Michael Carrick is under great pressure after Manchester United's struggling start, but the problems he has to face go far beyond the professional scope of a coach.
Carrick was awarded a 2-year contract, with a 12-month extension clause, after helping Man United finish third last season and win a ticket back to the Champions League. That was a reward for the period he helped the team escape the chaos under Ruben Amorim.
However, when Carrick officially took on the job he wanted, Man United could not meet most of the coach's personnel requirements. The gaps in the squad are still there, while the transfer budget is limited.
The 1-1 draw against Fulham left Man United with only 5 points after 5 Premier League rounds, their worst start in the league. Matheus Cunha's equalizer in the 89th minute helped the "Red Devils" avoid a defeat, but could not cover up the existing problems.
Carrick wants to strengthen the midfield after Casemiro left and Manuel Ugarte was injured. Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were once in Man United's top targets, but moved to Manchester City for 116 million pounds and Tottenham for 85 million pounds respectively.
Man United then switched direction to Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba. The three deals cost a total of 150 million pounds, but Baleba is still unable to play due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, they also could not find a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw in the left-back position.
This makes Carrick have to work with a squad with many problems. The midfield lacks speed and creativity, while the defense lacks depth in the wing-back and center-back positions. The attack has also not found stability, with Marcus Rashford not scoring and not having any assists after 5 matches.
It is worth mentioning that Man United is not short of money in theory. They spent £150 million in the summer transfer window, but this figure is still lower than the spending of the remaining opponents in the "Big Six" group such as Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Man United's board of directors believes that the club needs to control spending after years of ineffective investment under the Glazer family. Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox are balancing between the need to restructure the squad and the need to bring the financial situation to a more stable state.
Carrick is therefore in a difficult situation. He must be responsible for the results on the field, but cannot completely control the quality of the squad. Current problems cannot be solved with just a few tactical adjustments.
Even if Man United replaces Carrick with another coach, personnel gaps remain. This team needs to add quality to the midfield, depth in defense and stability in attack.
Carrick is under pressure from achievements, but Man United's story is not just about the coaching chair. A team that has not completed the rebuilding process will continue to make any leader face difficulties.
