Carrick says it's 'crazy' but he's looking forward to Roma game

Michael Carrick accepts it might sound “crazy” but the beleaguered Manchester United boss says he is looking forward to the Champions League showdown with Roma at Old Trafford.

United go into Tuesday’s game without a win in nine matches in all competitions.

It is their worst run since 1988-89. They have not gone 10 without a win in a single campaign since 1977-78 and there is a growing feeling Carrick will lose his job during the forthcoming international break.

Roma’s only defeat so far this season was at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League last month, when they led 3-1 with seven minutes left.

United are 17th in the Premier League and after defeats by Atletico Madrid and Como have slumped to 21st in the Champions League table after three games, with only the top 24 making it through.

It is a bleak backdrop, but rather than fret over what lies ahead, Carrick is viewing it as a chance to change the narrative of the season.

“You might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had and what’s going on, but genuinely, I really can’t wait for the game,” said Carrick. “I’m really looking forward to it.

“Listen, I can’t look into the future, you never know what’s going to happen. That doesn’t change the way I feel. Whatever happens is going to happen in whatever direction it goes in, but we want to make it a big night tomorrow.”

Carrick watched over a lively open session of pre-match training at Carrington.

Striker Bryan Mbeumo and midfielder Carlos Baleba were particularly vocal, with Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez also fully engaged despite his red card at Chelsea, which triggered such a negative reaction.

While there have been calls for Martinez to be dropped for the Roma game, Carrick was more philosophical.

“Things happen in football,” he said. “Sometimes you do things; you make a decision, you make mistakes. Sometimes it goes well for you.”

He also dismissed concerns both about Martinez’s commitment, and that of his entire squad.

“Perceptions are a funny thing,” he said. “They can make things look all sorts of different ways. The dressing room is a good place.

“I’ve said it before, I don’t question the commitment of the players, to the club and to me and to each other. We need to play better. We can make better decisions. But commitment’s not a thing at all.”

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo sat alongside Carrick at the media conference and also stressed the strength of the group.

Mainoo returned from a four-match absence with a muscular issue as a second-half substitute at Chelsea.

At 21, Mainoo is one of the youngest players in Carrick’s squad. However, given he joined the club as a seven-year-old, he is also the longest serving and has a unique insight into the responsibilities that come with life in the Old Trafford spotlight.

“I’ve been at this club for a long time and know there’s always going to be ups and downs,” he said. “It’s never going to be plain sailing and smooth to the top. You expect bumps.

“Of course it’s been a tough season. We’ve not had the results we’ve wanted, but I feel like we’re one win away from changing that.”

United were last relegated in 1973-74. They have not been in the relegation zone after nine games or more since November 1986, when they collected a single point in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first two games in charge following Ron Atkinson’s dismissal.

Their lowest position after at least nine games of a season since then was 17th in 1989-90. They were 16th under Ruben Amorim after 37 games of the 2024-25 season.

Mainoo says the present position is unacceptable for a club of United’s size.

“United’s a huge club,” he said. “I think a lot of people know the values this club holds and have been passed down through the people who’ve worked here and played here.

“I feel like I take some responsibility in spreading the word of what Manchester United is, coming up through the academy, and I plan to send that message for as long as I can.”

Gordon wants to be more ruthless

Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon has vowed to be more selfish ahead of facing Aston Villa.

The England forward is preparing for the Champions League clash on Tuesday following his summer move from Newcastle in a deal worth more than £69m.

Gordon has helped Barca to the top of La Liga and has scored three goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, including one in Saturday’s 6-1 win over Alaves.

But the 25-year-old wants to do more to help Hansi Flick’s side complete a clean sweep of trophies this season.

“The challenge of joining Barca is different to what I’ve had before because I was fighting relegation for two or three years (at Everton), which was tough,” he said.

“At Newcastle we were fighting for the Champions League and to push up the table and now fighting for Barca for every trophy.”

“To be competing on every front for every trophy is definitely the most enjoyable. I think people think it’s more pressure but it’s actually less pressure than fighting relegation and fighting to push up the table for the Champions League.”

“I want to win every trophy. I want to be the best. This club allows me to do so.”

“I think I can do it more, I can maybe be a little bit more selfish sometimes. I think sometimes I maybe pass too much. I should definitely score more goals, but like I said, the reality is goals win games and I’m here to win trophies.”

