Man Utd’s Five-Point Haul from First Five League Games Sparks Early

Manchester United have collected only five points from their first five Premier League fixtures this season — a tally that has intensified scrutiny of permanent manager Michael Carrick less than two months into his tenure.

Carrick was appointed to the role toward the end of last season after guiding the club to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification.

The decision to install him permanently followed a run of strong form and a limited pool of high-calibre managerial alternatives.

Yet results and performances have deteriorated since the start of the new campaign, with the Red Devils failing to win any of their opening five league matches.

Former Arsenal player Perry Groves has predicted Carrick will be dismissed “by January”, citing tactical and physical shortcomings in United’s play.

“I’m looking at this and I said Man United are a half-and-half team,” Groves stated on talkSPORT.

He criticised the team’s defensive intensity, noting they close down opponents “half-heartedly” and fail to pressure the ball in their own final third when dropping deep.

“I can’t see Michael Carrick lasting half the season,” Groves added.

According to Groves, the recent draw with Fulham “papered over the cracks”, allowing United to “get away with it” despite serious vulnerabilities.

He pointed to a 20-minute stretch in the first half against Fulham during which the visitors repeatedly threatened goal, describing United as “nice to play against” from a player’s perspective.

“We’ve seen it in the first half where Fulham played through them fairly easily,” Groves said. “If Gonzalo Garcia had his boots on the right feet in the first half, this could have been a lot worse.”

He also observed that urgency only emerged after United fell 1–0 behind in the 63rd minute — a reaction he called situationally easier, given Fulham’s deeper defensive posture, and one that should not require conceding first.

What Neville Said About Carrick’s Position

Gary Neville warned that Carrick “will find himself in a lot of trouble” if recent performances persist.

“What I’m saying is, though, if those types of performances continue, he will find himself in a lot of trouble,” Neville stated. “They’ve got to work harder than that for him. I’m absolutely not changing my mind on that.”

Neville stressed that the players’ lack of effort was the primary issue, saying: “Those players have got to work harder for Michael Carrick, or it will cause him a massive issue, because they didn’t work hard enough today. And that’s the biggest criticism I can give you.”

He acknowledged having praised the same group of players for much of last season under Carrick but insisted they “can all work a lot harder than that”.