The November international break is so often a perilous time for Premier League managers, and among those to fall during the latest interval is Michael Carrick.

The Manchester United manager has succumbed to the poisoned chalice, having ignited a remarkable upsurge during the second half of last season to steer the Red Devils back into the Champions League via a third-place finish.

United have merely rinsed and repeated since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with waves of initial optimism making way for a return to the new normal. Many believe that a sustained ascent to the promised land simply isn’t feasible with a combination of the Glazers and INEOS at the helm. The latter are already preparing to make their third permanent managerial appointment since arriving as minority owners in late 2023.

They’d seemingly stumbled into utopia with Carrick, who was offered a two-year contract in May, but the former United midfielder has merely become the latest fall guy in an institution clouded by incompetence.

Here are the numbers behind Carrick’s United reign.

Michael Carrick’s Man Utd Record in 2026

Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim in January 2026, having previously stepped in on an interim basis in 2021. He oversaw two victories and a draw during that period before Ralf Rangnick came in and quickly sapped that momentum.

He was appointed until the end of the 2025–26 season, but his stellar work in the role meant few scoffed at INEOS for handing Carrick the job full-time. No team collected more Premier League points from the moment he took charge last term, winning 12 of 17 games.

Celebrating Carrick’s impact with a collection of impressive statistics, United’s official website stated that the club was “now looking forward to a big summer” ahead of a 2026–27 campaign that was bound to be much more demanding, given the heightened expectations and extra rigors of playing Champions League soccer.

It had to be an aggressive but astute summer window, yet United meekly dipped their toe in the transfer market. They sought to operate without breaking the bank, retooling Carrick’s midfield after Casemiro’s exit via the signings of Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba for a combined $203 million—relatively impressive, given what the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur spent to rejuvenate their engine rooms.

Other position groups were left untouched, though, leaving United perilously short in some areas of the pitch.

This, combined with Carrick’s tactical shortcomings, an inability to establish balance with his new signings and injuries to a couple of integral figures, saw the manager’s once-outstanding record quickly evolve into one of indifference.

Having overseen just three victories in all competitions this season (20% win rate), Carrick departs the club with a 46.9% win rate (15 wins from 32 matches). It’s not quite Ruben Amorim bad, but it’s the second-worst among permanent United managers since Ferguson.

Fast Start Points to Unsustainability

There have been plenty of smug “I told you so!” folk lapping up United’s demise at the start of the 2026–27 season.

Those who dug a little deeper than the average Joe would’ve defined Carrick’s fast start on the Old Trafford touchline as ‘unsustainable‘, and they’ve certainly been proven right.

According to Opta data, relayed byThe Guardian, United did collect more points than anyone else after Carrick’s arrival, they also earned 12.7 points more than they were expected based on Opta’s models. Manchester City were the next highest with 5.1.

Moreover, eight of their 12 league wins under Carrick last season were by one goal. Only Napoli (nine) recorded more by such a slim margin in Europe’s top five leagues during that time. While Premier League champions Arsenal are 1–0-ing their way to another title, United didn’t perform with the imperious security and stability the Gunners possess.

So there was always a chance that their good fortune would dissipate if the Red Devils didn’t build on Carrick’s initial success.

Historic Slide Triggers Relegation Fears

Despite salvaging a point against Aston Villa on Sunday, United sit in the relegation zone with as many as 10 matches played for the first time since 1986–87. That woeful start forced the club to part ways with Ron Atkinson and usher Ferguson in.

Carrick oversaw just one league victory in 10, meaning United became the first team since Arsenal in 1953–54 to boast such a measly record after finishing inside the top three the previous season.

The club sought to rebuild its attack and midfield in back-to-back summers, but left its defense pretty much untouched. While it’s not merely the quality of the defensive personnel that has led to a wretched campaign to date, the underperformance of previously imperative figures, like Lisandro Martínez, has been a key contributing factor. They’ve conceded 30 goals in all competitions so far—the joint-highest among teams competing in Europe’s top five leagues.

Supporters have almost grown numb to nadirs, with apathy and nihilism surely more appealing than ever. Now, there’s a genuine fear that United could be playing Championship soccer next season. Tottenham Hotspur aren’t the behemoth that United are, yet the Lilywhites, who survived by the skin of their teeth last term, highlighted that the Premier League’s financial juggernauts are not immune to such a fate.

United are not too big to go down.

Opta’s supercomputer hasn’t yet come around to the idea, but plenty of supporters are fearing the worst.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Numbers Behind Michael Carrick’s Failed Man Utd Spell.