'It hurts a lot' - Carrick understands Man Utd fans' boos after late capitulation

The poor start to the campaign has only heightened the tension around Old Trafford, with Manchester United failing to win five of their opening six Premier League matches this season (D3 L2) - as many games without a victory as they recorded across 17 league fixtures under Carrick last term.

Addressing the reaction from the stands, Carrick did not hide from the emotional toll the criticism took on him and his players. 'It is not nice, it hurts a lot because I care about this club. But I understand the disappointment, the reality is what it is, we need to get back to winning games,' the former midfielder told BBC Match of the Day.

The game itself was a story of two halves, with United starting in a sluggish fashion that allowed Spurs to dictate the tempo. Reflecting on the initial stages, Carrick noted the difficulties his side faced in finding their rhythm. 'It was a mixed game. We found it tough to start with. For a number of reasons, we were not quite there. You could see it was a challenging time,' he admitted.

The match appeared to turn in United's favour during a chaotic second half. Bryan Mbeumo had seemingly put the Red Devils on the path to victory with a breakthrough in the 73rd minute. The situation improved further for the hosts when Tottenham were reduced to ten men shortly after. Rodrigo Bentancur was shown a straight red card following a physical altercation with Luke Shaw, leaving the visitors in a precarious position. However, instead of closing the game out, United retreated, allowing a short-handed Spurs side to find a way back into the contest during the dying moments of the match.

Dominic Solanke, wearing the captain's armband for the first time for Spurs, proved to be the hero for the visitors. In the second minute of stoppage time, he rose highest to meet a cross from Sandro Tonali, heading home to secure an unlikely point. For Carrick, the manner of the equaliser was particularly painful given the control his side should have exerted. 'But the lads grew into the game, in the second half I thought we were better in everything. To get the game as we wanted it, in such a good position - we should see it through. We have to manage those situations. That's two late goals which have hurt us, and things look very different. That's the reality,' Carrick explained.

The result marked the second consecutive league outing where Manchester United have failed to win despite their opponents being reduced to ten men. This follows a disappointing 1-0 defeat in the local derby against Manchester City, where they also lacked the clinical edge to exploit a numerical advantage. When questioned on whether the team was suffering from a psychological block or a lack of self-belief, Carrick was firm in his assessment. 'I don't think it is lack of confidence, but a game can get away from you very quickly. We found a way right back into the game, and got ourselves in a great position - that is one of the most disappointing things,' he stated.

The statistics paint a worrying picture for the Old Trafford hierarchy, as Manchester United have collected just six points from their opening six matches of the Premier League campaign - their lowest tally at this stage of a league season since the 1986-87 term, when they managed only four.

Tottenham, meanwhile, used the point to lift themselves off the bottom of the table, though they remain winless under Roberto de Zerbi - marking only the fourth time in their history that they have failed to win any of their opening six matches of a league season, following similar struggles in 2008-09, 1955-56, and 1912-13.

For United, the failure to beat a direct rival at home is a bitter pill to swallow, extending a frustrating trend that has seen them draw 1-1 in each of their last three Premier League games against teams starting the day at the bottom of the table (following similar stalemates against Wolves in December 2025 and Fulham last month). The focus now shifts to how Carrick can galvanise a squad that appears fragile when under pressure.