Manchester United 13th after four games as questions grow over Carrick and summer signings
Manchester United sit 13th in the Premier League after four matches, having taken four points from a 2-0 defeat at Hull, a 5-2 win against Ipswich, a 2-2 draw at Everton and a 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday.
Michael Carrick is the permanent manager on a contract that runs to 2028 after guiding United to third as interim last season following Ruben Amorim’s meltdown and sacking; his tenure has produced worse results since the club confirmed him in the job. The article recalls Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s temporary appointment in December 2018 — when he won 14 of 19 games, earned the permanent role in March 2019 and then oversaw two wins from 10 matches, leaving United sixth — to question whether Carrick faces a similar test of security.
Manchester’s defeat by City carries contextual mitigation: the derby came three days after the Champions League win against Sabah on Thursday, with Enzo Maresca’s side having 48 hours more rest after winning at Porto. Phil Foden was sent off after 23 minutes at Old Trafford, leaving United with a numerical advantage, yet the Kobbie Mainoo–Youri Tielemans central axis failed to create clear chances for the front four of Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford. United recorded 0.95 xG at home — the first time in 12 home Premier League games under Carrick they generated less than 1.0 xG — and the match’s decisive VAR decision allowed Erling Haaland’s winner despite Enzo Fernández “interfering with play”, an interference Pro Ref later admitted.
The opening-day defeat at Hull featured Andrey Santos partnering Tielemans and produced almost no goal threat, a passive display that coincided with Santos’ sole start so far. Tielemans has started all four league matches but has been described as anonymous, while Carlos Baleba, the headline summer acquisition, is yet to play because of injury and is not expected back until after the international break.
United pursued left-back reinforcements in the transfer window — Newcastle’s Lewis Hall (the No 1 target), Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and RB Leipzig’s David Raum were linked — yet no left-back signing materialised. Instead the club recruited three midfielders: Tielemans, Santos and Baleba, with Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte (who has a long-term injury) already in the squad, prompting the suggestion this was one too many engine-room additions. Santos’ fee was reported as £48m + £2m; Tielemans’ as £35m and Baleba’s as £65m, with the article summarising the combined outlay as a £148m investment on those three players.
Forward options have struggled for league goals: Benjamin Sesko returned from injury at the season’s start and has made substitute appearances in all league matches plus a start at home to Sabah, against whom he scored, and he also scored in the 2-2 draw at Everton. Those two goals make Sesko United’s joint-third-top scorer in the league behind Bruno Fernandes (three) and Bryan Mbeumo (two). Matheus Cunha and Marcus Rashford have zero league strikes from four and three starts respectively, and the article suggests Sesko’s directness as a natural No 9 could be considered from kick-off at Fulham.
Questions have been raised about the appointment process and contract length: the piece asks how many more poor results would prompt accusations that director of football Jason Wilcox hastily appointed another popular former United player, and points to the relatively short length of Carrick’s contract — running to 2028 — as a possible indicator of internal reservations.
United will host Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and then visit Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, fixtures the club must negotiate as they seek to arrest a slow start to the campaign.
