HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF? Carrick given brutal reality check over threat of being sacked by Man Utd after overseeing worst start in 40 YEARS

With the drama enveloping the blue half of Manchester, it's easy to overlook the other side of the city.

But while City - on the pitch at least - are thriving, Manchester United are dangerously close to a full-blown crisis. The Red Devils went into Saturday's clash with Tottenham with just one win from their opening five matches.

And despite being dominated for large periods of the game, United were minutes away from a priceless - if undeserved - victory. But Dominic Solanke's injury-time equaliser earned 10-man Spurs their own valuable result.

It left Michael Carrick shaking his head on the touchline with the Old Trafford faithful voicing their own frustrations at the final whistle. That result sees United complete their worst start to a league season in 40 years.

In 1986, United sacked manager Ron Atkinson at the start of November, replacing him with an up-and-coming manager from Scotland....fair to say that went well.

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United only appointed Carrick on a permanent basis during the summer after a brilliant stint as interim boss, but the clouds are already gathering. They now face a gruelling gauntlet of seven matches before the next international break in November - a run of fixtures that could make...or break Carrick's time in charge.

We are asking our writers if Carrick will be able to turn around United's fortunes - and if he can't, how long the club can stick with him....

This has become an utter farce born out of too many people making emotional decisions.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but, in May, someone at Manchester United should have turned round to Michael Carrick and said: “Thanks, you’ve done a wonderful job - you’re an even bigger legend now.” And said goodbye.

And at that point United should have brought in a stellar name. An A Lister. Someone like Antonio Conte who led Chelsea to the title with Victor Moses in the team. That’s not to pick on poor Victor. But to highlight the fact that elite managers make every player better.

Yes, we can all agree the United squad is a long way from the glory days. But at the moment it’s a pretty average squad underperforming badly, not looking motivated (they certainly weren’t in the first half against Tottenham) or indeed fit. Put those elements together and it’s a disaster.

We had it before with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when too many United mates in the media were shouting “Ole’s at the Wheel!” They appointed him, it worked for a bit and then it didn’t.

That is on the United hierarchy. That is why they got it wrong. They should make professional, cold and good decisions. I don’t think Carrick can turn United into champions (and that’s what they expect) and so they have to be ruthless.

We're back here again then. For the third season in a row, United's season is in danger of unravelling with a manager firmly under the spotlight. In 2024/25 Erik ten Hag was replaced, the following season it was Ruben Amorim and now Carrick is quickly reaching the point of no return.

Old Trafford is notoriously patient with managers, but there were clear signs of discontent on Saturday and once the fans turn, it sets the clock ticking.

United now have seven matches in the next three-and-a-half weeks, before bosses have a convenient window to make major changes. Carrick has plenty of time to make sure that isn't a consideration, but his credit in the bank can only go so far.

If this slump isn't arrested before then, United could be forced into their customary Autumn sacking.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON CARRICK'S FUTURE AT MAN UTD!

Purely going by what we're watching there's not much to hold onto with regards to performances, and its not like they're getting results whilst playing poorly.The draw at Tottenham was arguably the biggest gulf we've seen between United and their opponents this season. The first-half especially was like watching teams from two different leagues, such was Tottenham's dominance.Worryingly Carrick has also begun the season with more favourable fixtures, things are only going to get harder. Fortunately there's been a chunk of draws, rather than a cluster of losses, which would've been more damning.

There is a worrying sense of deja vu at Old Trafford, thinking back to the final days of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reign. United have four of their next five games on the road, and ultimately the United bosses will have to take stock come November 8, when the next block of seven games before the international break is done.The fear is, having wrongly backed Erik ten Hag, then sacked him, then axed Ruben Amorim, their judgement is at an all-time low. Many will say they ignored the warning signs before hiring Carrick, but they can't ignore what they're watching right now.