Michael Carrick addresses Manchester United future after Brighton defeat

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has dismissed speculation over his position at the club, insisting he expects to be given time to turn results around. His comments come after a damaging Carabao Cup exit and a league start that has left the team 12th in the Premier League with just five points from five games.

Carrick addressed the media on Friday ahead of United's next league fixture. He accepted responsibility for the team's poor start but said focusing on his own future was irrelevant. He added that thinking about his job security was ridiculous and that the focus must remain on finding solutions rather than assigning blame.

The immediate pressure stems from Wednesday's collapse at Old Trafford. United surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup Third Round. Brighton scored three times without reply in the second half to secure a dramatic victory. That result means United have now lost three of their six matches in all competitions this season.

Squad decisions for Tottenham clash

Carrick will now finalize his squad for the upcoming Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. He confirmed he will make late decisions on whether to include defender Luke Shaw and midfielder Carlos Baleba in the travelling party. The manager stressed that the process of improvement would take longer than a couple of games.

The team's recent form reads one win, two draws and two defeats from their last five outings. Their most recent league game was a 1-1 draw at Fulham. That result left United ten points behind leaders Manchester City.

United face a Tottenham side currently sitting bottom of the table, but Carrick will be without several key players. The current injuries list includes Amad Diallo, Benjamin Šeško, Manuel Ugarte, Marcus Rashford and Matthijs de Ligt. Bruno Fernandes leads the team's scoring charts with three goals this season.

The report in full is at reuters.com