Carrick admits Old Trafford boos 'hurt a lot' after United drop points to Spurs in stoppage time

Michael Carrick has conceded the Old Trafford boos “hurt a lot” after Manchester United were denied all three points by Tottenham, who equalised through a Dominic Solanke header in the 92nd minute to earn a draw that left the hosts firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Bryan Mbeumo had opened the scoring on 70 minutes for Spurs, who had dominated for much of the contest despite arriving without a Premier League win to their name. United managed to find a way back into the game, only to be undone in stoppage time — a pattern that has become a troubling hallmark of Carrick’s tenure.

Speaking to BBC’s Match of the Day, Carrick was candid about the crowd’s reaction. “It’s not nice, it hurts a lot because I care about this club,” he said. “But I understand the disappointment, the reality is what it is, we need to get back to winning games.”

The United manager, who impressed during an interim spell last season before being handed the role permanently, has now presided over the club’s worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1986. Their sole league victory this season came against newly promoted Ipswich, and Saturday’s result did little to ease the mounting pressure.

Carrick pushed back on suggestions that a crisis of confidence was at the root of his side’s struggles, but acknowledged the game slipped away from them at a critical moment. “I don’t think it is lack of confidence, but a game can get away from you very quickly,” he said. “We found a way right back into the game, and got ourselves in a great position — that is one of the most disappointing things.”

Reflecting on the broader picture, he added: “It was a mixed game. We found it tough to start with. But the lads grew into the game — in the second half I thought we were better in everything. We should see it through. We have to manage those situations. That’s two late goals which have hurt us, and things look very different. That’s the reality.”

United were booed off at both half-time and the final whistle, with the Old Trafford faithful running short of patience. The club now face a demanding run of fixtures, including a Champions League trip to Atlético Madrid before a domestic clash against rivals Leeds at Elland Road.