Gordon has previously played Villa with Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League, scoring in the Magpies’ 3-0 win on Boxing Day in 2024.

“They’re one of the most physical teams in the league. They’ve got some great players,” he said.

“Certain things can motivate me more than others but I try to remain the same. I try to remain consistent with my motivation. So the fact they’re English doesn’t make it more motivating.”

“They have some great players, I know they all have had a great run as of late, so it’s going to be a difficult game.”

“They’re the type of team that regardless of the game, they’re always in the game, they wait for a moment. They seem to always be ready for any type of game, so we know it will be a tough challenge but we’re excited for what’s to come.”

Jeers again as home woes continue - Jaissle has big problems at Newcastle

If Matthias Jaissle was unsure what Newcastle fans thought of his team’s latest error-strewn performance, he certainly knew at full-time after a second defeat by Everton inside a week.

Despite another miserable showing by Jaissle’s side, the Toon Army had stuck by the team from start to finish before a chorus of boos echoed around St James’ Park at the final whistle.

The frustration and anger from the stands came after a 1-0 defeat which included a goalkeeping howler by Lukas Hornicek, a red card for substitute Jacob Ramsey and another blunt attacking performance.

“Big frustration, big disappointment,” said Jaissle after a fourth defeat in six Premier League games.

“After a performance like that I can understand the reaction from the fans. That’s the reality and I am responsible for that.

“We need to work on the things we need to improve and after today that is a lot.”

Newcastle’s final game before the November international break is away to Fulham on Saturday (15:00 GMT), before facing leaders and defending champions Arsenal at home on 21 November followed by third-placed Brighton away eight days later.

“It’s not my first time as a manager in this situation,” added Jaissle, whose side sit 13th in the table and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Everton last Thursday.

“The only way is togetherness and showing unity.”

Will the German - who became the Premier League’s second youngest coach in the summer - find the solutions to get Newcastle’s season back on track, with fans starting to run out of patience?

No Premier League side has lost more home games in 2026 than Newcastle (7), while they have now lost 16 of their past 18 league games when conceding first.

The unwanted stats do not stop there.

The Magpies have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their past 14 home league games - the longest run in their league history.

It all points to worrying times, with former Red Bull Salzburg boss Jaissle just three months into a four-year contract.

“I fear a little for Newcastle,” former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“They have a young manager and young players. You are always going to question the manager when the team is not winning.

“I think it is going to be a tough season. At home, especially, it feels flat and boring, and I never expected to say about Jaissle’s Newcastle. You expected it to be front-footed and exciting, coming from the Red Bull model.”

Newcastle are in the bottom half of the table, with 11 points from nine games.

It was always going to be a period of transition following Eddie Howe’s exit, after five years in charge, and the arrival of 38-year-old Jaissle, after successful spells in Saudi Arabia and Austria.

In addition, Newcastle lost a number of key players in the summer including Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

At the start of the year, Newcastle United’s chief executive David Hopkinson said he could put them “in the debate about being the top club in the world” by 2030.

That now seems a long way off amid suggestions the ambitions of the club’s Saudi Arabian owners, the Public Investment Fund, are running out of steam.

Jaissle was not helped on Monday by his goalkeeper, with Hornicek allowing a routine shot to squirm under his body for Thierno Barry to tap home the winner.

The Newcastle boss claimed Barry’s winner should have been disallowed for a foul on Fabian Schar in the build-up, but he conceded his players had struggled to show the bravery required to get back in the game.

“It’s almost like a negative spiral,” he said. “I’m not happy with the referee decision.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t deliver actually over the whole 90 minutes. It was not our game and our style of playing.

“That is something we are very frustrated and disappointed about. If you cannot deliver when it counts then you don’t deserve to win.

“We were not brave enough in possession, too many long balls.”

Jaissle admitted Newcastle are lacking belief in the midst of their miserable run.

“There are certain moments with not too much confidence, not only with the young lads but also with the more experienced ones,” he said.

“It’s a difficult period. We also know you can only overcome that as a unit. We worked hard and it looked good but unfortunately we couldn’t deliver.

“We will analyse in detail and try and make things better against Fulham.”

Newcastle have problems at both ends of the pitch.

While they have managed just 12 goals in nine league games, they continue to struggle to keep clean sheets.

They registered 17 attempts against Everton but only two of those were on target, and they have scored just once from their past 47 shots in all competitions.

