The Manchester United coach started his pre-match press briefing in an unusual way as he defended his position and vowed to turn things around.

Michael Carrick took journalists by surprise on Friday by launching into an uninterrupted five-minute address before opening the floor to questions, fighting to regain control amid mounting speculation regarding his Manchester United future.

The under-fire manager is enduring a deeply troubled start to the 2026/27 campaign, with United having registered just one Premier League victory to date. Rather than waiting for the anticipated barrage of questions regarding his precarious position, Carrick immediately set the agenda with an impassioned plea to supporters and a defence of his vision.

"I'll start today," Carrick told the media room. "I just want to say a few things. Recently, we haven't had a good time—that's pretty obvious, and I totally accept what we're going through at the moment.

"We had five months of relative success where I was happy with what we were building as a team. We haven't done well enough lately. Wednesday was a bad night for many reasons, and it hurt a lot. Seeing us play that way, and how the game unfolded, was really unacceptable."

Addressing the traveling support following Wednesday's humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat against Como, Carrick stressed his determination to repay the fanbase.

"The supporters are a massive part of this club," he added. "To see them spend their time and hard-earned money to back us, only to leave feeling the way we did after the game, was tough. My responsibility is to put a team out there that represents this club and gives the fans an identity they can be proud of. We've drifted from that in recent matches, and I am actively working to fix it. We will get that intensity, enjoyment, and passion back. I fully believe that."

The disastrous midweek loss in Italy not only heightened scrutiny from the board but also exposed fractures within the squad. Club captain Bruno Fernandes openly dissected and criticized the team's tactical approach during a scathing post-match interview.

When pressed on Friday about whether Fernandes would be stripped of the captaincy in the wake of those comments, Carrick remained cagey, stating only that he would "do what's best for the club."

While Carrick is slated to take charge for Sunday's Premier League encounter against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, the club's hierarchy is understood to be assessing contingency plans should results fail to improve immediately.

Eddie Howe has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate if a managerial change is made, with Julian Nagelsmann also being monitored. Meanwhile, Antonio Conte recently issued a statement dismissing links to the role, and both Aston Villa's Unai Emery and Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler are believed to be distancing themselves from the position despite interest from the United hierarchy.