What's happened
Manchester United remain in a nine-game winless run across all competitions as Michael Carrick faces mounting scrutiny ahead of the Champions League tie with Roma. Carrick insists the dressing room stays committed while Roma preparation goes ahead at Carrington, with injuries and defensive miscues shaping the week.
What's behind the headline?
Brief
- The Guardian and BBC report that Carrick remains under pressure, but emphasise his insistence that the dressing room stays united. The United squad is dealing with injuries to Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko, with Patrick Dorgu returning to training.
- The Champions League group stage remains precarious for United, with Roma visiting after a poor start in the competition. The potential for a misstep adds urgency to any result against Roma and in the Premier League a follow-up against Villa on the weekend.
What this means
- A negative result could accelerate changes at the top while a win could reset confidence and buy time for Carrick to implement his methods.
How we got here
Carrick has overseen a slump that has seen United fail to win in nine games, their worst run in all competitions since 1988-89. The upcoming match with Roma marks a pivotal test for the caretaker boss as he seeks a positive result to change the narrative around his tenure.
Our analysis
The Guardian (Carrick’s commitment stance and Villa defeat aftermath), BBC Sport (Carrick looking forward to Roma clash; current run), The Guardian (Martínez attitude and Roma strategy).
Go deeper
- Can United turn around their form against Roma and salvage Carrick’s position?
- What does a win mean for Carrick’s long-term plans and squad harmony?
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