Can Manchester United rediscover Michael Carrick’s winning formula against Chelsea as Bruno Fernandes question lingers?

Michael Carrick remains in place as Manchester United head coach despite a turbulent start to the season in which The Red Devils have won just one of their opening eight games and flounder in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

United’s next assignment is a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime, live with TNT Sports on HBO Max.

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A 3-0 humbling at the hands of Bournemouth in their most recent outing meant that the seven points accrued so far this campaign is their worst total after eight games in the Premier League era, and resulted in doubts being cast over Carrick’s future.

His cause has not been helped by public outbursts from players including Lisandro Martinez and, more recently, following another humiliation in the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Como, captain Bruno Fernandes.

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However, following a meeting with the club’s hierarchy in the aftermath of the Bournemouth game, United have decided to keep faith with the former midfielder, who lifted five league titles as a player at Old Trafford.

Victory in London could help propel the team up the table but, should they find themselves on the wrong end of a result, scores elsewhere could see United end the weekend in the bottom three – a far cry from where they expected to be at this stage.

Having overseen three unbeaten matches as caretaker manager in 2021, United sent out the bat signal to Carrick once again following the departure of Ruben Amorim in January last season.

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He went on to exceed expectations, picking up 39 points from his 17 games in charge – more than anyone else across that period.

He led United to a third-place finish and earned the reward of a full-time contract in the summer.

2026/27 Premier League table from Michael Carrick’s first game (Jan 17) until end of season
2026/27 Premier League table from Michael Carrick’s first game (Jan 17) until end of season

Image credit: Opta

So, what has changed?
United reinforced their midfield over the summer with the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, with the only notable first-team summer departure being 34-year-old Casemiro.

However, a shock opening day loss away to Hull City set the tone for what was to follow, with victory over Ipswich Town the only success fans have had to cheer in the league to date.

While they were top scorers following Carrick’s arrival in January, their 10 goals in the league leaves them ranked 10th for that metric, behind the likes of newly-promoted Ipswich.

This is despite the fact they top the charts for shots taken, with 155 at nearly 20 per game. For context, Ipswich have taken just 84 shots yet scored two more goals.

After Carrick’s arrival last term, United outperformed their xG (26.87) by around six goals, whereas this season they find themselves underperforming by almost three (12.79).

They rank second this year for passes in the final third, averaging 170.4 per game, and fourth for touches in the opposition box at 31 per game – both up significantly from Carrick’s time in charge last season, where their 133 final-third passes was eighth best, and 29 touches in the box ninth.

Taking a positive spin, the numbers might suggest they are doing the right things and a little more efficiency in front of goal will set them on their way.

However, these stats could also be interpreted to highlight how much they may have overachieved during their great run to end last season.

Possession-wise, the 56.6% average this season is up on the 49.1% under Carrick last term, reiterating the idea that the team are seeing more of the ball but, worryingly, their overall movement without the ball appears to be an issue.
United ranked 12th in the league for distance covered in games prior to Carrick coming in last season, dropping down to 15th following his arrival, and now 18th this season.

In his broadside, Fernandes appeared to accuse Carrick of not wanting his team to press the opposition, leading to much of their problems.

“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man,” he told TNT Sports.
“That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me. I just said that I think sometimes we have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”
In response, Carrick suggested that the players’ running efforts should not be limited to pressing.

“Whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win,” Carrick said in his press conference.

…But despite more touches and control in 2026/27 so far, the club are struggling for results

Defensively, United have conceded 12 goals, with just six teams letting in more, pointing to a worrying generosity, given the lowly 87 shots they’ve allowed against them this season is only bettered by three teams in the division.

The data suggests that United are not straying too far away from their impressive performances under Carrick last season, which could support the club’s reasoning behind keeping him in charge.

However, of the 12 wins he oversaw in 2025/26, eight were by a single-goal margin, which would suggest games were close and potentially not quite as convincing, meaning any drop in effort might ultimately be the reason behind this season’s dip in form.

This is something that TNT Sports expert Owen Hargreaves agrees with.
“You’ve got to look at yourself first,” Hargreaves said following the Como debacle.

“Not one Man United fan thinks they should be competing for the Premier League. But the best you can do is put your best effort in every game, every time you step out there’ll be
“Confidence is hit; there’s a lack of physicality in the team, a lack of athleticism in the team.

“Ultimately, even if the other team is better than you, you’ve got to run around, you’ve got to tackle, you’ve got to be aggressive.

“That is the basics of every single football match. You can lose, but you’ve got to go down swinging.

“You’ve got to give everything you’ve got, and the fans will say: ‘Well done lads, you tried your best’. That’s the crux of it, and that’s what Michael Carrick needs right now.”

One of Carrick’s wins last season came in this corresponding fixture as Matheus Cunha gave United a 1-0 victory.

Providing the assist for the Brazilian was Fernandes, one of the 21 he registered for a new Premier League record ahead of winning the league’s Player of the Season award.

In contract, the Portuguese star has just one assist so far this campaign and his frustrations at both himself and the team’s inability to hit the heights of last year boiled over in his controversial comments in Italy.

‘We know what we have to do’ – Tielemans admits Man Utd need to improve tactically

Video credit: TNT Sports

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