Carrick under growing pressure as Man Utd drop more points at home
Manchester United's 1-1 draw with 10-man Tottenham Hotspur leaves Michael Carrick's side with six points from six Premier League games and mounting scrutiny.
Manchester United's failure to hold on against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur has intensified the scrutiny on manager Michael Carrick. Bryan Mbeumo had put United ahead, but Rodrigo Bentancur's lunge on Luke Shaw reduced Spurs to 10 men and an injury-time equaliser followed. Dominic Solanke outmuscled Lisandro Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens was beaten by a deft touch inside the far post. It was the second successive home league game in which United failed to beat opponents who finished with 10 men.
The numbers underline the difficulty of United's start. They have six points from their opening six Premier League games, their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1986-87. They are winless in four league games and have taken two points from their last two matches, both against teams that began the day bottom of the table. Former United captain Gary Neville described it on Sky Sports as a worrying day for Carrick.
Carrick acknowledged the points return is not good enough and said he was not hiding from it. He pointed to fine margins in recent draws and said the team must become more streetwise and stubborn when seeing out games. He added that his belief in the players is unchanged, though he accepted the hurt of the current run and understood supporters' reactions.
Belief is starting to ebb among some supporters, judging by the boos at the end of each half and the frustration shown during the game. Matheus Cunha gestured towards the crowd in the first half, though it was unclear whether he was responding to criticism or urging more noise. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp highlighted running statistics, noting Tottenham covered more ground than United despite playing with 10 men.
United officials have repeatedly backed Carrick in recent weeks, but the article notes the club's recent history of managerial pressure at this stage of the season. United face a trip to Leeds at Elland Road on 18 October, with Champions League fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Como on either side. Carrick said he does not feel let down by his players, arguing they care and that it is on him to guide them through a difficult period.
