Manchester United’s form this season has been poor, to say the least, and naturally, Michael Carrick’s position is now under threat.
The Red Devils have won only one game in the Premier League so far, losing two, including a controversial defeat against the ten men of Manchester City.
When Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim last season, he gave the United players the confidence and freedom to play instead of operating within a rigid system.
Among the changes he implemented was offering the players more rest on non-matchdays and reducing the training workload, both of which led to an improved mood among the squad.
United struggling physically
The warning signs were there, as the waning physical effects became apparent during the closing stages of the previous campaign, when the 20-time English league champions struggled to dominate games as they did in the first month of Carrick’s reign.
Those problems have been amplified multifold this term, with United looking unfit as the opposition continue to dominate them fitness-wise.
Manchester United in the PL this season:
– 14th in distance covered
– 18th in sprints
– 19th in high-speed runs
– 18th in sprints per km covered
– 19th in high-speed runs per km covered[sky] pic.twitter.com/xy5in8mQlW
— utdreport (@utdreport) September 17, 2026
Hull City tore United apart in the opener, while Everton grabbed a last-gasp draw due to the Old Trafford side sitting deeper and deeper.
On Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion ran rings around the home side, with most United players struggling to keep up. Not to mention the derby defeat.
Damning stats
Sky Sports have produced a damning list of statistics which shows how much the team have struggled this season.
United rank 14th in total running distance, 18th when it comes to the number of sprints, and 19th for high-speed runs.
Even worse, the team ranks 18th in sprints per kilometer and 19th in high-speed runs per kilometre.
Before the season kicked off, Youri Tielemans had claimed that the focus during pre-season was mainly on ball-work instead of running.
Carrick’s methods not working
Clearly, that is showing now. Carrick’s methods are not working and if United fail to beat Fulham on Sunday, INEOS need to take a call soon.
They are not devoid of blame either given the horrendous summer window, but it is likely that the axe will fall on Carrick instead of them.
Feature image Molly Darlington via Getty Images
