Carrick calls Man Utd sack talk 'ridiculous' before Fulham trip

Michael Carrick says it would be "ridiculous" to talk about how long he has left as Manchester United boss after two bad results.

The United head coach said he was "not bothered" by pressure over his job as he spoke to the media ahead of the trip to Fulham, according to the BBC. He takes his team to Craven Cottage looking for a response.

The questions follow a bruising week at Old Trafford. United lost at home to Manchester City despite the visitors playing with 10 men from the 23rd minute. They then let a two-goal lead slip to lose to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, the early-season knockout competition.

That Brighton defeat stung. Brighton became the first side in 50 years to come from two goals down to win at Old Trafford. United supporters met the final whistle with boos and chants against their own team.

Carrick refused to panic. "It's not a catastrophe or a disaster," he said. "It's not the end of the world." He added: "We've got to put things in perspective." The press conference turned sharp at one point when he was asked about a lack of passion, leading to a heated exchange reported by The Sun.

The noise is new for Carrick. The former United midfielder took over as interim boss in January after Ruben Amorim was sacked, then won 12 of 17 games in the second half of last season. That run earned him the job permanently on a contract until 2028, according to Reuters.

This season has started slowly. United have two wins from six games. Those victories came against newly promoted Ipswich in the Premier League, England's top flight, and against Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK in the Champions League, Europe's top club competition.

For fans, this means Sunday at Fulham matters for mood more than the table. A win calms the week. Another defeat makes the noise louder.

Carrick could have two key players back. He said left-back Luke Shaw and new signing Carlos Baleba "have a chance" of being fit for Fulham. Both would add energy and balance to a side that has looked flat in the past two games.