Welcome to El Sackico! Michael Carrick on thinner ice than Roberto De Zerbi as under-fire Man Utd and Tottenham bosses face off

Carrick did a great job lifting United's confidence after the maddening reign of Ruben Amorim, guiding the team to third in the Premier League with more points than any other side in the final 17 games of last season. On May 22, the INEOS ownership regime rewarded Carrick with a permanent, two-year contract, with the option of an extra year, and, for a brief moment, optimism returned to Old Trafford.

Alas, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co then effectively stood still as all of United's rivals strengthened significantly in the summer transfer window. They failed to realise that big changes were needed for the squad to stay competitive in up to 67 games across all competitions - an increase of 27 from a full year without any European football.

Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos arrived for a combined £163 million ($216m) in a supposed midfield overhaul, but none of them replaced the profile of the departing Casemiro, and other important areas were neglected, namely in defence and the top of the attack. Carrick was hamstrung by the board, and unsurprisingly, the Red Devils have gone backwards again because of their poor decision-making.

United lost at newly-promoted Hull City on the opening weekend before beating Ipswich Town at Old Trafford, albeit with the help of some questionable refereeing. Carrick's side have since been held to frustrating draws away at both Everton and Fulham, and they went down 1-0 at home to 10-man neighbours Manchester City.

There was also a thumping 4-0 win over Champions League debutants Sabah, but that was counteracted by a 3-2 defeat to Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup, as United let a two-goal lead slip to lose at Old Trafford for the first time since 1976.

It's safe to say that the honeymoon period is over for Carrick, who must find a way to plug the gaps at the back and inject more energy into the frontline before it's too late.

Tottenham's new manager bounce under De Zerbi didn't last long, either. The Italian came in at the end of March, inheriting a team sitting just one point clear of the relegation zone and with only one Premier League win to their name in 2026.

De Zerbi proceeded to steady the ship, with Spurs picking up 11 points from their final seven fixtures, highlighted by a 1-0 victory over Everton on the final day that confirmed their survival.

Tottenham appointed De Zerbi on a five-year contract, and showed their faith by backing him to the hilt in his first transfer window. A grand total of £334m ($442m) was spent on 10 new players, including club-record signing Sandro Tonali, Matheus Fernandes, Savio, and De Zerbi's former pupil at Brighton, Jan Paul van Hecke.

Supporters had the right to expect further improvement on the pitch after such a fruitful recruitment drive, but they've ultimately been disappointed so far. Spurs are rock bottom of the Premier League with two points from five games, and didn't even score a goal in the first four of them. Their flaws at both ends were on full display during the 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa just before the international break, which De Zerbi did not shy away from.

"It is difficult to explain," he said. "In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like us, so fragile and inconsistent."

Of course, Tottenham cannot go on like this, and it's De Zerbi's job to fix the mentality of the squad. Their situation does not feel as bleak as United's, though. Failure to win at Old Trafford would not spell the end for De Zerbi, but it feels like Carrick is on borrowed time regardless of what happens.

The difference is, De Zerbi signed on to a long-term project at Tottenham. Success was never going to come overnight for a team that has finished 17th in the Premier League in each of the last two seasons.

Once the new faces have gelled and sticking to De Zerbi's system becomes second nature, Spurs should be fine. A top-half finish would represent progress, and if they can sneak European qualification, even just into the Conference League, De Zerbi will have done an excellent job in his first full season at the helm.

Carrick, by contrast, is trying to clear a much higher bar at Old Trafford. It will be a catastrophe if United don't finish in the top five again, or win a trophy. INEOS have targeted winning the Premier League by 2028, in time for the club's 150th anniversary, and so this is the year that the foundations have to be put in place.

On the evidence of what we've seen so far, the Red Devils will fall well short of their targets. Carrick's only hope is to cling on through to January and beg for reinforcements in the winter market, but it will be a small miracle if he gets there - United are that bad.

The balance of the team is off, despite the firepower Carrick has at his disposal in the final third, as club legend Gary Neville told Sky Sports after the 1-1 draw with Fulham; "I wish he could play all of those attacking players, but they are going to kill him defensively. It's not just the defence and the back four that are causing him a problem - [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Marcus] Rashford are too high and wide. They don't narrow back in. You've got Tielemans and [Kobbie] Mainoo in midfield who are a little bit one-paced. Baleba will probably come in there. Bruno [Fernandes] floats around a little bit, and then [Matheus] Cunha floats around a little bit.

"You've got these five or six players who are better with the ball than without the ball. It would be great to see them score loads of goals and maybe concede one or two and go and win games, but there is going to have to be a reset from the point of view of defensive structure because there are far too many of them walking on the pitch."

Carrick is trying to create United a team that is capable of controlling games, but the intensity is missing. In stark contrast, Spurs have that in abundance, because De Zerbi is demanding a high-pressure style and aggressive ball-winning in the final third. It's not working optimally yet, but they have a clear identity, while United are still a team of individuals relying on moments.

Three points this weekend won't be enough to paint over the cracks, just as it wasn't for Solskjaer in 2021. Indeed, United dismissed the Norwegian just three weeks after he'd masterminded that win over Spurs, which was followed up by a 2-2 draw at Atalanta in the Champions League, a 2-0 derby loss to City, and a 4-1 thrashing by Watford at Vicarage Road.

The schedule looks even more unforgiving for Carrick; United have three away games after facing Tottenham, against Atletico Madrid and Como in Europe, and an unbeaten Leeds United in the Premier League. They will also host Bournemouth before wrapping up the month with a trip to Chelsea. Carrick could easily be gone by November.

It's crisis mode at Old Trafford, but the stakes are not as high for Spurs, who only have the Premier League to worry about. De Zerbi will be afforded patience as he bids to affect real change, and the mood in the camp is relatively upbeat.

"I would classify our current situation as a club as negative in terms of results but positive in terms of football," Tonali said while away on Italy duty. "We’re having fun and creating chances. If you don’t score in football, you lose. We’re not in the doldrums; we’re alive and well, and we’re positive. We know the team is very strong."

Carrick's troops aren't having any fun. You can sense the anxiety in their minds and tension in their shoulders whenever they get on the ball. Even Fernandes, their talismanic captain and unapologetic risk-taker, appears to be forcing it more than usual.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. Baleba is in line to make his debut against Spurs after recovering from an ankle issue, while Matthijs de Ligt is also close to returning after a long spell out with a chronic back injury. Their respective integrations could go a long way to addressing United's lack of physicality in the middle of the park and naivety at the back.

Amad Diallo, meanwhile, will be back in contention for a spot on the right wing after missing the start of the season with a groin injury. His inclusion would allow Mbeumo to do what he does best and work the channels, while Cunha can shift back to the left instead of filling an unnatural No.9 role.

Judging by his refusal to criticise the team publicly up to this point, Carrick may be be quietly confident about these players making the difference. It's incredibly unfair that he's in this position, though; United should have enough depth to cope when key figures are sidelined.

As it is, consistency will almost certainly remain elusive. Carrick has been treated like he's still the interim coach, instead of being trusted to mould the team in his image like De Zerbi is at Spurs. He deserves far better, regardless of what happens on Saturday.