Man Utd players admit causing Michael Carrick's disappointment, citing few matches as reason for dip in form;
On 9 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Thesun reported that Manchester United players acknowledged they had disappointed caretaker manager Michael Carrick with their recent performances and believed one reason for the slow start was the limited number of matches played.
Under Carrick's temporary management, Man Utd showed strong form early on by impressively defeating both Manchester City and Arsenal, but their performances have clearly declined recently, especially in matches against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.
In the match against Palace, Carrick's team initially fell behind despite the opponent being reduced to 10 men, before rallying to narrowly win 2-1.
However, in a midweek game, they again underperformed and lost 1-2 to Newcastle, even though the "Magpies" had been down to 10 players since the first half.
Carrick, who had been unbeaten until then, showed clear dissatisfaction with his players’ performance; after the game, he applauded the away fans but did not acknowledge his players, instead heading straight to the dressing room.
Following a disappointing previous season and a poor start to 2025-26, Manchester United failed to qualify for European competition and were eliminated early from all cup tournaments, resulting in the fewest matches played in 111 years: 38 Premier League games, 1 Carabao Cup, and 1 FA Cup match, totaling only 40 matches this season.
This situation meant the team averaged only one match per week, with a long 12-day break in mid-February due to no cup fixtures. Their form then faltered, with a 1-1 draw against West Ham, narrow wins over Everton (1-0) and Crystal Palace (2-1), before the recent unexpected 1-2 defeat to Newcastle despite the opposition having 10 men.
Man Utd’s next match will come after a 10-day rest, as they prepare to face Aston Villa on 15 March.