United winless in nine as Carrick insists he will be in charge for Roma
Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Jack Ellison
Manchester United lost 2–0 at Chelsea on Saturday, their ninth game in a row without a win in all competitions (D3 L6). They are 17th with seven points from nine games, level on points with Crystal Palace, who are 18th on goal difference. Michael Carrick has not been sacked and said he expects to be in charge for the Champions League game against Roma on Tuesday, according to the Guardian.
United were encouraging in the first half, the BBC said, and missed four excellent chances, with Bruno Fernandes and Amad both firing off target. Estêvão had a goal ruled out for offside by a very tight VAR decision. Then Morgan Rogers scored in the 50th minute, and Lisandro Martínez was sent off in the 63rd minute for two bookings in one minute 23 seconds, with the second giving away a penalty that Cole Palmer converted.
The former World Cup final official Darren Cann told BBC Sport the sending-off was “rightly” given for two bookable offences and called Martínez’s actions “inexplicable”. Carrick said: “I’ve not seen it back.” He added: “The second goal and losing the man at that stage had a big influence on the game.” Martínez will miss next Sunday’s game against Aston Villa.
The BBC says this is United’s worst run since 1988–89. The Guardian said they have not had a longer one since 1984, and listed a 10-game run from April to September 1984 as the previous longest. Their only league win this season came against Ipswich in August. They have seven points from nine games, which the BBC notes would not take a team to 30 points over a full season.
United have not been in the bottom three after nine or more games since November 1986, the BBC said, and 17th is equal to their lowest position at this stage since 1989–90.
The BBC has named Eddie Howe as “a contender” if Carrick leaves the job. The BBC said it is understood that any club who hires him would have to pay Newcastle a fee, which started at £6m and has halved. No change has been announced.
After the final whistle the away end chanted against the director of football, Jason Wilcox, and urged the Glazers to sell, the Guardian reported.
Next up is Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday 3 November (20:00 GMT), then Villa on Sunday 8 November (16:30 GMT).
Old Trafford has been Manchester United’s home since 1910, on Sir Matt Busby Way in the borough of Trafford, a short ride south-west of Manchester city centre. The ground holds a little over 74,000, which makes it the largest club stadium in Britain, and on a matchday it feels every bit that size. For a visiting supporter the useful map is simple. Four stands wrap a pitch that runs east to west. The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, three tiers and the tallest side of the ground, fills the north. Opposite it, the shallower single-tier Sir Bobby Charlton Stand runs along the south, with the directors’ box, the tunnel and both dugouts. Behind the goals sit the Stretford End to the west and the East Stand, still sometimes called the Scoreboard End, to the east.
The two goals sit directly in front of those ends. The west goal is the one in front of the Stretford End, United’s loudest home support and the stand with the club’s main safe-standing section. The east goal is the one in front of the East Stand. If your ticket is in the away section you are not behind either goal in the middle. League allocations, usually around 3,000, go into the lower tier of the south-east corner, where the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand meets the East Stand, in blocks around E132 and E230 to E232. You look across the near corner of the pitch, with the tunnel on the south side below you and the East Stand goal to your right as you face the field. The angle is honest rather than perfect: the far goal, in front of the Stretford End, is a long way off, and a tight offside at that end is easier to hear than to judge. Cup ties can open more of the East Stand, sometimes into the upper tier, so check the block on the ticket rather than assuming the corner.
Stewards keep the away end separate from home areas for the whole match, and you will be asked to stay in the allocated section. The view from the lower south-east is decent once you are standing, which most people are. Sightlines are clear of pillars. What you do not get is the full theatrical sweep of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand opposite: that north side is the postcard, a deep red wall rising well above the other three. The south stand in front of you is older and lower, which is why the ground looks asymmetrical from the away seats.
Arrive earlier than the kick-off time on the ticket suggests. Sir Matt Busby Way funnels almost everyone towards the same gates, and the Munich clock and the statue of Best, Law and Charlton sit on that approach, so the pavement clogs from about ninety minutes out. The Metrolink stop called Old Trafford is on the Altrincham line and is the simplest way in from the city; Wharfside, on the Trafford Park line, is the other nearby stop and is often quieter after the game. Trams fill up fast in both directions. If you are coming by train, Manchester Piccadilly and Deansgate are the useful stations, then a tram or a taxi. Driving to the ground and expecting to park next to it is a poor plan on a Saturday.
Food and drink inside are the usual stadium offering, and the away concourse is functional rather than a destination. Most travelling supporters eat and drink in the city centre beforehand and walk or tram across. Pubs immediately around the ground are largely home-fan pubs, and several will not admit away colours. Keep colours covered until you are inside the away turnstiles if you are arriving on foot. Bags should be small: the usual Premier League list applies, so no large rucksacks, no glass, no flares. Tickets are checked hard at the away entrance, and a digital ticket on a charged phone is safer than a screenshot that will not refresh.
Leave a little time on the way out as well. The south-east exit puts you back towards the tram and towards Chester Road, and the queues at both Metrolink stops can run for half an hour after a full house. If your train is tight, walk towards Warwick Road or pick up a taxi away from the stadium rather than at the first rank you see. Old Trafford is not a hostile ground if you stay in the away end and keep the day simple, but it is a big one, and the club’s support will let you know which end is theirs from the moment the teams come out of the tunnel in front of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.