MICHAEL CARRICK SAID fine margins are costing Manchester United after a 1-1 draw against Fulham stretched their winless Premier League run to three matches.
United were fortunate to leave Craven Cottage with a point thanks to Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute deflected goal, though it was not enough to lift them out of the bottom half of the table heading into the international break.
A muted display took a comedic turn when Lisandro Martinez stabbed the ball into his own net just past the hour mark, the defender seemingly caught by surprise after goalkeeper Senne Lammens had fumbled a Calvin Bassey shot with his legs.
It neatly summarised the mess Carrick’s side had made of their visit to west London, and there could be little arguing that Fulham probably deserved to have given Alvaro Arbeloa his first Premier League win.
Nevertheless, it meant more dropped points for United after last weekend’s controversial derby defeat to Manchester City, as well as the draw at Everton and the opening-day loss to Hull.
“It’s not been ideal,” said Carrick, whose side have won just one of their opening five league games. It is also only the second time in Premier League history United have collected as few as five points from their first five matches.
“It was always going to come at some point, (and) it’s come at the start of the season. On the other side of it, at Everton, a 25-yard shot, top corner. The City goal that’s not a goal. Today, own goal, that’s one of them things. It’s pretty fine margins that have flipped it.
United boss Michael Carrick (left) with Lisandro Martinez. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“I know we can do better, we need to do better at certain things. But I’m not despondent because I think we’ve shown some good signs as well.”
Fulham’s goal went down against Martinez’s name but the blame was shared with his goalkeeper, a botched effort by Lammens to shovel away Bassey’s shot with his legs rather than his gloves, then an equally inexplicable and muddled attempt at keeping the defender’s pass back to him out of his net.
Advertisement
Cunha’s shot hit defender David Affengruber and span cruelly past the wrong-footed Bernd Leno with Fulham just minutes from a first league win of the campaign.
“It’s the first time when we’ve had a spell of a couple of weeks when results haven’t gone to plan,” said Carrick. “You learn about each other, they learn about me, I learn about the individual and as a team, how we respond, what our reaction is.
“That’s part of growing as a group. You have to go through certain things to get to the end of it.”
Asked if United were passive, he said: “I didn’t think we were. Did you think we were? Football is a difficult game.
“We controlled a lot of the first half. It’s the Premier League and you will have spells where you don’t have it all your own way.
“To expect total dominance for the whole game, I don’t think anyone gets that in this league.”
Beaten by Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend and Brighton in the League Cup third round in midweek, Carrick’s team could not afford another by the banks of the River Thames.
That they came so close to losing again underlined the extent of their malaise. Carrick tried to remain upbeat, claiming that United did enough to take all three points.
Carrick (right) with Harry Maguire. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“I thought we should have won the game, I thought we created enough to win the game. The goal we did concede is one of them goals. The boys could have thought ‘it is one of those days’ but I really like the reaction,” he said.
“We nearly won it in the end. We came to get the win of course, the way it panned out and the way we finished is the positive we take from it.
“I think we can take a lot from today. I think we can learn a lot as well. We can be better at certain things, that is pretty clear, but there were some good signs today.”
Carrick once again denied he felt under pressure despite United’s miserable form.
“What bothers me is that we want better results,” he said. “We’re going to have a spell where it’s not quite going for you.
“We don’t think things are perfect by any means. We need to win football matches.”
Cunha hardly helped Carrick’s cause when he gave a damning indictment of United’s work rate.
“After the goal, we played much better with a lot of enthusiasm and character. This needs to be from the start,” the Brazilian forward said.
“It’s hard to explain, I feel after the first half we always get a lot of chances and create, play well.”
Cunha conceded that United had failed to match Fulham’s energy and drive for long periods.
Calling the lack of effort unacceptable, he said: “In the beginning of the second half they put in more energy than us and we cannot accept this.
