Michael Carrick Rejects Claims of Easy Start for Manchester United

Michael Carrick has dismissed talk of Manchester United being handed a soft launch to the new Premier League season as “ridiculous”, insisting there will be nothing gentle about their opening fixtures.

United begin away at Championship play-off winners Hull on Saturday, then host Ipswich at Old Trafford on 30 August – two newly promoted sides, two games many outside the club have already chalked up as ideal stepping stones for a fast start.

Carrick is having none of it.

“A newly promoted team away from home is a tough game,” the United head coach said, drawing on his years of experience in similar situations. He knows what awaits his side at the MKM Stadium: a fired‑up crowd, a team with momentum, and an opponent desperate to make a statement on their Premier League return.

“I've been involved in them in the past so I'm fully aware of what's coming at us on Saturday and what we've got to be ready for,” he added.

United head into the campaign on the back of a third-place finish last season, a run of form that helped convince the club to hand Carrick the job on a permanent basis. That strong finish has only fuelled expectations that they should “hit the ground running” against Hull and Ipswich and turn early fixtures into early points.

Carrick pushed back strongly against the narrative.

“It's not favourable. It's an easy thing to throw out there but it's pretty ridiculous. I'm not taking it that way at all.”

The message is clear: no complacency, no shortcuts, no excuses. Whether this supposedly “kind” start proves a blessing or a trap will depend entirely on how ruthlessly United handle it.