Man Utd Round-Up, Monday 12th October: Carrick Under Pressure as Injury Crisis Deepens Ahead of Atletico Madrid Trip
Michael Carrick's position is under intense scrutiny after a poor run of results, with United having won just one of their last five matches, including defeat to 10-man Manchester City and a League Cup exit to Brighton (TeamTalk). Paul Merson believes it is now a "nightmare week" for Carrick and has analysed potential replacements (TeamTalk) (Sky Sports), while Emmanuel Petit claims the body language of United's players suggests they have given up on their head coach (talkSPORT). Pundits have also been damning in their assessments following the 1-1 draw with Tottenham, with Jamie Carragher warning things "could get very messy, very quickly" after analysing United's lack of intensity in the press (Sky Sports), and Sky Sports separately dissecting a viral clip exposing the side's pressing problems (Sky Sports). Wayne Rooney has identified the distance United's players cover in matches as a key issue Carrick must address (Evening Standard), while further critical verdicts have been delivered on the head coach ahead of a pivotal week (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). Manchester Evening News also report that Carrick faces a gruelling run of eight matches as he fights to save his job (Manchester Evening News). Despite the pressure, Carrick insists he needs more time, delivering a passionate plea to the club's hierarchy while drawing a comparison with Diego Simeone (Manchester Evening News), and has publicly backed his side to bounce back in the Champions League (ESPN). There are also reports suggesting Carrick could make a U-turn amid ongoing talks over JJ Gabriel's situation (Manchester Evening News).
United face a mounting injury crisis ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo were both missing from Monday's training session, raising fresh doubts over their involvement in Madrid (Evening Standard) (Evening Standard) (Manchester Evening News). Noussair Mazraoui is also a doubt after picking up a knock on international duty with Morocco that already kept him out of the Tottenham draw (Evening Standard), while further updates have emerged on Benjamin Sesko, Dorgu, Mazraoui, Shaw and Mainoo (Evening Standard) (Manchester Evening News). Two more players have been ruled out of the Atletico game altogether, though Carrick has moved to ease concerns over Bruno Fernandes (Manchester Evening News). On a more positive note, Carrick has given an upbeat update on De Ligt's fitness (ManUtd.com). Elsewhere, Rodrigo Bentancur's red card for violent conduct in the Tottenham draw has been assessed, alongside United's handling of Luke Shaw's role in the incident (Manchester Evening News).
Diego Simeone has praised United ahead of the meeting, insisting his side expect an "aggressive" opponent and that United are "still creating danger" despite their league struggles (Evening Standard) (ESPN). An Atletico player has also paid tribute to United, describing something as "Amazing" (Manchester Evening News). Team news and squad updates from Carrington and Madrid have been published ahead of kick-off (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com) (ManUtd.com) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News).
On the transfer front, TeamTalk report United are showing serious interest in an £84m Bayern Munich target as competition grows with Manchester City, alongside claims that Antonio Conte could be edging closer to replacing Carrick (TeamTalk). Fulham are also said to have no intention of selling Josh King in January despite growing United interest, according to TeamTalk (TeamTalk). JJ Gabriel's future remains uncertain, with reports suggesting he could leave in January amid interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona (Manchester Evening News).
Away from the pitch, Kobbie Mainoo has spoken of his dream to see United competing for major trophies again (Evening Standard), while also reflecting on what he learned from Ruben Amorim during his time at Old Trafford (Manchester Evening News). Mainoo also told Clarence Seedorf of his desire to "win a lot" at the club (ManUtd.com), with Seedorf himself set to manage two former United players (ManUtd.com). Wayne Rooney has further commented on the Manchester City 115 charges situation, doubling down on his stance regarding potential title stripping (Manchester Evening News), a topic on which Paul Pogba also offered his reaction and "hope" (Manchester Evening News).
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