According to Sky Sports, Carrick needs to address Manchester United's left-back problem and guide the team out of a slump when facing Fulham away from home.

Manchester United's defeat to Grimsby in the second round of the Carabao Cup last season remains fresh in many minds and became a defining moment during Ruben Amorim's tenure. Although United's home loss to Brighton on Wednesday was not as shocking, there are uncomfortable parallels between the two defeats for Carrick, who has replaced Amorim.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes acknowledged after the match that the team stopped playing after falling 2-0 behind, which was evident in their performance. From the 20th minute onwards, Brighton gradually took control, and the trajectory of the match became increasingly clear. Despite Carrick introducing Bruno Fernandes, Mainoo, Mbeumo and Cunha, United failed to create enough threat. This is Carrick's real concern.

Since returning to the club in January, Carrick has consistently defended his players after defeats or sought positives in performances, but there was nothing to salvage from United's display against Brighton.

When Carrick and his coaching staff first took over, the team built a solid defensive foundation and used it to beat Manchester City and Arsenal. The arrivals of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans led to rapid defensive improvements.

However, the fragility of United's defence this season must now be questioned. Carrick's side has conceded two or more goals in three of their four Premier League matches. The defence was exposed again in the Brighton defeat. Although one goal came from a Karl Darlow error, positioning and coordination among the defensive line have lacked consistency beyond those lapses.

The left-back position is clearly a problem Carrick needs to solve. True to form, he has not publicly acknowledged to the media that this is a weakness, but it is a serious issue that United's leadership recognised before the summer transfer window opened.

Luke Shaw is United's only experienced left-back, but he has missed recent matches with a minor injury. Given his age and injury history, despite performing well last season, United's failure to reinforce the left-back position appears insufficiently cautious.

Carrick has attempted to deploy Mazraoui at left-back, but the player appears to have fallen out of favour. In United's Manchester derby defeat, Joško Gvardiol was preferred. Young left-back Harry Amass also does not appear to be a long-term solution for the team at this position.

With the season only weeks old, it may be too early to discuss Carrick's future. Since returning in January, United have accumulated more points than any other team in the league during the same period.

However, as Carrick himself has acknowledged, Everton's equaliser from Maitland-Niles, Manchester City's goal following a controversial VAR decision, and now Brighton's dominance have changed the narrative entirely. If United lose to Fulham away on Sunday, inevitable questions about whether Carrick can lead the team out of trouble will become unavoidable and significantly more difficult.

Carrick certainly deserves sympathy, as the squad he inherited had many problems. United's failure to move players out during the summer window has limited the team's ability to strengthen, but is that sufficient justification for the club's neglect in reinforcing key positions?

The left-back position should have been strengthened. With Sesko struggling with a leg injury throughout the summer, United perhaps should have brought in a temporary striker to share the load, rather than having Mbeumo and Cunha play out of position. Both have struggled to recapture their form from last season under Carrick.

Ultimately, until United can genuinely restructure the squad through the transfer market, the team will remain trapped in this cycle: limited reinforcements while retaining players from the previous manager's tenure. This may explain why Old Trafford was restless after United's Brighton defeat. The frustration was not only directed at that match's performance, but may also stem from a familiar feeling that a similar cycle is beginning anew—another false hope following the optimism a new manager brings.

It is still too early to draw conclusions. Carrick's achievements last season give him credit in the bank, but he must address immediate problems, and ultimately he will be held accountable.

If Carrick can prevent further deterioration—even if United don't beat Fulham, as long as they show a positive performance—time could still help him guide the team back on track.

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