'Carrick presiding over a club whose supporters feel deflated'

Gary Neville took a deep breath after Lisandro Martinez's own goal put Fulham ahead just over an hour into what had been a laboured Manchester United performance, and delivered his verdict. The former United skipper is never short of a scathing word, but even by his standards, this was brutal. "I've watched Manchester United since the age of five and that's the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen," he said. "Absolutely pathetic. "I've never seen such a lack of effort. What must [Michael] Carrick be thinking?" It seemed an extreme reaction. But in a week when United lost the Manchester derby to a Manchester City side reduced to 10 men midway through the first half, then, against Brighton , were beaten at home after giving away a two-goal lead for the first time in more than 50 years, frustration among the fanbase is high. Carrick has previously said he can shut out the noise. It cannot be quite so easy, though, when fans - who usually back their team through disappointment - followed up chants on Wednesday in disgust at the Brighton debacle by booing Carrick's decision to take off popular midfielder Kobbie Mainoo 11 minutes from time at Craven Cottage. "There's always going to be certain reactions when you're making changes," said Carrick. "I've spoken to Kobbie after the game and he's absolutely fine." Five points from five games leaves United 12th, already 10 points behind pacesetters City. This would all be pretty underwhelming were it not for the ticketing issues instigated by the club's touting crackdown that has annoyed so many in the fanbase. On Wednesday, United will release their full-year financial results to 30 June, around which the full extent of their current debt will be revealed. Then there is the general debate about the wisdom of new stadium, which is set to cost in excess of £2bn, with planning permission potentially submitted with the main Old Trafford masterplan, which is earmarked for late 2027 or early 2028. After leading United back to the Champions League so unexpectedly last season, Carrick is now presiding over a club whose supporters feel deflated, even if he does not recognise that. Read the full article