Gary Neville believes Michael Carrick's future will be in real doubt if Manchester United's poor form persists until January, but for now, he expects the Red Devils to give their embattled head coach time.

Having been pegged back in a 1-1 draw with old rivals Leeds United on Sunday, Carrick's side are now winless in six matches in all competitions, since beating Sabah 4-0 in their Champions League opener in early September.

In the Premier League, United have failed to win any of their last five games (D4 L1) and have only won one match all campaign – 5-2 against Ipswich Town in August.

The last time they recorded just one win in their opening seven games of a league season was in 1986-87, under Ron Atkinson in the old First Division.

They ended that campaign in 11th, having replaced Atkinson with Alex Ferguson in November.

Carrick's side are currently 13th in the table, already five points adrift of Liverpool in fifth, and Neville says missing out on Champions League qualification is not an option this term.

Asked about United's expectations on the Gary Neville podcast, he said: "I would say fourth would be a birdie, fifth would be par, and sixth would be a bogey.

"They can't finish outside the top five, because then you're missing out on the Champions League and it becomes a vicious cycle.

"Then you can't get players because they want to play in the Champions League, and you can't get the money from it, and you've lost £60m to £70m, and you're in the Europa League.

"Fifth is a must for Michael Carrick to continue to grow and Manchester United to continue to grow with investment. If they're 13th in January, he's got a problem.

 "I spoke to the players this morning about the history of the game and what it means." Michael reflects on his team handling a tough atmosphere 

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 18, 2026

"I think it's still early enough, with seven points from seven games, to say, 'okay, it's still early' – you can't say that after 15 games.

"It has to change in the next few weeks: Bournemouth [on Sunday] is really important and so is Chelsea away [on October 31].

"You've got to say fifth. You know that anything less than fifth is going to be a disappointment and a drop in standards from where everybody expected them to finish.

"And at the moment, they're well short of that because you look at Brighton, Liverpool, Aston Villa – they look like they're picking up a little bit. It's difficult."

Despite another underwhelming performance, Carrick said on Sunday that taking a point from Elland Road represented a step in the right direction for his team.

And Neville understands that assessment, saying: "There's a depressed standard and low expectations right now.

"But it'll feel like a stepping stone for Michael Carrick, and it'll feel like the first step on the ladder in the Premier League."