Manchester United are only five games deep into the new campaign but already there appears to be a fair dollop of pressure heaped on the shoulders of manager Michael Carrick.
The former United midfielder earned a full-time promotion to the top job after a stellar dress rehearsal in the second half of 2025-26. Twelve wins from 17 games saw him sweep away the negativity left behind by the ill-fated Bruno Amorim era and usher United back to the Champions League.
But costly defeats to newly-promoted Hull City and arch-rivals Manchester City have suddenly put Carrick and his players in the spotlight within the first month of the new season.
Sandwiched between those losses were wins, albeit expected victories, over Ipswich and FK Sabah and a draw with Everton where United twice surrendered a lead.
Add in confusion over tactics and questions about their summer recruitment and Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup third round meeting with Brighton at Old Trafford takes on even more significance for United, and especially Carrick.
It feels like they need not just a result against the Seagulls but also a convincing performance. They then travel to Fulham at the weekend in the league before the extended international break kicks in.
Two negative showings before then could see Carrick come in for even more criticism and with an even longer period to dwell over their below-par start. “We don’t need a break or a restart,” Carrick insisted after the derby setback. “We’ve just got to move on and get winning again.”
As for Brighton, they will be looking to once again boot United out of a cup competition just as they did last season. Albion won 2-1 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round back in January.
Their manager Fabian Hurzeler knows they will have to be switched on if they are to follow that up again this season. Speaking ahead of the game, the German said: “We expect a strong Manchester United who want to react after their defeat.
“For me it is very important that we show the belief, that we show our style of play. We need to have the right mindset.
“Everything is possible but it is a game where you have to be good in defence and have courage in possession.”
Hurzeler also wants his side to progress deep in this competition. You have to go back to 1979 for the club’s best run in the League Cup when they reached the quarter-finals.
He added: “We are a club with ambitions and expectations.”
An away win on Wednesday would further crystalise those ambitions that Hurzeler and Albion have – and at the same time pile even more pressure on his opposite number.
