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When the 2025/26 Premier League season came to an end, Arsenal celebrated their first league title in 22 years. It was a grand occasion and far more than just a sweet moment for the North London club.
For Manchester City, what initially looked like a disappointing campaign still ended with silverware. Pep Guardiola’s side lifted both the League Cup and the FA Cup in what was his farewell season after a decade in charge. Yet, they would have preferred to add the Premier League trophy to the celebrations. That, however, did not happen.
On the red side of Manchester, there was a very different story unfolding.
After a turbulent 2024/25 season that saw Ruben Amorim guide the club to a 15th place finish, Manchester United responded by ending the 2025/26 campaign in third place.
Michael Carrick had taken charge in January following Amorim’s departure. His first two matches could hardly have been more difficult, against Manchester City and Arsenal. Few would have expected United to win both games. Fewer still would have predicted how convincing those victories would be.
But they did exactly that.
One win came at Old Trafford, the other at the Emirates Stadium against the eventual champions. At the time, the question was not about the results themselves, but whether they were merely part of a short-lived bounce that would eventually fade away.
Carrick proved it was much more than that.
Manchester United were the only team in the Premier League to remain unbeaten throughout the 2026 calendar year, putting together an impressive 11 match unbeaten run under the interim manager.
They accumulated more points than any other side in 2026, collecting 41 in total.
They also finished the calendar year as the league’s highest scoring team.
Across the entire 2025/26 campaign, Manchester United were the only Premier League side that did not suffer back to back defeats.
For a club that had endured so much frustration the previous season, there was further reason for optimism. Captain Bruno Fernandes capped off the campaign by setting a new Premier League record with 21 assists, the highest tally ever recorded in a single season.
All of it combined to restore belief around Old Trafford and build genuine momentum heading into the 2026/27 season.
With Carrick initially appointed as caretaker manager in January before being handed the role on a permanent basis, Manchester United now had renewed hope that their resurgence was only just beginning.
Heading into the new season, there was genuine optimism around Manchester United.
Given the way the previous campaign ended under Michael Carrick, supporters had every reason to believe the club could take another step forward and compete at the highest level this season.
But if there were hopes of a serious challenge before the campaign began, Saturday afternoon’s opening fixture did little to strengthen that belief.
Manchester United fell to a 2-0 defeat against Hull City at the MKM Stadium in their first game of the season.
More concerning than the result itself was the nature of the performance.
This was not a game where United could point to misfortune or a lack of luck in front of goal. Nor was it a contest in which they dominated proceedings only to be punished by moments of quality from the opposition.
Instead, it was a shambolic display.
At no point during the match did Manchester United look capable of causing Hull City serious problems. Even after falling two goals behind in the first half, there was little indication that a comeback was on the cards.
The urgency was missing, the response was lacking, and the belief that had defined much of Carrick’s reign last season was nowhere to be seen.
For a side that ended the previous campaign with so much momentum, it was a sobering start to the new season.
Now, there is a question hanging around whether Manchester United’s season under Michael Carrick will reach a point where discussions about letting him go begin to creep in.
For Manchester United, from the board to the coaching staff and the fans, there needs to be an understanding that this team must first find a balance and establish consistency over consecutive seasons, something they have failed to do in recent years.
A fight for another top three finish should be the target, alongside showing signs of competing for the title and perhaps winning a domestic trophy.
If the club remains on course for those objectives, there should be no need for panic.
The only case for Carrick leaving or being sacked is if the results begin to wobble and the performances become equally unconvincing.
The game against Hull City is a good example.
It was a match Manchester United should have won, but football does not always go according to plan. Sometimes, these results happen. The key is ensuring they do not become a regular occurrence.
When the smaller sides come up against Manchester United, Carrick cannot afford to leave those games to chance. He needs to find ways to win the majority of them. At the same time, he must continue to get results against the bigger teams, and not just win, but do so in a convincing manner.
So, will Michael Carrick be the first manager to be sacked this season?
It is difficult to give a definitive answer.
One bad game does not cost a manager his job, and Carrick is still likely to have plenty of time to prove himself.
However, he needs to impose himself, maintain control of the direction of the team, and ensure that things do not begin to turn south.
