Manchester United is facing a difficult run of form in the 2026/2027 Premier League. The historic English club currently sits slumped in 18th position on the provisional Standings, trapped inside the relegation zone with just 8 points collected from 10 matches played. The Red Devils have only secured one single victory this campaign, and have failed to establish any consistent playing rhythm.
The 4-4 Draw against Aston Villa on 8 November was not enough to improve Manchester United's league standing. This string of underwhelming results has piled mounting pressure on head coach Michael Carrick. The manager's future has become one of the biggest talking points amid the club's deepening performance crisis.
Situation at Old Trafford has drawn even wider attention after reports confirmed Manchester United have opened preliminary discussions with Mauricio Pochettino as one candidate to take over first team duties. Club executives are currently debating Carrick's position, though no official decision on a potential managerial change has been finalised as of yet.
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Even so, is Manchester United's troubles really the sole fault of Michael Carrick?
Football Analyst Erwin Fitriansyah argues that this crisis cannot be separated from fundamental failures in the club's player recruitment strategy. He pointed out that United have repeatedly signed additional midfielders, while the most critical squad gaps exist in the attacking line.
This has left the squad severely unbalanced. Players deployed as centre forwards are not natural attackers suited for the role, while similar flaws exist in defence: neither the centre backs nor full backs have been able to deliver the defensive stability the team requires.
Fitriansyah stressed that Manchester United's problems are not isolated to one single area. Both attack and defence are underperforming, and this lopsided squad structure makes it impossible for the team to build solid, consistent match play.
Fellow football analyst Kesit B Handoyo also criticised the club's transfer policy. He highlighted growing individualism within the squad, noting that Bruno Fernandes frequently appears to be playing for his own personal agenda rather than working as part of the team. Manchester United will need full collective teamwork from every player to escape this slump.
Public comments from squad members have also exposed deeper underlying issues at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes has publicly criticised the team's tactical approach, while Lisandro Martinez has openly raised concerns over the club's recruitment policy and board management. These statements make clear that any review cannot only target the head coach - it must address the entire squad building strategy at all levels of the club.
At this time, Mauricio Pochettino is the name most heavily linked with the Manchester United vacancy. The Argentine coach's prior Premier League experience with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea is seen as a major advantage. That said, whoever eventually takes charge of the Red Devils will face an enormous challenge: fixing the broken squad balance, rebuilding player confidence, and dragging the club clear of relegation.
So what has actually gone wrong at Manchester United? Is this simply a failure of Carrick to implement his game plan, or are the true root problems flawed transfer policy, poor squad quality, and club leadership that has lost all clear direction?
These questions were discussed in full on the Itsme Podcast, with guest analysts Football Analysts Erwin Fitriansyah and Kesit B Handoyo. The episode was recorded live at ITSMe Studio, Sentul, Bogor, hosted by Gilang Respaty and Pudila.
