Michael Carrick's incredibly worrying admission about Man Utd in private chat with Nicky Butt

Nicky Butt's conversation with Michael Carrick before he took over at Manchester United paints a worrying picture for the club.

When Carrick was appointed Man United boss on an interim basis in January, many felt his return to Old Trafford would only be short-term.

The former Middlesbrough manager inherited a mess from Ruben Amorim, and demands were low when he returned to the dugout. But he arguably exceeded expectations by guiding the Red Devils back into the Champions League with a third-place finish, winning 12 of their final 17 Premier League matches.

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Nicky Butt's private conversation with Michael Carrick was telling

Carrick was rewarded with a two-year deal at United after doing a fantastic job in the final five months of the campaign, but the feel-good factor at the start of the 2026/27 season has quickly faded.

A return of just six points from as many Premier League matches, most recently drawing to 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, has placed the Man United legend under increasing pressure.

It's a position most managers have experienced at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013 and, according to former midfielder Nicky Butt, Carrick had no intention of returning to management after being sacked by Boro in June 2025 until United came knocking.

"I was with Michael [Carrick] before he got the Man United job, and I was speaking to him about management, and he went: 'Not for me, it's too much, my head's all over the shop. I'll only do it for the big job, and that's Man United," Butt said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

Butt then went on to suggest that Carrick has returned to a club that was "different" to what he knew before referencing the fact that several club legends, notably Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, wouldn't "turn down" the club.

The club has been fractured from top to bottom since Ferguson's incredible reign at Old Trafford ended 13 years ago, with the summer only highlighting their struggles.

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INEOS failed Michael Carrick in the summer transfer window

United's performances haven't been good enough in the opening two months, and that arguably stems from a frustrating transfer window.

Carrick wanted INEOS to invest in several areas of his squad, but the club only reinforced his midfield with the additions of Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

He was left short at left-back and centre-forward as a result, and this has made his job even more difficult.

Worryingly, the United boss also hasn't been helped by his players, who have been constantly outrun by the opposition. In fact, his team has covered 111.9km across their first six Premier League matches - the fifth lowest in the competition.

They were even outrun by almost 5km against Tottenham on Saturday, as Dominic Solanke's stoppage-time equaliser ensured that the 10-man Lilywhites left Old Trafford with a deserved point.

Carrick's side are now winless in their last four matches in all competitions and face a daunting trip to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League tonight (October 13).