Man Utd: How Michael Carrick compares to Ruben Amorim last season after seven games as worrying signs emerge

Standard Sport takes a look at how the first seven games of the past two seasons stack up

This was a season which began with a real sense of optimism at Manchester United.

Since appointing Michael Carrick as interim manager in January, United had won more points than any other team in the Premier League as they surged to a third-place finish.

However, seven games into the new campaign and that optimism is nowhere to be seen – and the comparisons with the 2025-26 start under Ruben Amorim are all rather worrying.

With that said, Standard Sport takes a look at how the start to the first full seasons of both managers unfolded…

Results

Seven games in and Carrick’s United have won only two games and lost three – that’s the same as Amorim’s numbers at the same stage of last season, albeit you could argue the 2025-26 penalty shoot-out exit to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup should push the loss figure higher.

United are already out of the Carabao Cup this season, losing to Brighton last week.

Meanwhile, in the league, Man United sit 12th with just five points to their name – that is their joint-lowest figure after five games of a Premier League season (they also had just five in 2014/15 under Louis van Gaal).

Defeat on penalties to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup last season was a major low for Ruben Amorim

Only newly promoted Ipswich have been beaten by the Red Devils in the league this season.

In comparison, six of the opening seven games Amorim presided over last season came in the league and United sat 14th after beating Burnley and Chelsea at home.

Data

There are also striking similarities between the two campaigns when you look at the underlying data.

In terms of expected points, United sat fourth in that table this time last year (as opposed to their actual 14th position). This season, the xPts table has United sixth (well ahead of their 12th in reality).

On both occasions, the main reason for those ‘rises’ was that their expected-goals output was much higher than their actual goals scored.

Manchester United need more from their attacking players

Getty

Last season, Amorim’s United had scored just seven times in the league but they had an expected-goals figure of 12.04. This season, the gap is not so stark but it’s still significant – an xG total of 10.59 compared to their eight goals scored.

In simple terms, United aren’t putting chances away. You could read into this that things will soon change – United ended last season with an expected-goals figure that was just over three more than the goals they scored, so things certainly improved.

Alternatively, you could conclude that they don’t have enough quality finishers in their ranks.

Context

Things appear to be a little different in terms of how fans and media are judging the current situation to that of 12 months ago.

Carrick has credit in the bank after last season’s third-place finish.

In contrast, after seven games of 2025-26, the vultures were already hovering over Amorim, who had won just 34 points from his 33 league games in charge and hadn’t won back-to-back Premier League matches.

Michael Carrick gave Manchester United a big lift during the second half of last season

AFP/Getty

There also appeared to be a narrative explaining why Amorim’s team wasn’t succeeding – his wing-back formation was much derided but he refused to relent and switch to a back four, which many felt would have suited a lot of the players better.

Carrick is yet to be labelled in any such a way, although the criticism following Sunday’s draw with lowly Fulham was largely based on a lack of effort off the ball with plenty of data backing that up.

The future

“I am never concerned about my job,” said Amorim after United’s seventh game of last season – a 3-1 defeat at Brentford.

Things never really turned around for the Portuguese but Amorim lasted until January – and arguably only went after he raised the stakes by criticising the board.

Man United sat sixth at the time and he is now at AC Milan, unbeaten and two points off the pace in Serie A.