Manchester United boss Michael Carrick says it would be "ridiculous" to start thinking how long he has left in the job after "two or three" bad results. His side visit Fulham on Sunday after an awful week. After United lost at home to a Manchester City side reduced to 10 men after 23 minutes, Brighton became the first side to come from two goals down to win at Old Trafford in 50 years in their Carabao Cup tie.
United supporters responded to the midweek setback with boos and by chanting against their team. Carrick said in the aftermath he was "not bothered" by the pressure - a sentiment he reinforced as he spoke to the media before the Fulham trip. "I know the club, I know the role, I know what's expected here in terms of playing to a certain standard and achieving certain things on the pitch," he added.
"In terms of future and ownership and how long I've got in the job, that's totally not in my thinking. It's ridiculous to think that way in the position I'm in, that's just not on the radar. "It's two or three games.
It's two or three games too many because I really hate losing, but that doesn't mean the world caves in. In some minds it does, it can't for us." There has been no sense from senior figures inside United that Carrick's position is under threat. They are more focused on the perceived under performance of so many players given the 12 games out of 17 that were won under the 45-year-old over the second half of last season.
By contrast, they have two victories from six games so far, against newly promoted Ipswich - when they had to come from behind - and Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK in the Champions League. "It's not a catastrophe or a disaster," said Carrick. "It's not the end of the world." Yet it is the measure of the noise around a club of United's size that is often feels that way.
Carrick accepted issues at Old Trafford are frequently amplified, so they look to be bigger than they actually are. Despite this, he loves his job - and the club he served with such distinction as a player, and began his coaching career. "There's great feelings, and there's obviously disappointments, and sometimes the smaller disappointments lead to being a little bit bigger," he added.
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