Manchester United's English Head coach Michael Carrick looks on during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on March 4, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)
Manchester United head coach, Michael Carrick, has revealed that he remains in regular contact with former managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he battles to turn around the club’s poor run of form.
Carrick is under pressure following a disappointing spell that has seen United go seven games without a win ahead of their Premier League home clash against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The pressure on the Englishman has increased following criticism from senior players Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes over the club’s recruitment and his tactical approach.
With United struggling for consistency, Carrick faces the challenge of restoring confidence within his squad and delivering improved performances to ease concerns about his future.
As reported by BBC Sport on Sunday, despite the mounting pressure, Carrick dismissed suggestions that Manchester United have become an unmanageable club, responding with a firm “No” when asked about the theory.
The former midfielder also defended his team’s approach to pressing opponents, arguing that the concept has been oversimplified in recent criticism of his side.
“You’ve got to be careful with just saying ‘not running’,” Carrick said.
“We’ve won a lot of games over a period of time and this pressing thing; pressing is one small part of football.”
He added that teams could win matches through different tactical approaches and insisted that running statistics alone do not determine the outcome of football games.
Carrick, however, admitted that United’s overall performance in a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday was unacceptable.
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He said his team must return to the standards they demonstrated last season and during some periods of the current campaign.
Meanwhile, Carrick confirmed that he has spoken to both Ferguson and Solskjaer in recent days, describing his relationship with the former managers as close.
Solskjaer, who previously managed Carrick at Manchester United, visited the club’s training base in Trondheim during pre-season to spend time with Carrick and his backroom staff.
Ferguson, who signed Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006, also remains a regular presence at United matches.
“I speak to both of them quite regularly,” Carrick said. “There’s nothing particular in that. I’m close to both of them. It’s nothing different this week.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his position, Carrick expressed confidence in his players and insisted that they could respond positively against Bournemouth.
“I definitely trust them, 100%,” he said.
“We’ll be a different team on Sunday. We have to be a different team on Sunday.”
United will hope to deliver an improved performance against Bournemouth as Carrick looks to end the winless run and ease the pressure surrounding his position at Old Trafford.
Source: Punch · Gilbert Ekugbe
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