“They maintain…”: Fabrizio Romano explains United’s stance on Carrick after derby defeat

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Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has come under scrutiny following the demoralising 1-0 Premier League defeat at the hands of Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 September. The Red Devils played for more than an hour with a man advantage following Phil Foden’s red card, but failed to penetrate the opposition backline.

The defeat leaves United in 13th place in the league table after four games, in which they have picked up just one win and conceded seven goals. It was the second time that Carrick’s team have failed to score this season, after the opening day 2-0 defeat to Hull City at the MKM Stadium.

The Red Devils secured an impressive 4-0 win over Sabah last week in the Champions League, but that optimism evaporated over the weekend. While the season is still in its nascent stages, the situation is bound to raise questions about Carrick’s position.

Acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on the matter.

United retain faith in Carrick

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano insisted that United remain confident that Carrick is the right man to lead them. He said: “Man Utd absolutely remain convinced that the future will be bright under Michael Carrick.”

“Manchester United absolutely know that maybe the point about the summer transfer window was to add one more player, a left-back. They tried. It was not possible to proceed with the right options.”

“United didn’t want to sign just to say: ‘OK, we signed one.’ They wanted to be convinced about the player they were going to sign, and so that’s why nothing happened.”

“But they maintain total faith and confidence in Michael Carrick. They only have four points in four Premier League games, so obviously this is disappointing in terms of results, but Man Utd remain convinced about that.”

Carrick confident of revival

Romano went on to point out that Carrick also remains confident in his ability to get the season back on track. He added: “Carrick remains absolutely convinced too. What Carrick says in public – ‘We are going to do very well, I am confident, this team is good’ and all the rest – is what he’s saying to the club.”

“Carrick remains absolutely convinced that this team can do very well in the next weeks and months, especially after the break. So that’s the feeling of Michael Carrick.”

Carrick took charge of United in January this year as former head coach Ruben Amorim’s temporary replacement and turned the team into a well-drilled machine. The Red Devils played exciting, front-foot football that kept fans at the edge of their seats and ultimately earned the Englishman the permanent job.

While the Premier League giants bolstered their midfield this summer by signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, they are yet to hit a higher gear so far.

Michael Carrick: Managerial Career Stats

Final Thoughts

United have certainly endured a disappointing start to the campaign, but it is perhaps too soon to hit the panic button. However, things could get complicated for Carrick unless he manages to get the team firing on all cylinders soon.