Carrick rejects Redknapp's confidence claim after 10-man Spurs snatch late draw at Old Trafford

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Tottenham at Old Trafford, with Dominic Solanke cancelling out the hosts’ lead in the closing stages to extend United’s miserable start to the Premier League season. The result leaves Ruben Amorim’s predecessor Michael Carrick’s side 12th in the table with six points from four matches — the club’s worst return at this point in the campaign for 40 years.

United had appeared set for a hard-fought win when Rodrigo Bentancur was dismissed for headbutting Luke Shaw, giving the hosts a numerical advantage to protect their 1-0 lead. Instead, Solanke struck late to silence Old Trafford and prompt boos from the home support at both half-time and full-time.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp was scathing in his post-match assessment, pointing to a lack of structure and self-belief as the root of United’s problems. “Brighton in the Carabao Cup, 2-0 up and lose 3-2 — that is unprecedented and does not happen at Old Trafford, except it does with this team,” Redknapp said. “I do not see enough connections in that midfield and they look devoid of any confidence, ideas, or patterns of play. The squad is not good or strong enough and Michael needs help in that respect.”

Carrick pushed back on the confidence diagnosis after the final whistle, while acknowledging the frustration of surrendering a winning position. “I don’t think it is lack of confidence,” he said. “But a game can get away from you very quickly. We found a way right back into the game and got ourselves in a great position — that is one of the most disappointing things.”

On the boos that greeted his side at the interval and at full time, Carrick was candid about the weight of expectation at the club. “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 dropped points compound a difficult opening to the season for United, who also surrendered a two-goal lead against Brighton in the Carabao Cup. With the pressure mounting, Carrick faces an increasingly narrow margin for error as the club searches for consistency.