Carrick accepts blame for United slump: I'll hold umbrella to keep everyone else dry

Michael Carrick has vowed to shoulder the blame for Manchester United's slump, insisting he is 100 per cent certain he can turn things around. "I'll get wet so everyone else stays dry," he said in an emotional defence of his leadership.

In Short

• Manchester United’s 1-4 loss at Como extended their win less streak to seven
• Michael Carrick delivered an emotional opening statement at his press conference
• He denied dressing-room divisions after Fernandes questioned the tactical approach

Michael Carrick has accepted responsibility for Manchester United's alarming run of form, insisting he remains 100 per cent convinced he can turn things around despite mounting pressure on his position.

The United head coach delivered an emotional opening statement at his press conference on Friday, acknowledging the team's struggles and promising to put things right. Rather than wait for questions about his future, Carrick addressed the club's predicament directly, admitting that United had lost their way in recent weeks.

His most striking remarks came when he described his responsibility as manager, saying he was prepared to take the criticism himself rather than let it fall on his players.

"The responsibility for me to be in this position is to lead. It is my responsibility whatever goes on the pitch, what we are as a group and what we look like and what we feel like," Carrick said.

"If anything, to hold that umbrella for me to get wet and for everyone else to stay dry. You know, that's the position I'm in, and it's a privileged position."

The 45-year-old's words came after United's 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday, a result that extended their winless run to seven matches in all competitions. The performance in Italy drew fresh criticism of Carrick and raised further questions about his future at Old Trafford.

"Recently, we haven't had a good time. I think that's pretty obvious. So I totally accept what we're going through at the moment," he said.

"We haven't done well enough lately. We've had a spell that we're really not happy with."

Carrick described the Como defeat as a painful night and admitted that United's performance had fallen well below the club's standards.

"Wednesday was a bad night. It was a bad night for a lot of reasons. It hurt a lot," he said.

"It obviously hurt me to see us play that way. As I said after the game, it was really unacceptable."

CARRICK REJECTS DRESSING-ROOM DIVISION

United's defeat also intensified scrutiny of captain Bruno Fernandes, who appeared to question the team's tactical approach in his post-match comments.

Carrick rejected suggestions that the squad was divided but declined to reveal whether he had spoken to Fernandes since the loss. He also sidestepped questions about the midfielder's future as captain.

Instead, he stressed the need to restore United's identity and give supporters a team they could be proud of.

"My responsibility is to get a team on the pitch that represents this football club, represents the supporters and they can be proud of it with the identity that we show," he said.

"We have gone away from that just recently in certain games, which I'm fully aware of and definitely doing something about."

Carrick also acknowledged the disappointment of supporters who travelled to Como, only to watch their team suffer the heaviest defeat of his tenure.

"The supporters are a huge part of this football club. They have to make the effort and the time and money they spend, to feel how we all felt on Wednesday was a tough moment," he said.

'100 PER CENT' CONVINCED HE CAN TURN THINGS AROUND

Carrick took charge in January 2026 following Ruben Amorim's departure and helped United secure a top-three Premier League finish and Champions League qualification. However, the recent run of results has left his future uncertain.

Despite the growing scrutiny, Carrick believes United can rediscover the form they showed earlier in his tenure.

"We had five months of relative success (last season) in a spell where I was happy with a lot of things I was seeing and that we were doing as a team," he said.

He added that the club needed to recapture the connection with supporters that had marked that period.

"For them (the fans) to feel like they felt for five months at the start of the year ... is something we need to get back to. We will get back to it. I fully believe that," he said.

Asked whether he still believed he could lead United out of their current crisis, Carrick was emphatic.

"Yeah, yeah, 100 per cent," he said.

United are 13th in the Premier League table with seven points, one ahead of Bournemouth, whom they host on Sunday.

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