Michael Carrick makes Man Utd sack admission

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Tom Weber | Writer

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick is well aware of the fact that he is not bigger than the club and desperately needs results.

The 45-year-old is under growing pressure after overseeing Man Utd's worst start to a season in 40 years. The Red Devils have won just once in the Premier League and have already been bounced from the Carabao Cup after surrendering a 2-0 home lead against Brighton.

In the Champions League, the Red Devils followed up a comfortable win over Azeri side Sabah with a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid. After the match, drama erupted when defender Lisandro Martinez echoed the words of former coach Ruben Amorim and took aim at director Jason Wilcox.

The Argentine initially refused to apologise in a statement, but after a clear-the-air talk with Wilcox and Carrick, as well as being fined, he did acknowledge his mistake in a follow-up announcement on Thursday evening.

Man Utd claim that the matter has been put to bed, but Martinez's views are reportedly shared by sections of the dressing room, so there is growing pressure on Wilcox - and it will only increase further if another coach has to be sacked.

Carrick knows it's all about results

Success has been found wanting since INEOS took control of sporting operations, and Carrick is hurtling towards becoming the third manager to lose his job under the aegis of Wilcox and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Sunday's game against rivals Leeds at Elland Road could be a make-or-break fixture for Carrick. Daniel Farke's men beat the Red Devils at Old Trafford in April and were undefeated in the league prior to their loss to champions Arsenal last weekend. They haven't lost at home since March.

On Thursday, it was claimed that the representatives of former Napoli manager Antonio Conte had established contact with Man Utd to inform the club of the Italian's desire to replace Carrick.

Conte recently expressed a wish to revive a fallen giant as his next job, which is a descriptor that could hardly be more applicable to Man Utd. Ex-Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has also been associated with the Old Trafford hot seat.

And Carrick, for his part, is well aware that he needs to turn things around quickly. It's a results-based business, and just because he is a former player doesn't mean that he will receive preferential treatment.

"I don't need results - we all need results," he said at his pre-match press conference on Friday. "It's not about me. Manchester United is bigger than an individual, so please, I don't go into every day thinking about me. It's not about any individual player; it's about this football club and its history."

Carrick also insisted that the atmosphere in the squad is great despite Martinez's outburst and the division it reportedly caused in the dressing room. "Just because people talk from the outside, that doesn't mean it's the truth," he emphasised. "The squad today in training was in a fantastic place - that's the truth."

When asked whether Wilcox should face the media more often - something that frequently happens in Spain, Italy and Germany - Carrick provided a predictably diplomatic answer.

He stated: "I don’t think that’s for me to say. I’ve got no problem with how it is for me sitting here and talking to you guys and leading the group and the club from this position. We’re a really tight-knit group."