In the sixth round of the Premier League, Manchester United drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at home, securing only one victory in the Premier League this season. During and after the match, boos echoed around Manchester United's stadium. The Athletic reported that Manchester United fans are losing confidence in Carrick and the club's team-building strategy.

According to the report, two instances of fan reaction from the stands during Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur perfectly illustrate the complex emotions supporters currently feel about the club.

In the 23rd minute, a long pass from goalkeeper Senne Lammens went out of play, conceding a throw-in to Tottenham Hotspur, and boos erupted from the stands. On its own, this reaction might seem excessive, but it is understandable given the context of the match: Manchester United was unable to maintain possession and was repeatedly outplayed by their opponent, while Tottenham Hotspur, visiting Old Trafford, had won none of their opening five Premier League matches this season.

In the third minute of the match, Lammens attempted a short pass to Kobbie Mainoo but it was intercepted by Lucas Bergvall, giving Tottenham Hotspur's forward Dominic Solanke a one-on-one opportunity, which Lammens fortunately saved with great effort. Following this incident, under Tottenham's high press, Manchester United players frequently resorted to long balls. The team appeared nervous, and more concerning was the inherent lack of composure.

By midway through the first half, Manchester United had completed only 70 passes, while their opponents Tottenham Hotspur had 170—a striking difference. (Manchester United's performance improved in the second half, completing 389 passes in total, just one fewer than Tottenham Hotspur.) At halftime, Tottenham Hotspur had 9 sequences of 9 or more consecutive passes, while Manchester United had only 6. Tottenham Hotspur's average attacking starting position was 50.8 metres, compared to Manchester United's 38.2 metres. The figure of 50.8 metres was the highest recorded by any visiting team at Old Trafford in the first half this season.

So when Luke Shaw played the ball back and fans booed Lammens' long clearance, it was not merely dissatisfaction with his distribution, but also questioning of his decision-making. A minute earlier, the Belgian goalkeeper had sent a long pass directly to Tottenham's centre-back Lisandro Martinez, with all Manchester United players remaining in their own half, leaving large spaces open for the opponent. Lammels chose the long ball this time because he had just seen Harry Maguire's midfield pass to Mainoo intercepted again by Bergvall, and he was simply seeking safety.

Matheus Cunha felt the fans' discontent and, after dispossessing Van Hecke, somewhat angrily appealed to the stands for their support, but received a mixture of applause and boos.

The second notable sound from Manchester United fans came in the 59th minute: Carlos Baleba came on as a substitute. Thousands of supporters throughout the stadium rose to their feet, applauding loudly and cheering enthusiastically, welcoming the summer signing back from injury like the return of a hero. This passionate display of affection reflected both fans' urgent desire for a turnaround and their hope that the team under manager Carrick would show a new face.

Baleba was indeed a symbol of that change. The former Brighton midfielder possesses excellent athleticism and an active running style. Although this was his official debut for the club and he had been sidelined for five months with a long-term injury, fans' expectations of him remained undiminished.

His introduction had an immediate impact: he evaded a marker and delivered a curled pass to Bruno Fernandes on the wing. He then created the buildup to Bryan Mbeumo's involvement, breaking up a loose ball to play it left again. In the 86th minute, he played a through ball, creating an excellent chance for Mbeumo—according to Opta statistics, this was Manchester United's only high-quality chance of the entire match, leaving fans with great hope for his future performances.

Baleba made 12 defensive actions throughout the match, including 2 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 6 ball recoveries, ranking seventh overall. At full-time, some of his riskier passes did not find teammates, but his performance deserved the warm reception from supporters, prompting the question: why was he the third midfielder signed in the summer transfer window, and not the first choice?

The 22-year-old Cameroon international suffered an ankle injury during a pre-season match while still at Brighton. In fact, Manchester United had the opportunity to sign him when the transfer window opened, but the club first brought in two other midfielders: Tielemans and André Santos. The latter has been on the bench for the last three consecutive Premier League matches and did not feature in this one either.

Tielemans possesses refined ball-control skills, but his weakness in covering ground and running capacity were again exposed in the match against Tottenham Hotspur. In the first half, right-back Archie Gray advanced with the ball for 20 yards, easily bypassing him, forcing Mbeumo to commit a foul to stop him. In the second half, Gray carried the ball 60 yards without opposition, running directly past Tielemans and creating a 4v5 situation for Tottenham Hotspur just outside the area.

Although Tielemans made a match-high 18 defensive contributions, this game once again confirmed underlying concerns about his fitness. In a pre-season interview, Tielemans discussed his training focus with Rio Ferdinand: "After the World Cup, there won't be much scheduled running training."

Bruno Fernandes missed one of Portugal's matches during the international break but played the full 90 minutes in all three remaining games. Back in club action, he repeatedly went to ground to manage his condition during this match, clearly showing a significant accumulation of fatigue.

With Sesko's injury status uncertain heading into the final stages, the team's attacking options became limited. Bruno frequently pushed forward into the striker position, while Joshua Zirkzee dropped back to play as an attacking midfielder. This situation also prompted a reassessment: was the decision not to strengthen the attack specifically this summer a wise one?

Tottenham Hotspur played with a man down from the 78th minute, but rather than retreating into a defensive shape, their attacks became stronger in the closing stages. Solanke's equaliser was deserved; it was his second encounter with Lisandro Martinez in the match, where he consistently had the physical advantage, exploiting a defensive gap to convert a chance.

When the final whistle sounded, boos arrived as expected, as they had at half-time. While disagreements between fans and the club over ticket policies certainly played a role, the boos stemmed primarily from the team's poor performance.

When former manager Rúben Amorim led the team through a difficult period, fans still sang his name, almost as a form of rebellious support. Manchester United fans have always been willing to back their manager. And Carrick is precisely the transformational leader fans in the stands hope for.

The tense atmosphere at Old Trafford indicates that fans are losing confidence in Carrick and the club's team-building philosophy. Despite his illustrious playing career at Manchester United, Carrick as manager has yet to earn a dedicated chant from supporters.

Fans can only sing his old songs from his playing days, comparing him to Scholes, which in the current context feels outdated.

That song also spoke of Carrick's inherent magic. From January to May last year, it was under his leadership that the team qualified for the Champions League, and this week they will travel to Madrid to face Atlético.

But what fans want to see is the Manchester United team that Carrick once captained—full of courage and vitality.

Traduzido por IA.

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