Michael Carrick has matched Manchester United’s lowest Premier League points total after five matches, increasing pressure on his future after a difficult start to the season.
Carrick matches Man Utd’s 12-Year Premier League low as sack pressure grows
Michael Carrick is under increasing pressure after Manchester United matched their worst Premier League start after five matches.
United could only draw 1-1 with Fulham at Craven Cottage after another disappointing performance.
Matheus Cunha scored a late equaliser to rescue a point, but the result did little to reduce the pressure around Carrick.
United now have only five points from their opening five Premier League matches.
Man Utd equal unwanted Premier League record
Manchester United’s record after five league games this season is:
1 win
2 draws
2 defeats
That gives them only five points from a possible 15.
It is the joint-lowest points total United have recorded after five matches in the Premier League era.
The last time they started this badly was in the 2014/15 season under Louis van Gaal.
Carrick matches Van Gaal’s 2014 record
Van Gaal also collected only five points from his first five Premier League games in 2014.
That poor start came during his first season in charge at Old Trafford.
Twelve years later, Carrick has now matched the same unwanted mark.
The comparison adds even more pressure because United were expected to make a stronger start this season.
United’s form has dropped badly
The current numbers look even worse when compared with Carrick’s results last season.
During the previous campaign, United averaged around 2.3 points per Premier League game under Carrick.
This season, that number has fallen to around:
1.0 point per game.
That is a major drop in only a few months.
United have struggled for consistency, intensity and defensive control.
Fulham draw increases the pressure
The 1-1 draw with Fulham came after another difficult week for Carrick.
United had already suffered painful results against Manchester City and Brighton.
Against Fulham, they again looked slow and passive for long periods.
Cunha needed an 89th-minute goal to save United from another defeat.
Without that equaliser, the pressure on Carrick would have been even greater.
Gary Neville attacks United’s performance
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville was furious after the Fulham game.
He criticised several players for their work without the ball and said United looked far too passive.
Neville described part of the second half as one of the worst periods of football he could remember from Manchester United.
He also told Carrick that he needed to stop protecting his players after poor performances.
That criticism has added to the debate around Carrick’s position.
Running statistics create more concern
Post-match statistics also raised questions about United’s intensity.
Fulham reportedly covered around:
116.7 kilometres
United covered approximately:
110.2 kilometres
That is a difference of around:
6.5 kilometres.
Fulham also produced stronger numbers for high-intensity running and sprints.
For critics, those figures showed why United looked second best physically.
Pundit claims Carrick could be sacked by January
The poor run has also led to more discussion about Carrick’s future.
Former Arsenal player Perry Groves has predicted that Carrick may not survive until the middle of the season if results do not improve.
He suggested the United manager could be gone by January.
However, there is an important clarification.
Manchester United have NOT officially announced any decision to sack Carrick.
The January claim is a prediction from a pundit, not confirmation from the club.
Carrick rejects questions about his future
Carrick was already asked about the pressure before the Fulham match.
He described questions about how much time he had left in the job as “ridiculous”.
Carrick said his focus remains on finding solutions and improving United’s performances.
He also defended his players after the Fulham game and did not agree that the team lacked effort.
But the results are making those questions more difficult to avoid.
The next matches could become crucial
United now enter an important period of the season.
The next few matches will give Carrick another opportunity to change the mood around the club.
But another poor run could quickly increase the pressure from supporters, pundits and the media.
United cannot afford to remain near the bottom of their historical Premier League standards for long.
A dangerous moment for Carrick
The situation is now clear.
United have five points from five matches.
They have matched their worst Premier League start at this stage.
The team are being heavily criticised for their intensity.
And questions about Carrick’s future are becoming louder.
There is still no official decision to sack him, but the pressure is clearly growing.
Carrick now needs results.
And he needs them quickly.
Otherwise, a season that has already started badly could become even more difficult for Manchester United.
