Michael Carrick hits back at Matheus Cunha as Man Utd boss dismisses fitness claims despite worst start in 12 years after Fulham draw

Manchester United's dismal run of form continued on Sunday as they fell behind to a Lisandro Martinez own goal against Fulham. The visitors looked destined for another damaging defeat before Matheus Cunha struck in the 89th minute to rescue a 1-1 draw.

The result leaves United languishing in 12th place with just five points from their opening five Premier League fixtures. It marks their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 2014, piling further pressure on Carrick's side following their midweek Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Brighton.

Following the final whistle, goalscorer Cunha pointed to a lack of intensity, suggesting that Fulham's players "put in more energy" during the early stages of the second half before taking the lead. Match data backed up the forward's assessment, revealing that the hosts covered six kilometres more than United over the 90 minutes.

However, Carrick firmly rejected the idea that his team was off the pace. The manager maintained that his players finished the match on the front foot to secure the late equaliser.

"It didn't look like that to me," Carrick stated when quizzed on Cunha's remarks. "I was quite happy with the way we finished the game. I thought we finished the game really strongly actually and we kept pushing."

When pressed on whether squad conditioning was a wider problem, Carrick added: "So I don't think that's an issue, no."

Despite acknowledging that United's start to the season has been "not ideal," Carrick was keen to highlight his squad's resilience. The late goal prevented a third damaging defeat in a single week, offering a small building block for the embattled manager.

"That's a big thing, without getting carried away with it, because we've taken a point and we wanted to win, but it's part of learning as a group," Carrick explained. "How we respond, what it looks like moving forward, what our reaction is, all that. That's part of growing as a group."

The United boss praised his players for not collapsing after going behind. "Definitely today it could have gone in a different direction - 100 percent it could have," he noted. "I was really pleased with the response and I think that'll help us a lot moving forward."

United now enter the extended international break, providing Carrick with crucial time to address his team's shortcomings on the training pitch. The Red Devils will not return to action until October 10, when they face a home match against Tottenham Hotspur.

That fixture shapes up as a vital test. Securing a positive result against Spurs is imperative to shift the negative momentum, quiet the lingering questions over the squad's physical output, and begin dragging United up the Premier League table.