Carrick opens press conference with six-minute speech as United sit 13th after seven games

Michael Carrick took the unusual step of delivering a six-minute prepared speech at his pre-match press conference before accepting questions from reporters, as pressure on the Manchester United manager intensified ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.

Carrick’s position has come under scrutiny after United’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday — a result that left the club 13th in the Premier League table after seven games, with just one win and closer to the relegation zone than the European places.

In his opening statement, Carrick acknowledged the club had lost its way, invoking the legacies of Sir Matt Busby, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Wayne Rooney to underline what he believes United must rediscover. “It was never about Ryan Giggs, it was about Manchester United,” he said. “Sir Matt and Sir Bobby — their resilience was beyond belief, what they showed and how they rebuilt this football club. It was built on hard work, humility, sacrifice and we should never forget that. We’ve lost our way, if I’m totally honest, but we’ll get back what it takes.”

The pressure deepened when captain Bruno Fernandes publicly criticised the manager’s tactics following the Como loss. When those comments were put to Carrick, he responded by suggesting his players were not running enough — a rare public exchange of blame between a United manager and a senior player.

With potential successors already being discussed, two candidates have addressed the speculation. Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, 33, whose side have made a strong start to the season, was asked about the links but played them down. “I am really focused on my job here,” the German said. “I have no time to think about these rumours because we play every three days. Besides that, I have a lot of respect for Michael Carrick, for what he has done with Manchester United at the end of last season. He is a great human being, he is a great personality.”

Bournemouth, United’s opponents on Sunday, arrive in strong form having beaten Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday, making the fixture a particularly difficult test for a manager who needs a result to ease the growing calls for change.