Manchester United return from the international break to face Tottenham on Saturday, a game that feels like a must-win for Michael Carrick after a disappointing start to the campaign. United have taken just five points from games against Hull City, Ipswich Town, Everton, Manchester City and Fulham.
That is United's joint-lowest points tally after five games of a Premier League season, matching the five points collected at the start of 2014/2015, Louis van Gaal's first year in charge. Van Gaal salvaged a poor start to steer United to fourth, and Carrick needs his side to climb the table quickly to quieten the external noise around his future.
Data suggests United should be better off
Tyrone Marshall believes the numbers present a much better picture of United's start than the images seen on the pitch, which will be good news for Carrick given the club are now keen to back the data. United have had moments of misfortune, most notably against Manchester City, and the attacking numbers they are posting suggest they should be better off than five points from five games.
Some number crunchers believe their performances should actually have them fifth in the table. Carrick has the personality to make sure any bad luck is quickly forgotten, and his calmness is partly what attracted United to him. But results will ultimately decide his fate, and he needs some quickly. Beating Tottenham this weekend is vital given three tricky away games follow, two of them in the Champions League.
Conte waiting in the wings
Marshall notes that Carrick's biggest issue might be the presence of Antonio Conte, who is out of work and talking about having another crack at the Premier League. Conte is an obvious fit for United, and if they start to fall away from the Champions League race, don't be surprised if Sir Jim Ratcliffe feels he has to act. For now, Marshall still thinks Carrick can turn this around, but he really needs to do that this month.
Steven Railston says Carrick's theory that United were unlucky to come out on the wrong side of small margins will be tested after the break. He has a point, as United's position would be better if Ainsley Maitland-Niles didn't score a screamer for Everton and if Erling Haaland's goal was chalked off in the Manchester derby, but the performance against Fulham didn't offer much reassurance to fans before the break.
Tottenham clash could make or break tenure
United had kind fixtures to start the season, and there's no denying that a return of five points is disappointing. Ruben Amorim was given time, even when results were really bad, and he only lost his job because of his rant in the Elland Road press room, so Carrick should also be given time to turn it around. Carrick still has goodwill in the bank after impressively guiding the club to a third-place finish last season.
The Tottenham game feels like it could make or break Carrick's tenure. Spurs are at the bottom of the Premier League and have failed to score in four of their matches, so it would be an awful result to lose to them at home. On the other hand, a win under the floodlights at Old Trafford upon the return to domestic action could launch United's season and provide momentum heading into a tricky run of fixtures. Railston thinks Carrick is still the right man, but he must beat Tottenham to quell the noise, which could snowball if United lose on Saturday.
