Michael Carrick has said he is keen to see which players in his squad are “really there” as Manchester United try to steady a poor start to the season.

United’s victory over Sabah on Sept. 10 in the opening round of Champions League fixtures has been one of only two wins they have recorded so far. With a difficult trip to the Metropolitano next on the schedule, Carrick’s side could now go five matches without a win.

That possibility sits in sharp contrast to the opening stage of Carrick’s first spell in charge, when his early months were followed by a far more encouraging run. United never went more than two games without victory during his interim period, but they have already moved beyond that point now.

Carrick used his pre-match press conference to frame the challenge in positive terms, insisting the difficult spell can reveal who is truly committed to the group.

“I love this part, sometimes when it’s not quite going for you, you see who’s really there, you see within the group, the players, the squad, the club, who’s really there and who wants to be here for the long term,” Carrick told his prematch press conference.

“[You see who is] really attached to it and [who it] really means something [to].

“The supporters are there, they’re desperate for it, and we’ve got to give them something. I think you’ve got to embrace the challenges to get to where you want to be. We’re right there now in the middle of it, but totally believe that we’ll work through it.”

United’s current position is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can turn. The club enjoyed a very different mood during the second half of the 2025–26 campaign, when Carrick’s first six months led to questions over why he had not been appointed permanently sooner.

Even so, United have been here before. It was only in January 2025 that Ruben Amorim’s side went five matches without a win, a run that included defeats to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United before a 2–2 draw away at Liverpool brought it to an end.

Matchday 6 left the table untouched in one sense, but the performances were impossible to ignore. In the post-verdict era, points can feel fragile, yet the evidence on the pitch still matters. City’s second-half surge past a faltering Liverpool side may be revisited later, but Erling Haaland’s strike and Rayan Cherki’s invention are already part of the record.

Sunderland, deprived of key figures, were left with too little invention and too little calm in possession. Régis Le Bris was right to question the side’s lack of “quality or composure” after they controlled much of the ball but found no answers without Brian Brobbey. Bournemouth also remain short of rewards, and their latest defeat under Marco Rose brought another reminder that encouraging spells mean little without a first win. “The last games we had some good performances,” the incoming manager admitted, “but today we struggled.”

Manchester United’s problems continue to widen. Michael Carrick’s side were exposed again, this time by Tottenham Hotspur, and the mood around Old Trafford is growing less forgiving. Carrick’s own assessment was blunt: “I understand the disappointment,” he shrugged, “the reality is what it is.”

Elsewhere, Newcastle’s 4–1 defeat at Coventry City was harsh on the chances they created, yet costly for the gaps they left behind. Liverpool’s collapse after Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal became the major talking point in a contest Andoni Iraola felt was shaped by the referee, while Crystal Palace were celebrated after a win that owed plenty to a generous interpretation of events from Pierre Sage.

There were also hard-earned points for Everton, Hull, Aston Villa, Brentford, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Some wins were built on control, others on stubbornness, and a few on little more than survival. On a weekend where margins dominated, several teams learned how thin the line remains between progress and frustration.

Manchester United have made a fresh attempt to keep JJ Gabriel at the club, offering the teenager an official scholarship contract in a bid to prevent a free departure.

The move matters because, under Premier League youth rules, Gabriel could have left in January without a fee had United not acted. The Guardian reports that the club have now returned with a scholarship offer for next season, which means any Premier League side interested in him would have to negotiate a fee directly with United.

If no agreement is reached, the Professional Football Compensation Committee could decide the eventual package, in a process comparable to Rio Ngumoha’s move from Chelsea to Liverpool.

United would hope for more than just compensation in that scenario. Per The Guardian, the club would be aiming for a fee “in excess” of £3 million ($4 million), plus 20% of Gabriel’s next transfer fee. That would be preferable to seeing him depart for another club in Europe and leaving United with only training compensation.

Interest in Gabriel has intensified since he became available. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are among the clubs linked, but The Guardian says the Spanish side are the “favorites” to sign him.

That would fit the pattern of a young player seeking a bigger platform, though United are still trying to keep him. The problem is that a switch away from Old Trafford now appears “unlikely” to be avoided.

Should Gabriel move to a European club, only FIFA training compensation would be due, generally around £200,000-300,000 ($265,000-397,000).

His frustration at limited first-team opportunities has been central to the situation, yet a move elsewhere would not guarantee more game time. The draft also points to examples involving Endrick, Franco Mastantuono and Yan Diomande, all of whom have found breaking into a strong side far from straightforward.