Andrey Santos reveals Manchester United dressing room stance on Michael Carrick after Martinez rant

According to a report by The Sun on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Andrey Santos has insisted that Michael Carrick retains the backing of the Manchester United dressing room despite the club’s poor run of results and Lisandro Martinez’s criticism of the hierarchy.

United are enduring a difficult start to the 2026/27 campaign, having gone five consecutive matches without a victory across all competitions. Their latest setback came on Tuesday night when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, extending their disappointing run of results.

The defeat also increased the pressure on Carrick, who is facing growing scrutiny following United’s struggles. However, Santos has maintained that the players remain committed to the manager and his coaching staff as they attempt to turn the situation around.

Speaking after the loss in Madrid, the Brazilian midfielder said the squad continued to believe in Carrick and acknowledged that hard work was necessary to improve their performances.

Santos said United were going through a difficult period but insisted that the players needed to work together to change their results rather than allow the situation to deteriorate further.

His comments came after Martinez publicly criticised the club’s hierarchy following the defeat. The Argentine defender expressed disappointment with the club’s summer recruitment and said he expected more from technical director Jason Wilcox.

Martinez also suggested that United’s problems extended beyond the manager, arguing that other areas of the club needed attention instead of repeatedly changing coaches.

Santos, who made his third start for United in Madrid, also apologised to the travelling supporters who watched the team lose at the Wanda Metropolitano.

United conceded within the opening minute when Pablo Barrios scored for Atletico, forcing Carrick’s side to chase the game from an early stage. The visitors created opportunities to equalise but suffered another setback when defender Leny Yoro was sent off in the 74th minute following a VAR review.

Atletico took advantage of their numerical superiority five minutes later, with substitute Ademola Lookman scoring the second goal to secure victory for the Spanish side.

Santos acknowledged that conceding so early had complicated United’s task but said the players continued encouraging one another to fight back. He explained that captain Bruno Fernandes and his teammates urged the squad to keep pushing after Atletico took the lead.

The midfielder added that the team understood the difficulty of playing away against a strong opponent but accepted that their performance needed significant improvement.

United will now look to recover from the defeat and prepare for their next fixture against Leeds United, with Carrick and his players under pressure to deliver a positive response after five matches without a win.