Carrick confident Manchester United can overcome early-season “storm”

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says his side can “work through” their difficult start to the season, insisting he expected the team to face a testing period at some point.

United have collected only four points from their opening four Premier League matches and were eliminated from the League Cup by Brighton in midweek.

They led 2-0 at Old Trafford before losing 3-2, the first time in 50 years that Manchester United had surrendered a two-goal home advantage. The result followed a disappointing league defeat by Manchester City last weekend and a draw at Everton on Sunday.

Carrick was appointed on a permanent basis after guiding United to third place in the Premier League during a successful temporary spell at the end of last season. That finish secured a return to the Champions League.

“History tells you that any team that’s successful goes through periods when you have to work through it, come through it and improve,” said Carrick, speaking before Sunday’s trip to Fulham.

“We’ve had a small period, in recent time, when it hasn’t been exactly what we want it to be.

“I was expecting a point when we would go through it, it was going to come. We had such a good spell last season, going into this season.”

The former Manchester United and England midfielder also believes recent results have been shaped by fine margins and poor fortune.

Manchester United received a swift apology from referees’ chiefs after Erling Haaland scored the winning goal for Manchester City last weekend. The goal was incorrectly awarded because the VAR officials failed to identify an offside against Enzo Fernandez in the build-up.

United were also on course for three points at Everton before Toffees defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck a remarkable long-range effort into the top corner.

“It is a week or two, the games haven’t gone our way,” Carrick added. “It’s tiny margins in some of those games. We will work through it. Winning games is always the answer, it can cover up a lot of things at times as well.

“Sometimes it’s the small disappointments that lead to something a bit bigger. It’s part of coping and being at this great football club.”

United may be strengthened at Craven Cottage by the return of Luke Shaw, who has been unavailable through injury.

Carlos Baleba is also in contention to make his first appearance since completing a £70 million ($95 million) move from Brighton.