A series of costly mistakes, injury setbacks and tactical shortcomings have contributed to the club’s struggles, raising serious questions about Carrick’s ability to turn the season around.
The problems began before United’s season-opening Premier League fixture against Hull City, when injuries to Benjamin Sesko and Amad Diallo disrupted Carrick’s attacking plans.
Sesko was still recovering from a shin injury that had prematurely ended his previous campaign, while Diallo suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out for seven weeks.
With his preferred attacking options unavailable, Carrick was forced to deploy Bryan Mbeumo on the right wing and turn to Matheus Cunha, whose tendency to drop deep often saw him occupy spaces preferred by captain Bruno Fernandes.
The tactical adjustment affected United’s attacking effectiveness, particularly against a physically motivated Hull side eager to make an impression on their return to the Premier League.
Former Norway and Middlesbrough striker Jan Aage Fjortoft subsequently questioned United’s commitment, describing their performance as lacking passion. Carrick, however, dismissed the criticism as "ridiculous", insisting that it was only one game.
United's difficulties continued the following week when they faced another newly promoted side, Ipswich Town.
A defensive error from Marcelino Nunez allowed Cunha to set up Fernandes for an equaliser, before the Portuguese midfielder completed a hat-trick in a 5-2 victory.
Despite that impressive performance, Fernandes has struggled to reproduce his earlier scoring form, managing just one league goal since, a penalty against Aston Villa on Sunday.
United then travelled to Everton, where they twice surrendered control of the contest. Although Sesko appeared to have secured victory with a late goal after coming on as a substitute, Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck deep into stoppage time to earn Everton a draw.
Carrick remained confident in his team's ability to recover, insisting that the season had not been as disappointing as some suggested.
However, subsequent performances exposed deeper problems, particularly concerning the team's fitness, defensive organisation and ability to manage difficult situations.
United struggled against Manchester City despite their rivals being reduced to 10 men in the first half. Although City's winning goal, scored by Erling Haaland, was later questioned by referees' chief Howard Webb, United's overall display raised concerns.
Their problems continued in the EFL Cup against Brighton. Having established a 2-0 advantage within the opening 10 minutes, United eventually surrendered their lead and suffered defeat after conceding twice in four second-half minutes.
The coaching staff, previously praised during Carrick's interim spell, appeared increasingly unable to find solutions as results deteriorated.
A late equaliser from Cunha against Fulham offered some encouragement, but United were again unable to hold on to a positive result when they faced Tottenham after the international break.
Despite Tottenham being reduced to 10 men, United conceded a stoppage-time equaliser, extending their disappointing run.
Defensive concerns also surrounded Lisandro Martinez, whose own goal against Fulham was followed by another costly mistake against Tottenham.
The Argentina international subsequently made headlines after criticising United's summer recruitment following their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid. Martinez openly questioned the club's recruitment strategy and directed responsibility towards technical director Wilcox.
Injuries further complicated Carrick's selection decisions, with Sesko and Luke Shaw among those sidelined. Marcus Rashford also remained unavailable, while uncertainty at left-back forced the manager to use five different players in the position.
United's Champions League campaign suffered another setback when Como scored within the opening two minutes before going on to secure a 4-1 victory.
Following the defeat, Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick's tactical approach, adding to the growing pressure surrounding the manager.
The midfielder was subsequently dropped for the Bournemouth fixture but returned to captain the side against Chelsea. United suffered defeats in both matches.
With just three victories from 15 matches in all competitions and the club languishing in 18th place in the Premier League, Carrick's position has become increasingly difficult to defend.
The mounting injuries, defensive errors, tactical uncertainty and poor results have exposed significant weaknesses within the squad, leaving the manager facing the possibility of losing his job.