Newcastle have faced the most shots of any Premier League team this season, including 15 or more in seven of the nine top-flight matches they have played.

While only Sunderland (6) and Hull City (5) have committed more errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, this was Everton’s first top-flight away win since February - when they won at St James’ Park.

“I’ve been a fan so I understand the frustrations when they’re not getting what they’re expecting,” said captain Dan Burn after the game.

“You can sense that nervousness in the ground.

“When you’re not winning games there’s always a lack of confidence. The fans weren’t happy. That doesn’t make it easy to build confidence when you’re in that atmosphere.

“Between the boxes we do OK, but we’re not ruthless enough going forward or defending our own box.”

Jaissle cut a forlorn figure at full-time as the autumn rain fell on St James’ Park and the sound of boos rang out around him.

“You have to stick together,” he said afterwards when asked how he intended to get Newcastle moving in the right direction after an underwhelming start to the season.

Who produced the kind of performance Moyes loves? - player ratings

A goalkeeping howler by Lukas Hornicek gifted Everton their first Premier League away win since February as 10-man Newcastle United slumped to a fourth defeat in six top-flight games.

Here’s how I rated the Newcastle and Everton players, and you can see how you scored them below.

Lukas Hornicek: Horrible mistake to allow Tyrique George’s routine attempt to squirm under his body and present Thierno Barry with the goal. 4

Amar Dedic: A passing accuracy of 59.1% in the opening 70 minutes says it all. 4

Fabian Schar: Got forward and had three attempts but unable to help his side to a clean sheet. 5

Dan Burn: The Newcastle captain was booked for a foul on Barry right on the edge of the box. Fortunately for Burn, the set-piece came to nothing. 6

Lewis Hall: The kind of tidy performance we have come to expect from the England player. 7

Nico Gonzalez: Substituted as Newcastle slipped to an alarming fourth defeat in six Premier League games. 5

Joelinton: Produced one clever shot on the turn which looked to be heading for the net before James Tarkowski got in the way. Went close with another from distance. 6

Anthony Elanga: Came close to equalising when he kneed the ball on to the post before Everton just about got it clear. 5

Joe Willock: Replaced by Yoane Wissa. A long way short of his finest form. 5

Harvey Barnes: Lively start and the former Leicester winger went close to marking his 100th Premier League appearance for Newcastle with the 100th goal of his career. 6

William Osula: Was doubtful after twisting his ankle at Everton last week. Started but just seven touches in the first half. 5

Yoane Wissa (on 64, Joe Willock): Unable to find an equaliser. 4

Sean Steur (on 64, Nico Gonzalez): Could not influence the game. 4

Jacob Ramsey (on 75, Joelinton): Sent on to rescue the game. Got sent off. 3

Jacob Murphy (on 75, Anthony Elanga) Little impact. 3

Bazoumana Toure (on 87, Amar Dedi) Seven touches, three passes. 4

Subs not used: Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Aladji Bamba, Malick Thiaw.

Jordan Pickford: The former Sunderland keeper was predictable on the receiving end of relentless stick from the home fans but had the last laugh. 7

Jake O’Brien: Helped his side to a third straight Premier League win at St James’ Park as the Toffees registered their fourth top-flight clean sheet of the season. 7

James Tarkowski: A commanding captain’s performance as Everton won a Premier League away game for the first time since February. 7

Jarrad Branthwaite: Made a winning return to the side after missing the previous two matches because of concussion protocols. 7

Vitalii Mykolenko: Neat and tidy. Worked hard as the Toffees catapulted up the table from 14th to 7th. 7

Merlin Rohl: The German provided energy, got himself into some dangerous positions and went close with one attempt in the first half which cleared the bar. 7

Harrison Armstrong: Covered his face with his shirt after missing a great chance to put his side ahead on the stroke of half-time. 7

James Garner: A gritty performance, the type which David Moyes loves. Played his part in a fine away win. 8

Tyrique George: Heavily involved in the goal. It was his shot that led to the mistake that saw Everton take the lead. 7

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: Got stuck in and had an effort tipped over the bar. 7

Thierno Barry: Cannot stop scoring. Although this was the easiest goal he will ever score in his life after a goalkeeping howler. 7

Brennan Johnson (on 80, Thierno Barry): Helped his side get over the line. 5

Michael Keane (on 82, Jarrad Branthwaite): Helped Everton to clean sheet win. 5

Hayden Hackney (on 92, Tyrique George): Five touches, three passes. 4

Subs not used: Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Mark Travers, Tyler Dibling, Christian Norgaard, Charly Alcaraz, Braiden Graham.

