United lost again at home to a side reduced to ten men.
A United boss now feels the heat early in the season.
Four weeks earlier City benefited from a wrong VAR call after Foden’s red for a kick on Fernandes.
Spurs, seeming unable to score, equalised in injury time after Bentancur’s clash with Shaw minutes after Mbeumo’s goal.
Martinez was outplayed by Solanke, while Lammens missed the striker’s subtle finish to the far corner.
The pain on United’s faces said it all.
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First, a few grim stats.
United sit on six points from six games, their lowest start since 1986‑87 under Ron Atkinson.
They’ve failed to win five of six league matches (D3 L2), matching Carrick’s record of 17 games last season (W12 D3 L2).
Two points came from the last two fixtures, both against teams at the bottom of the table.
In terms of points, they’re nearer the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
Now winless in four league games, United travel to Leeds on 18 Oct, then face tough Champions League trips to Atletico Madrid and Como.
Club officials have repeatedly voiced support for Carrick lately.
Fans recall that two seasons ago a run of two wins in nine games saw ten Hag dismissed after a loss to West Ham on 27 Oct.
Last term, a shock EFL Cup defeat to League Two Grimsby and a 3‑1 loss at Brentford on 27 Sept cost Amorim his job on 5 Jan.
The opening of this campaign feels all too familiar.
“I’m not happy with our points tally, that’s clear,” Carrick admitted.
“There’s no hiding it. Small moments could’ve changed things, but reality is reality. We must turn things around quickly,” he added.
He cited Solanke’s goal, the lack of pressure on Everton’s Ainsley Maitland‑Niles’ late equaliser, and Martinez’s own‑goal against Fulham as avoidable errors.
“We need to be sharper, tougher, and more resilient in key moments,” he said.
“My belief in the squad remains. We’re a quality side, but we must start earning points,” he asserted.
For my money, United must tighten up defensively; each setback erodes the belief they’re a top side.
Post‑match talk still fixated on distance covered, yet running alone hasn’t solved anything.
“Spurs ran five kilometres more despite being a man down. Outrunning opponents won’t win games if the battle is lost elsewhere,” he noted.
Ex‑Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Match of the Day, “United looked lethargic, midfield couldn’t control games – part tactical, part personnel.
I don’t get it. Last season United were tighter, harder to break down.
Midfield space was huge; against a stronger side they’d have been punished. Play like that and good teams will rip you apart.
Some supporters already seem to lose faith, judging by reactions and the boos after each half.
Forward Matheus Cunha, yet to recapture his late‑season form, gestured to the crowd early on, unclear if answering criticism or urging noise, but he looked displeased.
Carrick’s own family hold season tickets, so he knows the sting of watching United falter at Old Trafford.
It hurts, a lot,” he said. “I care deeply about this club. Sometimes emotions spill, but they come from a good place, and I understand that.”
Moments like these likely churn inside Carrick, who projects calm publicly.
He’s aware how pressure mounts around Old Trafford and how fierce the debate becomes when answers are needed.
As he put it, Carrick cares and believes his players share that feeling.
“I don’t feel let down,” he added. “Mistakes happen.
We all have standards. Players own up when things go wrong.
It’s not that everyone walks away as if everything’s fine; the players care, for sure.
I’m not disappointed by their errors. We must all help each other improve, and it’s my job to guide them.
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