Michael Carrick will not survive unless Manchester United change

 Sometimes comments, however over the top, hit home. Michael Carrick will desperately hope the remark from his former Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville is not one of them. That it does not stick. That it does not come to define his time in charge of United this season – if he lasts this season. Or be used in one of those highlight reels, with doom-laden music, to explain the story of this Premier League campaign.

On TV co-commentary duty for Sky, Neville referred to United as “blue mannequins” (they were wearing their away kit) and said that for a period after half-time it was the worst he had ever seen them play since he started watching, aged five. Neville is now 51. That is a lot of games to settle on this conclusion so strongly and, surely, inaccurately.

But so passive was their football that is the way he felt in the moment. For a club with United’s “attack, attack, attack” tradition – becoming something of a distant memory as seasons pass – that is a damning as it gets.

Neville’s Sky paymasters will be delighted by his emotive, insulting, headline-grabbing language. But he of course exaggerated a point to make a point. United, and Carrick, were, indeed, far too passive, lacking aggression, urgency and belief. They just do not press. United did, for too long, play like a team of dummies.

Against Fulham they almost played walking football until they conceded, desperation kicked in and they chased the game to salvage a late draw.

It begs the question: what is Carrick doing with this team? Yes, he may have been let down by no defensive signings in the summer – even if he must have bought into the plan to prioritise a midfield rebuild – but he is far from absolved from blame.

He will cling to the response to Lisandro Martínez’s own goal, to striking a post twice in the first half from Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes, to managing to avoid a third successive defeat in a week, which would have led to the crisis klaxon being sounded. Carrick can talk about how ridiculous it would be to question his position as head coach. But is it?

We now go into a three-week international break and the Premier League vacuum would have been filled by a debate over Carrick’s future, whether he is up to the job and another existential examination as to where United are heading. And who is to blame.

That still might happen. United did not lose. But they were not remotely good enough, as has been the case for most of the season. Their only league win in five was against newly promoted Ipswich Town, having lost to newly promoted Hull City. They have also drawn at Everton and now at Fulham, who started the day bottom of the table and remain winless. Apart from facing Manchester City, it has hardly been the most taxing of starts. Except they are down in 12th and have not played well at all.

It is not just that. Last year, United revamped their attack. Benjamin Sesko was absent through injury but are Cunha – despite his goal – Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford actually showing they are good enough? They, too, are passive and do not effect the play. Do not have that killer instinct. There is then an over-reliance on Fernandes. And if he does not do it, then who steps up?

That 15 minutes after half-time that culminated in the Martínez mishap was certainly woeful. But despite going close, United were also second best in the opening period, with Fulham’s 19-year-old academy product Josh King showing why he was so close to a senior England call-up. The forward ran riot, tormenting left-back Luke Shaw and was only denied by Senne Lammens. On more than one occasion, especially with a smart save with his right boot.

The goalkeeper was at the centre of Fulham’s goal, which was a shambles that summed up the state of United, who are just too easy to play against. And, so, Fulham’s captain Calvin Bassey was too strong for Cunha, who threw himself to the ground, looking for a foul, losing the ball from Kobbie Mainoo’s easy pass. The defender strode forward before Lammens parried his low shot, which then bounced off Martínez and back past the goalkeeper and into the net.

It was a Hammersmith End House of Horrors for United. To cap it all, Martínez then tried to blame Lammens who had, frankly, kept United in the game up until that point and could legitimately have told him where to go. And asked why he could not trap a ball and clear.

Fulham will certainly feel their own frustration. But with their new head coach Álvaro Arbeloa and an evolving team – if only striker Gonzalo García was more deadly – there are clear signs of optimism, having also just drawn at Liverpool.

United’s late equaliser was fortunate. Yes, they applied pressure but to no real effect until Cunha’s shot deflected off the boot of Fulham defender David Affengruber as he tried to block, to wrong-foot goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who had also been outstanding. It was credited to Cunha, his first of the season, and the relief from Carrick was understandably palpable.

But, once again, it was not up to the standard needed. And beyond the point, beyond the avoidance of defeat, that is the reality of where United are right now under Carrick who needs to step up, take more responsibility. And, like his team, be far less passive. Otherwise, he will not last.