Michael Carrick says he is genuinely eager for Manchester United's Champions League fixture against Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday, even as his side arrives without a victory in nine matches across all competitions, according to BBC.
The winless sequence is United's longest since the 1988-89 campaign. BBC reports the club has not gone ten games without a win within a single season since 1977-78, and that speculation is building that Carrick could be dismissed during the upcoming international break.
Speaking at a pre-match media conference, Carrick acknowledged that his outlook may strike observers as strange given the circumstances. He said people might consider him "crazy" in light of the results and the surrounding noise, but insisted he could not wait for the match and was looking forward to it.
Why it matters
The Roma fixture lands at a difficult moment for United. The team sits 17th in the Premier League, and after losses to Atletico Madrid and Como it stands 21st in the Champions League table after three matches, with only the top 24 sides advancing, per BBC.
The club's recent league position also carries historical weight. BBC notes United were last relegated in 1973-74 and have not been in the relegation zone after nine or more games since November 1986, when the team took a single point from Sir Alex Ferguson's first two matches following Ron Atkinson's departure. Since then, their lowest placing at that stage of a season was 17th in 1989-90; they were 16th under Ruben Amorim after 37 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
Carrick declined to speculate about his own future. He said he cannot see ahead and that nobody knows what will unfold, but that this uncertainty does not alter how he feels. Whatever direction events take, he said, the aim is to make Tuesday a significant night.
Roma's strong form and the Martinez question
The visitors arrive in better shape. BBC reports Roma's only defeat this season came at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League last month, a match in which they held a 3-1 lead with seven minutes remaining.
Carrick also addressed the fallout from Lisandro Martinez's red card at Chelsea, which drew a strongly negative reaction and prompted calls for the Argentina defender to be left out against Roma. Carrick took a measured view, saying that people make decisions and mistakes and that sometimes things work out.
He rejected suggestions that Martinez or the wider squad lack commitment. He said outside observers can make situations appear in many different ways, described the dressing room as a good place, and repeated that he does not doubt the players' dedication to the club, to him and to one another. He added that the team must perform better and make better decisions, but that commitment is not in question.
BBC reports that striker Bryan Mbeumo and midfielder Carlos Baleba were especially vocal during the session, while Martinez remained fully involved.
Mainoo points to belief inside the squad
England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo joined Carrick at the conference and echoed his manager's confidence in the group. Mainoo came on as a second-half substitute at Chelsea after missing four matches with a muscular problem.
At 21, Mainoo is among the youngest members of the squad, yet he is also its longest-serving player, having joined United at the age of seven. He said his time at the club has taught him that ups and downs are inevitable and that the path to the top is rarely smooth, adding that setbacks should be expected.
He conceded the season has been hard and that results have fallen short of expectations, but said he believes one victory could shift the trajectory. Mainoo also said the current position is not acceptable for a club of United's stature, describing United as a huge institution whose values have been handed down by those who have worked and played there. He said he feels a share of the responsibility for carrying that message, given his rise through the academy, and intends to keep doing so.
What to watch
Whether United can end the run against a Roma side beaten only once this season — and whether Carrick is still in charge when the international break arrives.
