During the final two weeks of the international break, attention in the Premier League was directed elsewhere, giving Manchester United a welcome period of calm. Had Manchester City not been dealing with its own problems, Michael Carrick might have faced greater scrutiny, especially after United’s opening five matches of the campaign.
United are languishing in 12th place with only one league victory, but their next opponents are enduring an even worse start. Tottenham arrive at Old Trafford on Saturday evening sitting bottom of the table, with both clubs searching for a result that could revive their seasons. Spurs have collected just two points despite investing £300m in Roberto De Zerbi’s summer rebuild, and confidence in the project is already beginning to fade. For Carrick, defeating the league’s lowest-ranked side is almost essential before United enter a demanding sequence of matches.
October presents United with major challenges both in theory and in practice. They face six fixtures during the month, including trips to Leeds, Atlético Madrid, Como and Chelsea. Each opponent offers a different tactical test, making the home encounter with Spurs particularly important. Bournemouth at Old Trafford appears to be the only other relatively manageable assignment. Carrick earned considerable goodwill through his work during the second half of last season and should receive time to improve the team, particularly because the club wants to avoid another managerial change midway through a campaign. Even so, United must finish October in a stronger position, and that will demand a substantial rise in performance levels.
Carrick can point to several fine margins when assessing the season so far. The opening defeat at Hull was poor and deserved criticism, but United later overcame Ipswich, while the derby ended in a narrow and disputed loss between two draws. The central issue is their lack of efficiency at both ends of the pitch. No Premier League team has allowed fewer opposing touches inside its penalty area, yet United remain the only side without a clean sheet. They have also recorded the most touches in opposition boxes but repeatedly fail to turn that pressure into decisive goals.
Like Tottenham, United regularly control possession and average about 60% of the ball per game, but that dominance has not produced enough goals or points. Even in the win over Ipswich, they struggled to maintain composure throughout the full match and needed Bruno Fernandes to carry them past the newly promoted team. The attacking players have yet to develop a strong understanding, while Matheus Cunha, selected to lead the attack, has scored only once, with that effort taking a significant deflection.
No United player has registered more than one assist, while Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo are the only members of the squad to have scored at least twice. The Portuguese midfielder claimed three goals against Ipswich. Marcus Rashford has occasionally looked dangerous from the left but has yet to contribute a goal or assist, suggesting he still needs to rebuild his confidence after returning to a club where he had been out of favour for 18 months. Benjamin Sesko cannot provide a conventional option at centre-forward because of injury, and Joshua Zirkzee has not established himself as a convincing alternative. Despite those problems, United have still been far more productive than Tottenham, whose only league goals came during a 3-2 loss to Aston Villa shortly before the international break.
The defeat against a 10-man Manchester City side was United’s most alarming result, underlining the distance between them and Champions League-level opposition. Phil Foden’s dismissal created additional room for Carrick’s team, but they failed to exploit it. Their play became slow and predictable, with very little attacking threat. United are capable of controlling the ball without truly controlling matches, a pattern that creates optimism and irritation in equal measure.
The summer recruitment strategy, which brought in a free-transfer goalkeeper and three central midfielders, is attracting almost as much attention as Carrick’s tactical approach. Carlos Baleba is finally close to making his debut after completing a £65m move from Brighton in August. Carrick urgently needs the midfielder to inject energy into an area that has looked short of dynamism. Now recovered from an ankle problem, the Cameroon international possesses the defensive qualities required to disrupt the attacks that have repeatedly resulted in goals against United.
Sesko is not the only player affected by fitness issues. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford were unavailable for England, while Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui returned early from international duty. Matthijs de Ligt has gone 10 months without playing a competitive match, and Amad Diallo has not appeared at all this season.
Carrick’s run of 12 victories in 17 matches after taking temporary charge in January demonstrated clear progress from both individuals and the team. However, several players must soon prove they can move beyond their current limitations. With spending power restricted, United need to find improvement from within the existing squad and academy. More youth players have trained with the senior group in recent weeks, and Noah Ajayi has reportedly impressed coaches Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate. Several academy prospects could make their first-team debuts before the campaign ends, which would reflect Carrick’s longer-term plans. Ultimately, though, results will determine whether he receives enough time to put that vision into practice.
United badly need a turning point, and if it does not arrive against Tottenham this weekend, Carrick may approach the end of October with growing concern.
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