Michael Carrick has played down concerns over Manchester United’s start to the Premier League season, insisting their opening three matches have been “not that bad” despite already falling five points behind the early leaders.
United looked set to claim their second consecutive victory on Sunday before Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ late strike rescued a 2-2 draw for Everton.
The result leaves Carrick’s side with four points from nine and sitting 11th in the table, while Manchester City and defending champions Arsenal have both opened the campaign with maximum points.
Carrick puts United start into perspective
United’s campaign began with a damaging defeat away at newly promoted Hull City, where Carrick’s team were outworked and outfought.
They responded with a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford before twice taking the lead against Everton, only to concede a stoppage-time equaliser.
Carrick has nevertheless urged perspective when assessing the opening weeks.
“It’s not that bad, you know,” the United head coach said.
There are certainly positives. United have shown attacking threat, while Bruno Fernandes remains capable of deciding matches and the club strengthened its midfield significantly during the summer.
However, there is one obvious concern Carrick must address.
Manchester United defence already under pressure
United are currently conceding an average of two goals per Premier League game.
Their defensive problems have made it considerably harder to turn encouraging attacking performances into victories, and the club have not made a major defensive signing for two years.
Carlos Baleba is not yet fully fit, while midfield arrivals Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos are still adapting.
That leaves Carrick with plenty to solve if United are to achieve their primary objective of securing another Champions League finish.
The four-point return is hardly unprecedented either.
United have collected four points or fewer from their opening three matches in four of the past six seasons. They have not won their opening three league games since José Mourinho achieved the feat nine years ago.
Slow starts have become familiar at Old Trafford
Historically, even Sir Alex Ferguson’s best United teams did not always start seasons quickly. The major difference was their ability to recover and eventually challenge for major honours.
Modern United have not been able to offer the same guarantees.
They also collected four points from their first three matches last season, while previous campaigns under Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer featured damaging early defeats.
That history provides some justification for Carrick’s relaxed assessment, but United’s rivals have raised the standards required at the top of the Premier League.
Carrick is under no immediate pressure, but the coming weeks should provide a much clearer indication of whether United’s four-point start is merely another slow beginning or evidence of deeper problems.
Key Points
- Manchester United have four points from their opening three Premier League matches and sit 11th.
- Carrick insists their start is “not that bad” despite United already trailing Arsenal and Manchester City by five points.
- United’s attack has shown promise, but they are conceding an average of two goals per league game.
- Slow starts have become common at Old Trafford, with United taking four points or fewer from their opening three games in four of the past six seasons.
What’s Next?
Carrick’s immediate challenge is improving United defensively without sacrificing their attacking progress. Champions League qualification remains the primary target, but United cannot afford to let Arsenal, Manchester City and their other top-four rivals establish a significant advantage during the opening months.
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