Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick finds himself in a "precarious" position, according to club insider Laurie Whitwell.

The 45-year-old has overseen the Red Devils' worst start to a season in 40 years, winning just once in the Premier League - and even that wasn't a totally convincing performance. Man Utd have taken a measly six points from their first six games.

Moreover, they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup after surrendering a 2-0 home lead against Brighton and lost to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek. Afterwards, Lisandro Martinez publicly slammed the club for a lack of summer investment.

It is a difficult situation to navigate for Carrick, who is still a fairly inexperienced manager. Being a great player and a great coach are two very different things. He is learning this the hard way.

The pressure on the former midfielder is mounting, and vultures are already circling. The camp of Premier League winner Antonio Conte has established contact with Man Utd after the Italian publicly announced that he wants to revive a fallen giant in his next job.

Carrick still backed but position "precarious"

Sunday's clash with rivals Leeds is a must-win game for Carrick, who knows that results must improve quickly. The problem is that Daniel Farke's men haven't lost at Elland Road since March, and they beat Man Utd at Old Trafford in April.

"I don't need results - we all need results," Carrick said at his pre-match press conference on Friday. "It's not about me. Manchester United is bigger than an individual, so please, I don't go into every day thinking about me."

The 45-year-old retains the backing of the club hierarchy, and understandably so. Director Jason Wilcox, who was criticised by Martinez in his post-Atleti rant, is well aware that a third successive mid-season sacking would undermine his own position.

Nevertheless, the situation is becoming "precarious" for Carrick, according to The Athletic reporter Laurie Whitwell, who is not convinced that a coaching change would necessarily result in an uptick in good results.

"I don’t believe there is an appetite to change head coach - and there are strong arguments that a new man in the dugout is unlikely to spark significant improvement - but Carrick’s position is beginning to feel precarious," Whitewell said.

"He needs a win or two, quickly. If he goes, attention will turn to the hierarchy for overseeing a third mid-season change in a row." The journalist adds that the season so far has been "deflating."

"Performances have been below par, one or two drastically so, and while the points total would be different were it not for a couple of late equalisers and an offside goal, the overall return feels about right - even though some of the stats paint a better story."

Despite Carrick's inexperience, Whitwell believes that the club legend has the necessary "steel" to turn things around. "I feel Carrick has the steel for solving this situation," he said.

"He found tactical plans that triggered a huge uplift last term, and he has been here as a player. But he also needs to tap into the players psychologically, ensuring they are sharp to beat their opponents from the first minute."

Losing to Leeds might not be the end of the road for Carrick just yet, but it would leave him desperately scrambling to save his job. It's best he doesn't let it come to this - a win at Elland Road could perhaps even spark a great turnaround.