Manager Michael Carrick: 'Manchester United simply didn't play well, that's all'

Manager Michael Carrick expressed his disappointment after Manchester United's 1-2 loss to Newcastle in the 29th round of the 2025/26 Premier League, admitting the Red Devils underperformed even though their opponent was down to 10 men.

Manchester United suffered their first defeat under interim manager Michael Carrick, losing 1-2 to Newcastle in the 29th round of the 2025/26 Premier League. After the match, the English tactician frankly admitted that the Red Devils' performance was not up to standard.

Despite Newcastle playing with 10 men throughout the second half following Jacob Ramsey's red card, Manchester United failed to capitalize on the advantage. In fact, the visiting team conceded a decisive goal to William Osula in the 90th minute, ending Carrick's unbeaten run since he temporarily took charge.

Speaking after the match, Carrick could not hide his disappointment with his players' display. He believed Manchester United had the opportunity to control the game but failed to make it count.

“We are not happy with how we played in this match. Honestly, we largely had control of the game. Newcastle deserves credit; they started with great spirit. We got the game to a point where we should have pushed on, but ultimately we didn't. That is truly disappointing,” Carrick shared.

When asked if facing a team reduced to 10 men made the match more complicated, the Manchester United manager insisted that was not the reason for the defeat.

“I don't think the issue was them having 10 men. Simply put, we didn't play well. There is no excuse for that. We all have to take responsibility,” he said.

Carrick also acknowledged that his team lacked several crucial elements during the match at St James' Park. According to him, the quality in Manchester United's execution was not at the level required to secure a win.

“It's just the basics. Our quality today wasn't good enough. Newcastle deserved to win, even though it's hard to say. We have to get back to work and prepare better for the next match.”

Although this defeat ends Manchester United's impressive run under Carrick, the 44-year-old tactician believes this is only a temporary setback. He stated that the team is still in a good position in this season's race and needs to learn from this quickly.

Manchester United will have a 10-day break before their next match against Aston Villa, and Carrick believes this is an opportunity for the whole team to regroup and come back stronger.