Manchester United’s players reportedly believe they have ‘let Michael Carrick down’ in recent weeks with their performances and displays. The interim United boss got off to a flying start, winning his first four matches in charge after taking over from Ruben Amorim.
It was an unwelcome return to the sort of performances United had become accustomed to under Amorim, with Carrick’s side serving up a lacklustre display in the North East. According to those close to the United camp though, their excuse for the mid-week defeat is that they haven’t been playing enough matches.
United didn’t finish inside the European spots last season, and as a result of their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, were forced to go without continental competition this time around. It meant the 20-time English champion’s schedule was already reduced, but things got even worse for United when they were knocked out of both domestic cups in their opening matches.
A source close to United told The Sun: “The players feel like they let the manager down with the way they played. They think the big gaps between games are hurting them and making them struggle to start properly. It’s something they are aware of and want to change.”
Because of the FA Cup action taking place this weekend, United will have waited 11 days in between matches by the time Aston Villa come to town on Sunday. It’s one of just two matches United will play between now and mid-April, as the March international break and FA Cup quarter-final fixtures mean another couple of weekends without any action.
There had been suggestions that United could participate in some mid-season friendly matches in the Middle East against other teams from across Europe that didn’t qualify for UEFA competitions. That hasn’t transpired, meaning fans have been left short-changed, while United’s bank balance is said to take a hit following a season without European football.
United will conclude the 2025/26 season having played just 40 matches across all competitions – their lowest tally since the 1914/15 season. For comparison, rivals Manchester City have already played 45 games, and could feature in a further 20, should they progress all the way in the FA Cup and Champions League.