Crucial Five Fixtures That Could Make or Break Carrick's Man Utd Future

When Michael Carrick hung up his boots at Manchester United to transition into the club's coaching setup in 2018, José Mourinho presented him with two items at the end-of-season awards dinner: a referee's whistle and a pack of headache tablets.

The latter have proven especially useful during the club's first significant rough patch under his management. Following all the excitement generated in the second half of last season, Carrick has watched his team drop three of their opening six matches this campaign.

A chastening defeat to Hull City on the opening day set the tone for a month that has only been brightened by victories over newly promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League debutants Sabah FK.

The atmosphere hit rock bottom when United squandered a 2–0 advantage at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday evening. "We've gone out of the cup tonight, and the feeling around the place feels bigger than that," Carrick admitted, his pale blue eyes visibly glassy with emotion.

"I don't feel under pressure," Carrick maintained after being jeered off the pitch by the handful of supporters who had stayed until the final whistle of a damaging 3–2 defeat, yet the pressure is undeniably mounting. Should United fail to arrest this demoralising run, their manager may find himself needing far more than headache tablets.

What's Next for Man Utd After Brighton Implosion?

Despite United's current difficulties, Carrick remained upbeat. "Of course we can turn it around, we have got some really good players," he said. "It feels bad because we haven't had a great week or two, or three weeks."

United have an opportunity to reverse that negative momentum as early as Sunday, when they make the trip to Fulham's Craven Cottage. Álvaro Arbeloa has endured an even more torrid start to the campaign than Carrick, managing just a solitary point from his opening four Premier League outings. Only a visibly fatigued Liverpool have avoided defeat against a remarkably porous Fulham side. Just two clubs in the top flight have conceded more expected goals than the Cottagers so far this season.

The defensive vulnerabilities may be glaring, but Fulham have been aggressive under Arbeloa, registering a league-high 139 touches inside the opposition penalty area. This fixture promises to be a frantic contest that could easily go in either direction.

Should United fail to secure all three points, it will be a particularly gruelling three-week international break for Carrick. The Red Devils don't resume domestic action until Oct. 10, when an equally struggling Tottenham Hotspur make the journey to Old Trafford.

United then hit the road, facing the hostile environments of Atlético Madrid and fierce rivals Leeds United before making the trip along the lake to Como.

Wednesday night was not United's first embarrassment at Brighton's hands, and the Seagulls are fitting tormentors. They are a club operating on a fraction of United's budget yet extracting far greater value from their resources than the money-guzzling machine at Old Trafford. Cesc Fàbregas's Serie A upstarts represent yet another example of a vastly more efficient organisation than their forthcoming opponents. At this rate, it's becoming harder to identify a club that isn't.