Carrick Dismisses 'Favourable' Start as United Eye Title Challenge
Michael Carrick is having none of it. Hull away, Ipswich at home – on paper it looks kind. In his mind, it’s anything but.
Manchester United open their season at Hull on Saturday before welcoming Ipswich to Old Trafford eight days later. Both opponents have just come up from the Championship, which has led some to suggest United have been handed a soft launch to the campaign.
Carrick shot that down immediately.
“For all of us to know this league, there’s no favourable start, I think it’s a tough start,” he said. “A promoted team away from home is a tough game.
“I’ve been involved in them in the past so I’m fully aware of what’s coming at us on Saturday, what we’ve got to be ready for. So it’s not favourable. It’s an easy thing to throw out there. But it’s pretty ridiculous in a certain way, [we are] not taking it that way at all.”
He has lived those opening‑day ambushes before, as a player and now on the touchline. New stadium buzz, new-season optimism, nothing to lose. Carrick knows exactly how dangerous that cocktail can be.
Title talk and the next step
Carrick walked into the job as an interim in January and dragged United up to third by the end of last season. Four months later he was confirmed as permanent manager, rewarded for a run that restored belief and direction.
That surge has inevitably sparked the next question: can United go all the way this time?
“It is going to be a jump,” said the 45-year-old. “I would never say we can’t – I don’t believe that. But it’s about what we are capable of doing as a group.
“The run of form we had last season gives us a lot of confidence, but we know there is a whole new step to make. We are pushing to do that. It’s exciting. We have the potential to achieve things and we will definitely give it everything we can. We have to believe we are a good team and can do good things.”
No hedging, no dampening of expectations. Carrick isn’t promising a title, but he is setting a standard. Last season’s surge is the baseline, not the peak.
Transfer drive gathers pace
To make that “jump” realistic, United still need help. Carrick knows it, the club knows it, and the transfer push reflects it.
United are working on a deal for Carlos Baleba, with hopes of landing the Brighton midfielder for less than £75m. The club also remain active in their search for a left-back as the window ticks down.
“We are looking to strengthen the squad, working towards that,” Carrick said. “We are trying to make the most of the opportunities to finish the window stronger than we went into it and are in a good way to doing that so far.”
The message is clear: last season’s top‑three finish was built on momentum and clarity. This season’s challenge will demand depth and variety as well.
Mount a doubt for opener
Not everything is falling neatly into place. Mason Mount’s involvement at Hull is in doubt after he picked up a knock, leaving Carrick with a selection question right at the start.
It’s a reminder of how quickly plans can twist once the real games begin. Hull first, Ipswich next, a title conversation rumbling in the background, and a squad still being pieced together.
Favourable start? Carrick doesn’t buy it. If United are serious about turning last season’s promise into something bigger, these are exactly the sort of weeks that will reveal how far they’ve really come.
