Michael Carrick flat-out admitted it: Manchester United’s defense has a major problem, a big one, after only keeping the opposition out once in 10 games this season. When asked about the team’s failure to get shutouts during his pre-match news conference in Como, Carrick’s response was sharp and to the point: “You’re dead right. I can’t argue with that.” That’s the kind of honesty you get when things are not going well, and right now, the defense is definitely not cutting it.
The Shutout Struggle Is Real (And Not New)
It’s not just a rough start to this season either. That single clean sheet, which came against Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK last month, sticks out like a sore thumb. Carrick himself said, “There’s definitely parts of our game we have to improve to make things easier. I am fully aware of that.” This defensive headache isn’t new. Last term, under Carrick, United only managed six clean sheets in 17 matches, and two of those were in the final three games. Before that, his predecessor Ruben Amorim saw the team earn just two shutouts all season, part of an overall tally of nine in 63 games. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who everyone points to for solid defense, has already racked up seven clean sheets in 11 matches this season. That’s a stark contrast and shows just how far United has to go.
Defensive Line Chaos: Who’s Even Playing Back There?
One huge factor clearly making things tougher for Carrick is the absolute carousel in the backline. Getting consistent personnel has been almost impossible. Carrick has only been able to name the same back four once all season, when Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw started the win against Ipswich and then kept their places for the Everton match. That’s it! Carrick’s fitness update before the Como match was a “mixed bag,” which sounds about right for United right now. Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt is “fit and ready” after 11 months out with a back injury that needed surgery, but get this: Martinez then went down with a thigh injury at Leeds, meaning he didn’t even travel to Italy. Carrick had to plug Noussair Mazraoui, usually a full-back, into the central defense slot.
And it gets worse. Leny Yoro is out through suspension. Shaw is still not fit and is expected to be sidelined for “a little bit longer” than the 10 days Kobbie Mainoo is going to miss. We’re talking potentially past the November international break for Shaw. This left-back situation has been a disaster all season, something many people thought should have been fixed in the summer. United even talked to Manchester City about Rayan Ait-Nouri on deadline day, so they knew it was an issue. Shaw started all 38 Premier League games last year and the first three this season, but he has only played twice since, and the games missed could hit double figures before he’s back. Dalot lining up at left-back against Leeds made him the fifth different player to start there in six games. Fifth! Harry Amass could be the sixth. None of these guys, besides Shaw, are natural left-backs, which is wild.
This Wednesday, United takes on Como in the Champions League, and Carrick needs to find some answers, fast. With De Ligt finally back and ready to go, even if he didn’t start the last game, maybe there is a glimmer of hope for some defensive stability. But with all the injuries and suspensions, Carrick’s got his work cut out for him if he wants to turn this season around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
Leave a Reply