Mark Ogden, writing for ESPN, has stated that Michael Carrick is failing at Manchester United because his bosses have handed him the impossible job. Carrick has a two-year contract as head coach, with the option of a 12-month extension, which was his reward this summer for salvaging United's season from the wreckage of Ruben Amorim's woeful 14-month reign and delivering qualification for the UEFA Champions League. However, United then told him he would have to do it with one arm tied behind his back after they missed out on each of his top transfer targets and left significant holes in his squad unfilled.
Carrick, a midfielder who won every major honor at least once during a 12-year playing career at Old Trafford, enjoyed the good days under Sir Alex Ferguson and witnessed the start of the slide under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. But even though the 45-year-old has experienced the rough with the smooth, it is clear that he has inherited a bigger mess than any of his predecessors.
Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fulham, earned by an 89th minute equalizer scored by Matheus Cunha, ensured that United head into the international break with five points from five games – their joint-worst start to a Premier League season. With less than three years of managerial experience on his CV following a stint in the EFL Championship with Middlesbrough, Carrick is underqualified for a role as demanding and difficult as the United job, but he earned the right to take it on permanently by guiding the team to a third-place finish last season.