Manchester United's early exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town last season remains a vivid memory for many supporters. That defeat has become almost synonymous with the tenure of former manager Rubén Amorim, marking a low point in the club's recent history. While the recent loss to Brighton at Old Trafford did not carry the same historical weight, it nevertheless echoed familiar themes for Michael Carrick, the manager who succeeded Amorim.
Youri Tielemans, who captained United in the Brighton match, admitted after the game that once United fell behind 2-0, the team essentially stopped competing. The shift in momentum was palpable within the first twenty minutes, as Brighton began to dominate and the contest seemed destined to end in their favour.
Even the introduction of attacking talents such as Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha failed to spark any meaningful change, leaving United looking flat and ineffective. For Carrick, this lack of response is deeply troubling.
Since taking the reins in January, he has often highlighted the positives in his side’s performances, praising individual effort and spotting silver linings after defeats. However, against Brighton there was little to celebrate; the team showed no signs of the resilience he has tried to instil. When Carrick and his coaching staff first arrived, they were lauded for tightening the defensive shape. The side produced impressive victories over rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, with the defensive unit benefitting from the experience of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans.
Those early successes suggested a promising foundation. Yet the current season has exposed significant defensive frailties. United have allowed two goals in three of their four Premier League fixtures, and the Brighton game highlighted those issues once more. One of the goals resulted from a clear mistake by goalkeeper Karl Darlow, but beyond that, the back four appeared disjointed, lacking cohesion and positional awareness.
A persistent problem for Carrick is the left‑back position. He has not publicly framed it as a glaring weakness, but the facts speak for themselves. Luke Shaw, the club’s senior left‑back, has missed his last three outings due to a minor injury.
Given Shaw’s age and recurring injury history, it was arguably shortsighted not to reinforce that area during the summer transfer window. Carrick has trialled Noussair Mazraoui in the role, yet the Moroccan appears to have slipped down the pecking order, with the less experienced Patrick Dorgu preferred for the high‑profile Manchester derby loss.
Meanwhile, promising youngster Harry Amass does not seem to be in the club’s long‑term plans for the position. The question now is how United will address this deficiency for the remainder of the campaign. It may seem premature to question Carrick’s job security after only a handful of games in the new season, especially since his points tally since returning in January remains the highest in the league. Nevertheless, a series of unsettling moments – Ainsley Maitland‑Niles’ equaliser for Everton, a contentious VAR decision against Manchester City, and the disappointing display versus Brighton – have altered the narrative.
A further loss at Fulham on Sunday, broadcast live on Sky Sports, could ignite uncomfortable debates about whether Carrick is the right person to guide United out of the current storm. While such discussions may be premature, they underscore the pressure the manager faces. Carrick also deserves empathy regarding the squad he inherited. The club’s limited activity in the summer market left them with few options to strengthen key areas.
Yet the lack of strategic signings cannot fully excuse the neglect of obvious needs, particularly at left‑back. Additionally, with Benjamin Šeško still nursing a shin injury throughout the summer, United might have benefited from a temporary No.9 to share the scoring burden, rather than deploying Mbeumo and Cunha in unfamiliar roles. Both forwards have struggled to recapture the form they displayed under Carrick last season. Until United can execute a comprehensive overhaul in a single transfer window, they will likely remain stuck in a cycle of incremental improvements using remnants from previous regimes.
This perpetual state of near‑adequacy may be why some fans expressed their frustration with boos after the Brighton defeat – not solely directed at the performance, but also at the sense of déjà vu, a recurring pattern of early optimism followed by disappointment. While it is still early to draw definitive conclusions, Carrick deserves a period to prove his worth, especially after the progress he oversaw last season. He must now navigate these choppy waters, balancing tactical adjustments, player morale and the inevitable scrutiny from a demanding fan base. If he can halt the downward spiral, even without a victory over Fulham, a solid performance could buy him valuable time.
In football, patience is a rare commodity, but it may be the very ingredient needed for Carrick to steer Manchester United back onto a steady course.