Michael Carrick may be out of time already after Manchester United's week from hell

Manchester United have made a regular habit of shooting themselves in the foot in the 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford.

Over the past four days, it feels like they've taken a revolver to themselves and worked their way along toe by toe.

It's just a few short months since Michael Carrick, having picked up the pieces from Ruben Amorim's ill-fated tenure, led United back to the Champions League with something to spare.

However, after an underwhelming summer transfer window focused entirely upon midfield additions, United have stumbled haphazardly into the new season.

Amorim, Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all left Old Trafford in mid-season after events began to spin out of their control during the fall. It's hard not to sense history repeating itself at Carrick's expense.

MORE: Man United collapse vs. Brighton in Carabao Cup marks 50-year low point at Old Trafford

Why Michael Carrick may be out of time after Man United collapse vs. Brighton

In the 23rd minute of Sunday's Manchester derby, City attacking midfielder Phil Foden was sent off for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. It gave United more than 70 minutes, including stoppage time, to punish their neighbours, who have started the season well but are still finding their feet under new manager Enzo Maresca. The stage was set for a damaging City humiliation.

United were ponderous on the ball, fell on the wrong side of a howling VAR call and lost 1-0.

In the 10th minute of Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Brighton – a competition they could feasibly win as opposed to the Premier League and Champions League, which are way beyond their capabilities – United were 2-0 up. Academy product Shea Lacey marked his full senior debut with a wonderful goal. Mason Mount doubled the advantage. United then listlessly fell to pieces, defended appallingly and lost 3-2.

To have given away such highly advantageous positions in two matches of such importance after a bad start to the season is an appalling body of work.

There was so much time to win the derby and to see out the Brighton game and Carrick stood impassively as both matches slipped away. Fans leapt on board when he removed the shackles of Amorim's conservative 3-4-3 and United played with recognisable verve.  But, presented with different game situations, which his opposite numbers Enzo Maresca and Fabian Hurzeler manipulated to fine effect, Carrick echoed his predecessor, seeming like a manager without a plan B he trusts to arrest the momentum.

Offside controversies aside, United's defensive line was scrambling for Erling Haaland's winner in the derby after Patrick Dorgu was dragged all the way over from left-back to right-back. The Brighton goals make for an abject compilation of confused, non-committal rubbish. Youngsters Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro were rotated in for cup action, but both are talented players who are far better than what they put forward during the second-half collapse. Whether Diogo Dalot is much better than his performances right now is open for debate. The Portugal international would be taken out of the firing line if United had any sort of serviceable depth at full-back.

This is where we get to things beyond Carrick's control. The reason a few bad results and poor matches in the dugout land so brutally is because the whole club sits on a foundation of sand.

Back in the Champions League, United's board have not given Carrick a squad capable of competing on all fronts. Your Tielemans and Andrey Santos were overrun by a Brighton midfield without Carlos Baleba, who United bought last month to complete their midfield refit. Baleba has not made his debut yet due to injury. The chance to pair the Cameroon international with Kobbie Mainoo cannot come soon enough for Carrick.

Bruno Fernandes is the reigning PFA and FWA Player of the Year but has no elite striker to hit with his passes and has not had a good game outside of the Ipswich rout. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo could be in danger of slipping into the swamp of mediocrity at Old Trafford after strong first seasons. 

The board that holds ultimate responsibility for the construction of this uninspiring squad must also carry the can for relations between United supporters and the club being at a generational low. The latest round of protests against draconian season ticket policies preceded the Manchester derby.

No banners on the Stretford End today apart from this one, as United fans protest the club's ticket policies. Plenty of this sort of fan action across the league over recent years and good to see ✊ pic.twitter.com/fBXPYIDvVA

— Dom Farrell (@DomFarrell1986) September 13, 2026

In between the two wretched losses to City and Brighton, news emerged that the jewel of the United youth system, JJ Gabriel, wanted to leave. So the 15-year-old forward did not make his planned senior debut against Brighton. Lacey did, scoring, kissing the badge and flipping the narrative. But United threw away the chance of a feel-good momentum, like they always do.

MORE: Why Shea Lacey goal meant so much to Man United fans after JJ Gabriel snub

Damning stats behind Man United's awful start to the season

Quite simply, this is a results business and United are way short after six competitive games in the 2026-27 season.

They have won two, against newly promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League minnows Sabah. Their only clean sheet came in the latter game and Carrick's side have conceded at least two in every other match with the exception of the Manchester derby, where City had to operate with reduced numbers for the majority of the match.

The sesaon went off track with the 2-0 loss to Championship playoff winners Hull City on the Premier League's opening weekend and has not returned. United conceded two late equalisers in a 2-2 draw at Everton.

The loss to Brighton was United's first competitive defeat at home in a game where they have been two goals in front since a loss to Tottenham from 2-0 ahead in 1976. It's all cumulatively and suddenly bleak.

The games Carrick must win to save his job

United travel to face Fulham on Sunday. Alvaro Arbeloa's side have taken one point from their first four matches and the Red Devils boast a fine record at Craven Cottage.

Anything other than a victory heading into the international break would be awful for Carrick to absorb at this point.

When Premier League action resumes in October, United host similarly embattled Tottenham in what could become a morbid spectacle. Back in front of the Old Trafford faithful, who still think so fondly of him as a man and a former player, Carrick will have to win.

"We have to be a little bit careful on that one. He's a 15-year-old boy," Carrick told Sky Sports when asked about the Gabriel situation after the Brighton loss. "It's more about the welfare, the care and the attention of JJ as a child really. He's certainly a young man."

It was another glimpse of the generous human qualities that made Carrick such a breath of fresh air at the start of this year. He will continue to fulfil the role with dignity. But for how much longer?