Carrick accepts blame for United slump: I’ll hold an umbrella to keep everyone else dry

Michael Carrick has accepted responsibility for Manchester United’s worrying form and insists he remains 100 per cent confident he can turn things around despite mounting pressure on his position.

The United head coach gave an emotional opening statement at his press conference on Friday, acknowledging the team’s problems and promising to put things right. Rather than waiting for questions about his future, Carrick spoke directly about the club’s woes, admitting that United have lost direction in recent weeks.

His most telling remarks came when he described his responsibility as a manager, saying he was prepared to take criticism himself rather than let it fall on his players.

Michael Carrick looks absolutely heartbroken as he opens his press conference with a statement before taking questions. utdreport (@utdreport) October 23, 2026

“The responsibility to be in this position is to lead. It’s my responsibility what happens on the pitch, who we are as a group and how we look and feel,” Carrick said.

“If anything, to hold that umbrella so I get wet and everyone else stays dry. That’s the position I’m in, you know, and it’s a privileged position.”

The 45-year-old’s words came after United’s 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como on Wednesday, a result which extended their winless streak to seven games in all competitions. The performance in Italy was a draw fresh criticism of Carrick and raised further questions over his future at Old Trafford.

“We haven’t been doing well lately. I think that’s pretty obvious. So I totally accept what we’re going through at the moment,” he said.

“We haven’t been doing well recently. We’ve had a spell that we’re really not happy with.”

Carrick described the Como defeat as a painful night and admitted that United’s performance fell well below the club’s standards.

“Wednesday was a bad night. It was a bad night for a lot of reasons. It hurt a lot,” he said.

“Obviously it hurt me to see us play that way. As I said after the game, it was really unacceptable.”

CARRICK REJECTS DRESSING DIVISION

United’s defeat also intensified the scrutiny of captain Bruno Fernandeswho appeared to question the team’s tactical approach in his post-match comments.

Carrick rejected suggestions the squad had been split but refused to reveal whether he had spoken to Fernandes after the loss. He also dodged questions about the midfielder’s future as captain.

Instead, he stressed the need to restore United’s identity and give fans a team they could be proud of.

“My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, represents the fans and they can be proud of that with the identity that we show,” he said.

“We’ve gone away from that in certain games recently, which I’m fully aware of and I’m definitely doing something about.

Carrick also acknowledged the disappointment of supporters who traveled to Como only to watch their team suffer the heaviest defeat of his tenure.

“The fans are a huge part of this football club. They have to put in the effort and the time and the money they spend to make them feel the way we all felt, it was a difficult moment on Wednesday,” he said.

“100 PERCENT” CONVINCED HE CAN TURN THINGS AROUND

Carrick took over in January 2026 following the departure of Ruben Amorim and helped United secure a top three Premier League finish and Champions League qualification. However, recent results have left his future uncertain.

Despite the increasing scrutiny, Carrick believes United can rediscover the form they showed earlier in his tenure.

“We had five months of relative success (last season) in a period where I was happy with a lot of the things I saw and did as a team,” he said.

He added that the club needed to regain the connection with the fans that marked this period.

“For them (the fans) to feel like five months into the year … is something we have to get back to. We’re going to get back to that. I fully believe that,” he said.

Asked if he still believes he can lead United out of their current crisis, Carrick was emphatic.

“Yeah, yeah, 100 percent,” he said.

United are 13th in the Premier League table with seven points, one ahead of Bournemouth, who host on Sunday.

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