Carrick insists ‘big picture’ at Man Utd is still positive as pressure mounts

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Michael Carrick feels the negativity surrounding Manchester United’s Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid does not reflect “the big picture” at the club, though he knows they must turn their results around quickly amid mounting criticism.

Carrick’s future came under further scrutiny on Wednesday as United were handily beaten by LaLiga giants Atletico at the Estadio Metropolitano.

Pablo Barrios’ 47-second opener set the tone for another dismal evening for United, who had Leny Yoro sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and ultimately lost 2-0, with Ademola Lookman scoring the clinching goal in the 79th minute.

Having also drawn 1-1 with 10-man Tottenham on Saturday, United are winless in five matches in all competitions (D2 L3), their worst run since a six-game streak in January 2025 (D2 L4).

And this season, Ipswich Town (5-2 in the Premier League) and Sabah (4-0 in the Champions League) are the only sides United have beaten overall (PL9 W2 D2 L5). 

But in his post-match press conference, Carrick insisted there were still positives the Red Devils could take from a game that saw them create four Opta-defined big chances – their most without scoring in a Champions League match since September 2012 against Galatasaray (also four).

“We need to find a way, for sure. Tonight is a one-off game, which is very different – it’s the Champions League, it’s a tough place to come,” Carrick said.

“In that sense, the bigger picture is a different story. We need to improve certain things, and we’re doing certain things okay. But we need to win games, for sure.”

Defeat on the road. https://t.co/HeITelI9AT

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 13, 2026

“I don’t see confidence as an issue,” he said. “I think to come here and respond and take the ball like we did, and control spells and create chances… it shows the confidence is there. 

“There’s the big disappointment of not winning, of course, but what a great game we have on Sunday to prepare for. 

“It’s a fantastic game for us, for the club, with the history for the supporters. Everything to do with the game is a great game, so we’ll be ready for that.”

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s game, centre-back Lisandro Martinez made headlines for criticising United’s hierarchy in an explosive interview with Amazon Prime.

While the Argentine defended Carrick, he said everyone at Old Trafford “expected more from the top” and directly criticised the club’s technical director Jason Wilcox, saying there was not sufficient investment in the squad this summer.

Asked about Martinez’s pointed words, Carrick said:  “I haven’t seen it.

“You come here to try and get something from the game and you are disappointed and can be emotional. I have not seen it, so I don’t think it is the right time [to respond].

“We all care and show that in different ways, but now is the time to be together and work through it.”

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