Carrick insists United have moved on

Michael Carrick tried to lower the temperature around Manchester United on Friday, dismissing the dispute sparked by Lisandro Martínez’s criticism of the club’s football leadership as “really not a drama for us as a group”. United travel to Leeds on Sunday amid growing pressure after a difficult start to the season.

Martínez had called for greater investment and said he expected more from technical director Jason Wilcox after United’s Champions League defeat by Atlético Madrid. Asked about the comments, Carrick said the squad had trained well and that the mood was positive. “The squad today was in a fantastic place, better than I’ve seen it for a while, actually,” he said.

Pressure builds before Elland Road

United have six points from their first six Premier League matches of the 2026-27 season and were 13th ahead of the weekend, according to the report. They have also been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and lost to Atlético in Europe. Carrick’s side have scored nine league goals, but defensive problems and a lack of efficiency in attack remain concerns.

The report says United had the most shots, 125, and the most touches in the opposition box, 205, in the Premier League at the time of publication. Their work rate was also questioned: they had covered 671.4km and recorded 581 sprints in the league during the 2026-27 season, figures cited as among the lowest in the division.

Carrick is weighing his options across a crowded group that includes Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba. Baleba, who had impressed in his first two appearances against Tottenham and Atlético, was unavailable through injury, the report said.

“It’s a great rivalry”

Sunday’s match brings Carrick back to Elland Road for a fixture that carries particular intensity between the clubs. Leeds were ninth and had lost once heading into the weekend. Carrick praised Leeds manager Daniel Farke and said the players must embrace the history and atmosphere of the occasion.

Asked whether he personally needed a result, Carrick replied: “I don’t need results, we all need results.” He added that the club and team mattered more than any individual, saying the priority was doing what was best for Manchester United.