Carrick called André Santos his "dream player," yet since the disastrous Hull City match, Santos has not received another starting opportunity.

Youri Tielemans, originally signed from Aston Villa after the Ederson deal fell through, now looks considerably older than his actual 29 years. Manchester United cannot claim to have been caught off guard. Tielemans himself had previously admitted his body "switched off" during the World Cup.

The team's start has been so poor that they almost miss the overrated Casemiro. The 34-year-old veteran has since moved to Major League Soccer and enjoys a semi-retired existence in Miami. It was telling that when his replacement Baleba came on in the second half against Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham, the team's performance temporarily improved.

Santos, whom Chelsea bought for £50 million, now regularly sits on the bench. That transfer was questionable from the start, but that is not Carrick's responsibility.

Sporting Director Jason Wilcox appears somewhat ill-suited for the role and ultimately took the path of least resistance: simply giving Carrick a title change. The decision is understandable, but better managerial candidates were available at the time.

Manchester United finished last season in third place with strong momentum, but ultimately opted to make the compliant interim manager permanent—a convenient choice. While Manchester United's transfer window business was unremarkable and even disappointing, the squad strength at the end of the transfer window was still superior to the end of last season.

The manager is, of course, responsible for team performance, but nearly every player has disappointed Carrick. Goalkeeper Ramsdale's form has declined, Harry Maguire appears lethargic, Kobbie Mainoo plays slowly, and Bruno Fernandes' performance has deteriorated steadily, as if regressing to the desperate low point the team experienced during Ralf Rangnick's five months as interim manager.

Carrick has never been one to shift blame. He emphasized: "No, I don't feel let down by the players. Mistakes are inevitable in football, and difficult situations will always arise. I made mistakes during my playing career, but when players make errors, I don't feel let down by them."

"We all need to help each other and improve together. And my responsibility is to help them and lead them out of this difficult situation."

If Carrick could act with the resolve these words suggest, it might be a good start. But now it seems too late.

Übersetzt von KI.

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