Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes Manchester United's players have stopped fighting for manager Michael Carrick. His criticism follows a 1-1 draw with Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have only managed to collect six points from their opening six matches of the 2026/27 Premier League season, leaving them languishing in 12th place in the table.
In the clash against Tottenham, the hosts took the lead in the 73rd minute courtesy of Bryan Mbeumo's goal. Soon after, Spurs were reduced to ten men after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for a headbutt on Luke Shaw. However, United failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with Dominic Solanke equalising in injury time.
After the match, Carrick acknowledged that the team needed to improve their performance. Nevertheless, reports indicate that the club's hierarchy is continuing to back the manager for now.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Petit expressed his belief that the players seem to have lost interest in their manager’s fate.
“I think they no longer care about the manager. I've seen this for many years now. I can't even remember how many managers have sat on the Manchester United bench. The results are the same, the situation is the same. No one can change it. In my opinion, it’s up to the players to change the situation,”
the Frenchman said.
Peti singled out team captain Bruno Fernandes, expressing concern over the Portuguese player's body language and its potential impact on the club's leaders during this persistent crisis.
“Yesterday, I saw body language that I didn’t like, especially from Fernandes. As a team captain and one of Manchester United's best players over the years, I think all this is affecting him. Maybe he’s just tired of what has been happening over the years,”
Peti added.
Statistics highlighted in the publication revealed that Fernandes has lost possession 106 times in his Premier League matches this season, more than any other player in the league.
While Peti's comments represent an expert’s perspective rather than confirming any internal rifts within the club, there have been no indications of an imminent change in Carrick’s managerial position despite the challenging start to the season.
