Man Utd Week in Review, Monday 12th October: Carrick Under Huge Pressure After Late Spurs Draw Leaves United's Worst Start in 40 Years
United's week was dominated by mounting pressure on Michael Carrick after a troubled run before the international break left the club facing a vital run of fixtures (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News) (Sky Sports). That pressure only intensified at the weekend when a 10-man Tottenham side snatched a stoppage-time equaliser through Dominic Solanke to leave the game at Old Trafford finishing 1-1, despite Bryan Mbeumo having put United ahead (ESPN) (Evening Standard) (Sky Sports) (BBC Sport). The result means United have now made their worst start to a league season in 40 years, with BBC Sport describing it as a "worrying day" for Carrick amid boos and fading belief from supporters, while ESPN and talkSPORT both felt the inability to beat ten men summed up the trouble the manager is in (ESPN) (talkSPORT) (BBC Sport) (Manchester Evening News).
The fallout from the Spurs draw was significant. Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for headbutting Luke Shaw, with Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi defending the decision but praising his player's "reaction" (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport). Senne Lammens admitted there was "a lot to learn" from the game and said he had been struggling at times, with Gary Neville spotting an X-rated message from the goalkeeper to a teammate (Manchester Evening News) (ManUtd.com). Lammens also revealed what Carrick had 'hammered' the squad over after the game and said United will look to get the "sour" taste out of their mouths before travelling to face Atlético Madrid (ESPN) (Manchester Evening News). Pundit Danny Murphy felt United's midfield simply couldn't control the game (BBC Sport), while Gary Neville said he had 'seen enough' of the Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo pairing, also pointing some blame at captain Bruno Fernandes (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). talkSPORT's Henry Winter went further, arguing Tielemans must be dropped as United pay the price for a "shambolic" transfer window (talkSPORT). Former United man Paul Ince also voiced doubts over Carrick and a £50m signing, saying there was "no need" for it (Manchester Evening News).
Speculation over Carrick's future continues to swirl, with TeamTalk and the Manchester Evening News reporting that Antonio Conte has been outlining his vision for the club and has been linked as a potential replacement, with Fabrizio Romano said to have given an update on the situation (TeamTalk) (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News) (TeamTalk). An AI supercomputer prediction also listed Carrick among the Premier League managers who could be next to lose their job (Manchester Evening News), while Arne Slot has reportedly ruled himself out of any United switch (TeamTalk). Carrick himself addressed the ongoing Manchester City charges saga, telling BBC Sport it has "affected me personally" and that he has his "own questions" about the case, with United reportedly 'notified early' of the verdict (Manchester Evening News) (BBC Sport).
Injury worries have piled further pressure on the squad. Manchester Evening News reported fitness concerns over as many as ten or eleven players including Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko, with Carrick issuing a series of updates ahead of the Spurs game (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). ESPN reported Carrick said there is "no timeline" for Sesko's return after a second shin issue (ESPN). Manuel Ugarte opened up on his recovery from ACL surgery, revealing he has been working with a psychologist and reading Dostoyevsky novels to help him through his rehabilitation (Evening Standard) (Manchester Evening News).
On the transfer front, much of the focus remains on academy prospect JJ Gabriel, with reports suggesting he is close to leaving despite United tabling a new scholarship offer, and Bayern Munich and a Spanish club both credited with interest (Manchester Evening News) (The Guardian) (Sky Sports) (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News) (TeamTalk) (BBC Sport) (Manchester Evening News). Real Madrid are said to have decided to meet United's financial demands as talks continue over his situation (TeamTalk). Elsewhere, United have reportedly kept tabs on Barcelona's Alejandro Balde and a possible left-back addition, alongside interest in other January targets including a French forward and a scouting mission for a potential Lisandro Martinez replacement (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News) (TeamTalk) (TeamTalk) (Manchester Evening News). Scott McTominay has also been linked with a surprise return to Old Trafford following an 'enquiry', while a reported move for Endrick appears to be complicating one of United's other January plans (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). Ruben Amorim has also been credited with interest in reuniting with a former United player (Manchester Evening News).
On the women's side, Phallon was named the WSL's September award winner, a rare bright spot in an otherwise tense week at the club (ManUtd.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.