Carrick retains United backing despite Brighton collapse, but results must come soon

Michael Carrick still has the backing of Manchester United’s football leadership despite a damaging Carabao Cup capitulation against Brighton, but the head coach is under no illusions that results must improve quickly if he is to keep his position secure.

United have lost three of their first six games this season, and throwing away a 2-0 lead to Brighton brought Carrick’s future firmly into the conversation. Yet there is no sense at Old Trafford that a change is imminent. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox continue to support the 45-year-old — a contrast to the reluctance with which they eventually dismissed Ruben Amorim following his New Year meltdown. Carrick, it is felt, carries more goodwill than Amorim ever did.

There is also a view inside the club that Carrick has been unlucky. A freak Ainsley Maitland-Niles wonder goal cost United at Everton when they looked set to win, and the Manchester City defeat was shaped by a refereeing decision that Pro Refs apologised for within hours. The summer transfer window, which failed to strengthen the squad to the level expected, is cited as further context.

Carrick’s composure under pressure — his ability to move quickly past setbacks — was among the qualities that earned him the permanent role. Those traits are now being tested in earnest. His players visibly struggled with the weight of expectation on Wednesday night, and the head coach needs wins to stabilise his position.

Ratcliffe’s watchful eye

Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not attend the Brighton game but was present at the Manchester derby the previous week alongside co-owner Avram Glazer — a sight that drew protests from supporters who have grown increasingly frustrated with the club’s ownership. Whether Ratcliffe attends the trip to Craven Cottage on Sunday will be closely watched; he has a base near Fulham’s ground and has made no secret of his ambitions to transform United.

Ratcliffe is understood to have favoured a higher-profile managerial appointment in the second half of last season before Carrick’s performances made him impossible to overlook. He has demonstrated a willingness to act decisively when he feels it necessary — the dismissal of Dan Ashworth being the clearest example — and the momentum that built between January and May has already dissipated. The situation is about more than the man in the dugout, but Ratcliffe will be watching results closely.