Scholes says Carrick feels 'let down' by Man Utd after five-game winless run

Paul Scholes has claimed Michael Carrick feels he has been “let down” by Manchester United’s hierarchy following a damaging start to the Premier League season that has left the club ten points off the pace.

United were held to a draw at Fulham on Sunday — their fourth failure to win in five league outings — with the defence having conceded eight goals across eight games in all competitions. The result leaves Carrick’s side with a single victory to their name, that coming against Ipswich at Old Trafford.

Scholes, speaking on the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Football, was unsparing in his assessment of the club’s transfer window. “Michael must be really disappointed with what has happened in the summer,” he said. “I reckon behind the scenes he thinks he’s been let down. What Michael did last year was very, very good.”

Carrick was handed the United job permanently after an impressive interim spell last season guided the club to a third-place finish and a return to the Champions League. Three midfield signings arrived over the summer, but several high-profile targets were missed, and the defensive issues that plagued the squad were left largely unaddressed — partly, according to reports, due to financial constraints.

Scholes pointed specifically to the arrivals of Renato Veiga Santos and Nicolas Baleba as evidence that United are no longer recruiting with the title in mind. “Santos played 11 games for Chelsea, they paid £50 million for him. But he’s not getting into the team. Baleba might make a bit of difference. But if you’re recruiting at the start of the season for Manchester United, it should be for players that you think you can go and win the league with. I think they’re a million miles away.”

The former midfielder also stressed the importance of this early run of fixtures for Carrick’s long-term prospects. “The most important time for Michael was the start of this season,” Scholes said. “These games now are where you put a marker down — it gives you a foundation for the rest of the season.”

With the gap to leaders Manchester City already at ten points after just five games, the pressure on Carrick and the club’s decision-makers is mounting rapidly.