Can Manchester United Return to Relevance Under Michael Carrick?
Manchester United finally seem to have something that resembles stability in the dressing room under Michael Carrick. I feel with quality signings in defense and midfield, they could mount a decent challenge for the Premier League next season. How do you feel they will fare? – Sterling.
There’s an odd sense that Michael Carrick’s level of achievement last season was at precisely the most awkward level for the board. United didn’t produce indisputably brilliant football under him but equally 12 wins and three draws in 17 games was good enough that they pretty much had to give him the job. But it’s one thing to turn out those kinds of results when the pressure’s off, you’re already out of both cup competitions and you don’t have any European football; it’s quite another to do it in the heat of a full season.
What Happened?
United don’t have to have an especially amazing season to play 15 more games this season than they did in 2025-26. That’s not to say that Carrick won’t be successful. There was much that he did last season that was very impressive. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans bolster an area of the squad that desperately needed to improve. A left-back seems almost certain to arrive before the end of the month and there’s probably the need for one more high-class experienced central defender.
What Comes Next?
It’s probably not a title-winning squad, but it’s certainly one that should qualify for the Champions League. Two questions remain that will only be answered as the season goes on. First, Carrick himself: can he cope with the churn of two games a week, and operating with a squad that is at least as fatigued as their opponents? And second, where is the club psychologically? Part of the problem for United, a familiar trait of big clubs who have fallen from grace, is that they have got into a routine of failure, that no success can ever quite be trusted, and every setback is seen as a further example of the terminal decline.
The Impact of VAR Changes
The most notable changes implemented before the World Cup allowed VAR to review and overturn incorrectly awarded corner kicks, certain attacking fouls and clear mistakes relating to red cards given from a second yellow. The only one of these adopted by the Premier League is to allow VAR to overturn a second yellow leading to a red (VAR cannot recommend that a referee should award a second yellow that would lead to a red). If we have to have VAR, that seems reasonable enough; nobody wants to see a team incorrectly reduced to 10 men.
Manchester United's Current Form
Manchester United are currently 14 points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race. They have been in good form, winning their last four games and drawing one. They have scored 69 goals and conceded 50, with a goal difference of +19. Their last result was a 3-0 win over Brighton on May 24, 2026. They are currently on a 4-game winning run, with a recent form of WWWWD.
Injuries and Suspensions
Manuel Ugarte, Lisandro Martínez, Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha, and Senne Lammens are currently sidelined for Manchester United.
League Standing
Manchester United finished 3rd in the Premier League last season, with 71 points from 38 games, and a recent form of WWDWW. They have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League this season.