“We always play better after conceding goal, and it cannot be like this. We need to improve in every single position.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'You learn about each other, they learn about me': United boss taking positives as pressure grows
MICHAEL CARRICK SAID fine margins are costing Manchester United after a 1-1 draw against Fulham stretched their winless Premier League run to three matches.
United were fortunate to leave Craven Cottage with a point thanks to Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute deflected goal, though it was not enough to lift them out of the bottom half of the table heading into the international break.
A muted display took a comedic turn when Lisandro Martinez stabbed the ball into his own net just past the hour mark, the defender seemingly caught by surprise after goalkeeper Senne Lammens had fumbled a Calvin Bassey shot with his legs.
It neatly summarised the mess Carrick’s side had made of their visit to west London, and there could be little arguing that Fulham probably deserved to have given Alvaro Arbeloa his first Premier League win.
Nevertheless, it meant more dropped points for United after last weekend’s controversial derby defeat to Manchester City, as well as the draw at Everton and the opening-day loss to Hull.
“It’s not been ideal,” said Carrick, whose side have won just one of their opening five league games. It is also only the second time in Premier League history United have collected as few as five points from their first five matches.
“It was always going to come at some point, (and) it’s come at the start of the season. On the other side of it, at Everton, a 25-yard shot, top corner. The City goal that’s not a goal. Today, own goal, that’s one of them things. It’s pretty fine margins that have flipped it.
“I know we can do better, we need to do better at certain things. But I’m not despondent because I think we’ve shown some good signs as well.”
Fulham’s goal went down against Martinez’s name but the blame was shared with his goalkeeper, a botched effort by Lammens to shovel away Bassey’s shot with his legs rather than his gloves, then an equally inexplicable and muddled attempt at keeping the defender’s pass back to him out of his net.
Cunha’s shot hit defender David Affengruber and span cruelly past the wrong-footed Bernd Leno with Fulham just minutes from a first league win of the campaign.
“It’s the first time when we’ve had a spell of a couple of weeks when results haven’t gone to plan,” said Carrick. “You learn about each other, they learn about me, I learn about the individual and as a team, how we respond, what our reaction is.
“That’s part of growing as a group. You have to go through certain things to get to the end of it.”
Asked if United were passive, he said: “I didn’t think we were. Did you think we were? Football is a difficult game.
“We controlled a lot of the first half. It’s the Premier League and you will have spells where you don’t have it all your own way.
“To expect total dominance for the whole game, I don’t think anyone gets that in this league.”
Beaten by Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend and Brighton in the League Cup third round in midweek, Carrick’s team could not afford another by the banks of the River Thames.
That they came so close to losing again underlined the extent of their malaise. Carrick tried to remain upbeat, claiming that United did enough to take all three points.
“I thought we should have won the game, I thought we created enough to win the game. The goal we did concede is one of them goals. The boys could have thought ‘it is one of those days’ but I really like the reaction,” he said.
“We nearly won it in the end. We came to get the win of course, the way it panned out and the way we finished is the positive we take from it.
“I think we can take a lot from today. I think we can learn a lot as well. We can be better at certain things, that is pretty clear, but there were some good signs today.”
Carrick once again denied he felt under pressure despite United’s miserable form.
“What bothers me is that we want better results,” he said. “We’re going to have a spell where it’s not quite going for you.
“We don’t think things are perfect by any means. We need to win football matches.”
Cunha hardly helped Carrick’s cause when he gave a damning indictment of United’s work rate.
“After the goal, we played much better with a lot of enthusiasm and character. This needs to be from the start,” the Brazilian forward said.
“It’s hard to explain, I feel after the first half we always get a lot of chances and create, play well.”
Cunha conceded that United had failed to match Fulham’s energy and drive for long periods.
Calling the lack of effort unacceptable, he said: “In the beginning of the second half they put in more energy than us and we cannot accept this.
“We always play better after conceding goal, and it cannot be like this. We need to improve in every single position.”
Additional reporting – © AFP 2026
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Manchester United Michael Carrick Premier League Soccer the bright side