Carrick calms Manchester United future talk: "It's ridiculous to even think about it"

Michael Carrick faced the media before Manchester United's trip to Fulham and tried to shut down any debate about his future in the dugout. The 45-year-old admitted the opening weeks of the campaign have been far from ideal, but he insisted that rushing decisions never leads to solutions and called it "ridiculous" to focus on timelines or on his own situation.

• Manchester United have lost three of their six official matches and arrive after back-to-back defeats at Old Trafford.
• United fell 0-1 to City in the derby and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton after leading 2-0.
• Carrick takes full responsibility and says the focus should be on finding solutions rather than blaming individuals.
• The Red Devils sit 13th in the Premier League with 4 points from 12 ahead of Sunday's trip to Fulham.

Manchester United's difficult start in the Premier League and Carabao Cup

The opening stretch of the season explains the noise around Carrick's project. In six competitive matches, United have won just twice: a 5-2 victory over newly promoted Ipswich in the Premier League and a 4-0 win against Azerbaijani side Sabah in the early stages of the Champions League. The rest of the run has been full of setbacks.

The most painful stretch came over the past week. On Sunday, City took the Manchester derby with a goal from Erling Haaland that should have been disallowed, while Wednesday's exit in the Carabao Cup round of 32 hurt even more: Brighton came from 2-0 down at Old Trafford to win 3-2.

What the Fulham trip means for Carrick's Manchester United project

Álvaro Arbeloa's team welcome a United side in urgent need of a reaction on Sunday. With 4 points from their first four Premier League games, the Red Devils sit 13th and cannot afford more slip-ups if they want to stay close to the European places. The margin for error has narrowed, and Carrick knows it.

Rather than add to the drama, the manager offered a measured take on the situation. "It's not a catastrophe or a disaster," he said, adding that it is not "the end of the world". His message is designed to keep calm inside a dressing room that needs immediate results to silence the doubts.

Carrick responds to Manchester United manager speculation

Questions about how much time he has left in the job dominated much of the press conference. Carrick argued that the project goes well beyond the results of one or two matches and said he understands the demands of the club and the role. "I know what is expected here in terms of maintaining a certain level of play," he said.

Thinking about my future is ridiculous given the position I'm in. It's simply not on the table.

The manager made it clear that neither the ownership nor time limits are occupying his mind right now. His priority is preparing for the many matches ahead and restoring the team to a level that matches its squad. Any debate about his position feels secondary to him.

Carrick's approach to turning Manchester United's form around

Carrick was also self-critical and admitted the responsibility for the poor start belongs to him. "It's my responsibility and I accept it completely," he said, while rejecting any search for internal scapegoats. If people want to blame him, that is fine, but the conversation should move in a different direction.

The manager's diagnosis is built around collective solutions. He stressed that everything depends on where the focus is placed and that the goal is to reach the level they want as soon as possible. Without public deadlines or ultimatums, Carrick is betting on work and stability to rebuild the team.

What comes next for Manchester United after the Fulham game

The calendar offers no breathing room. After Fulham, United will alternate between the Premier League and the Champions League, the competition where the 4-0 win over Sabah offered a more convincing image. Consistency will be key for Carrick's message to hold up on the pitch.

Meanwhile, the manager will keep living with questions about his role. His answer has been clear: he prefers to talk about football and about how to get Manchester United back to winning ways. Whether that noise fades or grows will depend on the results in the coming weeks.