Carrick admits United "doesn't look good" after Leeds draw

Seven points from seven games. To find a start like that at Manchester United, you have to go back to 1986, before the Ferguson era even began. That fact alone explains why the 1-1 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road left more questions than answers, even though Michael Carrick chose to focus on the little bit of positive he could find.

The manager didn't hide from reality after the match. "It doesn't look good," he admitted about the team's situation, a tough point to argue when the numbers speak for themselves: just one league win so far this season, against Ipswich, and a run that now matches the club's worst start in 40 years.

The historical comparison carries weight. Back in 1986/87, Ron Atkinson managed just 4 points from his first seven matches and was sacked after game 13, with 13 points to his name. That dismissal opened the door for Sir Alex Ferguson, who would go on to build one of the longest dynasties in English football. Nobody at Old Trafford needs reminding of that parallel, but it sits there, uncomfortable, every time the table gets a look.

Even so, Carrick chose not to dwell on the past. "I'm not going to sit here and compare it to any other point in the past, but I know we can turn this around, we've proven it for a good while now and we feel better as a group," said the manager, trying to draw a line between what has happened and what can still happen.

A starting point, according to Carrick

Beyond the result, the manager wanted to salvage something from the draw against Leeds: the sense of having found a floor to build from. "It felt like a fresh start today, we can take that and do something with it," he explained, convinced that the squad's commitment had shifted in the days leading up to the match.

"I understand the situation doesn't look good, but I have no doubt we can go on a good run. We have to find a way. This has been a cycle that can go in different directions, but we're more than capable of winning games"Michael Carrick

Carrick was just as honest assessing the level of performance at Elland Road. He didn't call it a complete performance, nor did he try to dress it up: "It wasn't a perfect performance, but there was a lot to show there. That didn't surprise me," he said, making clear that was exactly what he'd expected, a show of character more than a footballing exhibition.

What comes next is sustaining that commitment match by match, without getting dragged down by the anxiety of not winning. Carrick closed out his assessment with that same idea, not to despair even while results still aren't coming: "We also can't get carried away because we're not winning, but if we keep doing the right things for the right reasons, we'll get what we deserve in the end."