Anfield, intensity, rotation - how Iraola is improving Liverpool

Liverpool have won nine and drawn three of their 13 games in all competitions under Andoni Iraola

You have go back to 2012 for the last time Arsenal won a game at Anfield.

In recent years - whenever this fixture comes around - it is well documented that a certain Mikel Arteta was playing for the Gunners on that day.

Arteta is now a Premier League-winning manager and leading reigning champions who will arrive at Anfield on Sunday (16:30 GMT) hoping to end that streak.

But they will come up against a Liverpool side that are starting to find some rhythm under Andoni Iraola and will have backing from a re-energised Anfield crowd.

Since tasting their only defeat of the season so far against Manchester City on 11 October, Liverpool have won their past five across all competitions.

Not since the start of last season under Arne Slot have they had such a run. Facing Arsenal at the end of a week in which the Gunners were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Fleetwood, they will sense an opportunity to deliver a statement to the rest of the Premier League.

Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool are the biggest title challengers to Arsenal, though, speaking on Friday, Iraola insisted it was too early to look at the table.

Either way, the game will offer an early indication of Liverpool’s progress under the Basque boss.

Victory will see them move just three points behind Arsenal, but defeat would see the difference extend to nine points after nine games.

For vast parts of last season, Anfield lost its fear factor and watching Liverpool became a turgid experience. In the past fortnight, the connection between the fanbase and the side seems to have grown again.

Liverpool were flawed against Villarreal but the atmosphere was electric as they came from behind to win. The feel-good factor has only grown since, with an impressive win against high-flying Brighton in the Premier League and victory on penalties over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

“We have a big advantage over other teams because this atmosphere we can create is special,” said Iraola.

Big-money signings like Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz are all heading in the right direction, while players like Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister have been much better this season than last.

At the back, Ronald Araujo is already a fan favourite and Jeremy Jacquet has seamlessly settled into the Premier League. Iraola’s growing trust in using youngsters like Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas and James McConnell is certainly worth highlighting too.

Liverpool have made three or more starting XI changes in nine consecutive games and that rotation has been a key aspect of Iraola’s own adaptation to coaching two games a week.

“It’s true that [when I came], I didn’t have a lot of experience [coaching two games a week], but I had a lot as a player of when you arrive back at 3am in the morning and so on,” said Iraola.

“It’s different to managing, but you do a lot of the job with the analysts, in the video room with the board and without spending the legs but I think our players are very used to it so a lot of the work is done.”

“Now, it’s more a matter of getting the decisions right, in terms of loading and freshening the legs. We are changing [the team] a lot from game to game and I think we will continue this approach.”

Iraola is a believer that possession itself is not overly important but he wants his team to produce the better chances.

“Whoever controls the game is whoever controls the chances,” he said, after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton, where the Reds only had the ball for 35.6% of the playing time.

Liverpool went more direct against a Brighton side that likes to keep the ball and it worked. Liverpool are averaging 24.9 long balls per Premier League game this season, compared to 21 last term.

In terms of high pressures in the opposition half (165.9 per game, compared to 160.1) and sprints (128.3 per game, compared to 123.2), Iraola’s side are doing more in comparison to last season but they are actually covering marginally less distance (111.1 km per game, compared to 111.7km).

Asked what has changed under Iraola, captain Virgil van Dijk offered an interesting response earlier this week.

“The ‘intensity’ word has been said so many times, sometimes a bit of chaos and there is this risk-reward that’s going on now as well,” he said.

“If we press high, I ended up at one point almost putting Cody [Gakpo] in one versus one on goal when I intercepted the ball on the right-hand side - when I’m a left centre-back. It’s this sort of intensity that we try to get into our press.”

“It’s still a work in progress, but if you defend with a lot of intensity you have a big chance to win the ball high. Sometimes, that creates some risk and it could be vulnerable, but we’re working on it a lot in order to be able to take that risk, but still not be as vulnerable as we have been sometimes.”

There is more to come from the approach and Iraola insisted “there has to be another level” after arriving late to Friday’s news conference because training overran.

If his side can find that, starting against Arsenal, then talk of a title challenge will only grow.